El Dorado County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Slope ≥30% and vertical rise ≥50 ft
- Under 1 acre
- 35% of parcel area max disturbance
- 1.0-1.5 acres
- 15,000 sq ft + 14% over 1 acre
- 1.5-4.0 acres
- 18,000 sq ft + 12% over 1.5 acres
- Over 4 acres
- 32,000 sq ft + 10% over 4 acres
- Tahoe Basin
- Exempt; follows TRPA Bailey/IPES instead
Summary
El Dorado County does not set a flat lot-coverage percentage for ordinary residential parcels; the Residential Zones Development Standards table (130.24.030) regulates only setbacks, lot size, and height. Where a lot carries a natural slope of 30 percent or greater with at least 50 feet of vertical rise, though, Section 130.30.080 caps total ground disturbance on a sliding scale tied to parcel size.
a.Minimize Area of Disturbance. The proposed total disturbance area on the parcel, excluding areas for septic systems, domestic water wells and driveways, shall not be greater than the thresholds contained in Table 130.30.080.A (Allowed Disturbance Area for Residential Parcels) below in this Section, based on the parcel size: 35 percent of parcel area [less than 1 acre]; 15,000 square feet, plus 14 percent of area over 1 acre [1.0 acre to 1.5 acres]; 18,000 square feet, plus 12 percent of area over 1.5 acres [1.5 acres to 4.0 acres]; 32,000 square feet plus 10 percent of the area over 4 acres [greater than 4.0 acres]. All resulting values rounded up to the next 1,000 square feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
080 (Hillside Development Standards; 30 Percent Slope Restriction) applies to any lot with ground disturbance on a natural gradient of at least 30 percent (30 feet of vertical rise per 100 feet horizontal) and a vertical height of at least 50 feet. 0 acres; and 32,000 square feet plus 10 percent of the area over 4 acres for lots larger than 4 acres, with all results rounded up to the next 1,000 square feet. Development on these slopes requires a grading or building permit with an erosion and sediment control plan under the County Grading Design Manual, and the County may require a surety bond for long-term erosion control. 120), and repair of existing structures in the same footprint. 090.
Violations & Fines
Ground disturbance beyond the Table 130.30.080.A thresholds without an approved grading or building permit is enforced as a Title 130 zoning violation under County Code Chapter 9.02. Section 9.02.050(B) makes every violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of continued disturbance a separate offense; the District Attorney can instead reduce it to an infraction capped at $500, and repeat notices for the same violation escalate under Section 9.02.210 from $100 to $250 to $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Dorado County cap the percentage of my lot I can build on?
How is the steep-slope disturbance limit calculated?
Does the disturbance cap count my septic system and driveway?
What if the slope cap would leave my lot unbuildable?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
California rules heatmap·Compare El Dorado County to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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