Anti-Mansionization
Building Safety
Floor-area-ratio (FAR) and bulk limits added to single-family zones to prevent oversized rebuilds, including LA's Baseline Mansionization Ordinance updates.
How Anti-Mansionization Rules Differ by Place
San Luis Obispo County, CA: SLO County Has No Primary-Home Size Cap
Few RestrictionsUnincorporated San Luis Obispo County sets no maximum floor area for a first single-family or urban dwelling on a residential lot; only a second, additional primary dwelling on the…
Sedona, AZ: Sedona Single-Family Building Massing Rules
Some RestrictionsSedona's Land Development Code stops single-family houses from reading as one oversized block by requiring multiple distinct building masses. Homes between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet…
Little Rock, AR: Little Rock Hillcrest Mansionization FAR Limits
Some RestrictionsLittle Rock reins in oversized houses inside the Hillcrest neighborhood through a floor area ratio (FAR) formula scaled to the number of floors, not a flat square-footage cap. Under…
Alameda County, CA: Castro Valley FAR Limits in Alameda County
Some RestrictionsCastro Valley limits one-family homes to a sliding floor-area-ratio cap, as low as 0.10 FAR on the largest lots, before extra square footage triggers site development review.
Arcadia, CA: City of Arcadia, California Mansionization Floor Area Limits
Some RestrictionsThe City of Arcadia, California limits house size through a sliding floor area cap in Table 2-2 of § 9102.01.030: 45% of lot area up to 7,500 sf north of Huntington Drive, then…
Buena Park, CA: Buena Park Home Addition Design Standards
Some RestrictionsHome additions in Buena Park must match the existing roof style and pitch and add enhanced finishes on street-facing and upper-story walls to prevent bulky, out-of-character expansions.
Cities & Counties with Anti-Mansionization Rules
52 locations
Arizona
Arkansas
Other Building Safety Topics
Lead Paint
Local lead-paint rules for older housing, hazard abatement orders, inspection triggers, and how local requirements sit alongside the federal disclosure and RRP rules.
Elevator Maintenance
Inspection schedules, maintenance requirements, and safety certifications for residential and commercial elevators and escalators.
Scaffold & Sidewalk Shed
When scaffolding or sidewalk sheds are required on building facades, how long they can remain, and maintenance and lighting requirements.
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
When residential and commercial buildings must install fire sprinkler systems, including new-construction triggers and major-renovation thresholds.
Childcare Center Rules
Building safety standards specific to family childcare homes and centers, including egress, sprinklers, lead and asbestos clearances, and outdoor play standards.
Door Locking Hardware
Code requirements for emergency-egress door hardware, including thumb-turn locks, panic bars, and one-action egress required by the building code.
Green Building Code
CALGreen and equivalent state green building codes, plus reach codes that go further (electric-only new construction, EV-readiness, low-VOC materials).
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Where CO detectors are required (typically near sleeping areas in homes with fuel-burning appliances or attached garages), and seller/landlord deadlines.
Building Permits
When a building permit is required, new work, renovations, reroofing, decks, the small-project exemptions, and what unpermitted work costs when it surfaces at sale or inspection.
Electrical Permits
Which electrical work (panel upgrades, EV chargers, solar inverters, sub-panels) requires a licensed-electrician permit vs. an owner-builder permit.
Plumbing Permits
Which plumbing work (water heaters, sewer-line replacement, repipe, gas-line) requires a permit, and which minor repairs are typically exempt.
Building Inspections
Required inspection types (rough framing, electrical, plumbing, final), how to schedule, what inspectors look for, and how to handle a failed inspection.