Sacramento County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max accessory coverage
- 30% of required rear yard
- Max size, lots <20,000 sf
- 50% of home's habitable area
- Max size, lots ≥20,000 sf
- 100% of home's habitable area
- Max height
- 16 ft peak / 14 ft plate
- Front setback
- 20 feet
- Minor shed exception
- ≤120 sf, ≤9 ft on property line
- Deviation process
- Special Development Permit, Zoning Administrator
Summary
Sacramento County caps how much of a residential lot's required rear yard a detached accessory structure, like a shed, garage or workshop, can cover. Zoning Code Table 5.10.A limits accessory building coverage to 30% of the required rear yard and ties total accessory square footage to the primary home's habitable floor area, with a Special Development Permit required for any deviation.
The area of all accessory structures on a single parcel, shall not exceed [3];
- For lots less than 20,000 sq. ft. in gross area: 50% of the habitable floor area of the primary residential dwelling.
- For lots 20,000 sq. ft. in gross area or greater, 100% of the habitable floor area of the primary dwelling. Maximum Building Coverage: 30% of required rear yard [3] [3] For the purpose of this calculation, all roofed space, enclosed or not, shall be counted as space occupied by accessory buildings, except for the habitable space of an ADU. Deviations from the standards of this Section may be permitted with a Special Development Permit approved by the Zoning Administrator, subject to the General Findings in Section 6.4.6.H.1.
Full Breakdown
CC) built, enlarged or modified anywhere the county's zoning allows them. Two caps apply together. First, the footprint of all accessory structures on a parcel cannot exceed 30% of the required rear yard, calculated as roofed space whether enclosed or not, except that the habitable space of an accessory dwelling unit is excluded from the count (footnote 3). Second, total accessory square footage is scaled to the size of the primary residence: on lots under 20,000 square feet, accessory structures are capped at 50% of the primary dwelling's habitable floor area; on lots of 20,000 square feet or more, the cap rises to 100% of that habitable floor area.
5 feet from a side street line, with tighter fire-wall rules inside 5 feet of another structure. Minor sheds of 120 square feet or less and no taller than 9 feet may be placed directly on the property line. Guest houses are further limited to 500 square feet of conditioned space, one room, one bathroom, and no cooking appliances. 1 before granting a deviation.
Violations & Fines
Building beyond the coverage or size limits without an approved Special Development Permit is a misdemeanor under Zoning Code Section 6.6.9, punished per Sacramento County Code Section 1.09.190; each day the unpermitted structure remains counts as a separate violation. The Director first serves a written Notice of Violation under Section 6.6.8.D giving the property owner a deadline to correct the coverage before pursuing further enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my backyard can an accessory structure cover in Sacramento County?
Does a bigger lot allow a bigger shed?
Can a small shed sit on the property line?
What if I need to exceed the coverage limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento County to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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