Cathedral City, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- RE maximum coverage
- Twenty-five percent of net lot area (§ 9.12.080)
- R1 maximum coverage
- Forty percent of net lot area (§ 9.14.080)
- R2 maximum coverage
- Fifty percent of net lot area (§ 9.16.080)
- RM maximum coverage
- Sixty percent of net lot area (§ 9.18.080)
- R4 maximum coverage
- Sixty-five percent of net lot area (§ 9.22.080)
- OS-R maximum coverage
- Ten percent of net lot area (§ 9.44.080)
Summary
In Cathedral City, California, maximum building coverage is a percentage of net lot area set by zone: twenty-five percent in RE, forty percent in R1, fifty percent in R2, sixty percent in RM and R3, sixty-five percent in R4, and ten percent in OS-R. Driveway and parking limits for front yards sit in separate sections.
§ 9.12.080. Coverage and building height. A. Maximum building coverage shall be twenty-five percent of net lot area; ... § 9.14.080. Coverage and building height. A. Maximum building coverage shall be forty percent of net lot area; ... § 9.16.080. Coverage and building height. A. Maximum building coverage shall be fifty percent of net lot area; ... § 9.18.080. Coverage and building height. A. Maximum building coverage shall be sixty percent of net lot area; ... § 9.22.080. Coverage and building height. ... A. Maximum building coverage shall be sixty-five percent of net lot area; ... § 9.44.080. Coverage and building height. A. Maximum building coverage shall be ten percent of net lot area;
Full Breakdown
Cathedral City Municipal Code Title 9 caps building coverage in a section titled Coverage and building height inside each residential chapter. Every cap is stated as a percentage of net lot area.
RE Residential Estate (§ 9.12.080): maximum building coverage is twenty-five percent of net lot area. Newly-created RE lots must have a minimum net area of forty thousand square feet under § 9.12.060.
R1 Single-Family (§ 9.14.080): forty percent of net lot area.
R2 Multiple-Family (§ 9.16.080): fifty percent of net lot area.
RM Multiple-Family (§ 9.18.080): sixty percent of net lot area. R3 Multiple-Family (§ 9.20.080) also prints sixty percent.
R4 Multiple-Family (§ 9.22.080): sixty-five percent of net lot area.
OS-R Open Space Residential (§ 9.44.080): ten percent of net lot area, the tightest cap in the residential chapters.
The building cap is not the only hard-surface limit on a Cathedral City lot. In R1, § 9.14.090(D) says driveways and improved parking areas shall not cover more than fifty percent of the required front or street side yard area. Section 9.14.100(D) repeats the fifty percent limit for driveways and open parking, except that for properties fronting a major or arterial street, up to seventy-five percent coverage can be allowed where the city engineer determines that a turnaround or circular driveway is required or where on-street parking adjacent to the property is prohibited. R2 repeats the fifty percent front or street side yard limit in § 9.16.090(D).
Each coverage section also sets a separate building height limit in paragraph B, which is not part of this coverage figure.
Violations & Fines
A building that exceeds the coverage percentage for its Cathedral City zone is a zoning violation enforced by Code Compliance. An administrative citation under § 13.58.020 carries a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars for a first citation, two hundred dollars for a second within twelve months, and five hundred dollars for a third, unless the city council sets other amounts by resolution. Section 13.58.025 gives not less than ten calendar days to correct a zoning issue, and § 13.58.070 allows an appeal to the administrative appeals officer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my R1 lot can a building cover in Cathedral City?
Which Cathedral City residential zone has the lowest coverage cap?
How much of an R1 front yard can a driveway cover?
What is the penalty for exceeding the coverage limit in Cathedral City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cathedral City
California rules heatmap·Compare Cathedral City to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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