Davis, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- R-1 lot coverage cap
- 40 percent of lot area
- As-of-right FAR
- 40% plus 500 sq ft garage/carport
- Above-cap FAR
- Requires design review, Article 40.31
- R-2 lot coverage
- Same 40 percent (§ 40.04.060(d))
- Governing section
- DMC § 40.03.060(d), (h)
Summary
Davis caps R-1 single-family lot coverage at 40 percent under Municipal Code Section 40.03.060, and separately limits the floor area ratio to 40 percent plus up to 500 square feet of garage or carport space, unless the owner secures a discretionary design review approval to exceed it.
Lot coverage. ... (1) Not in excess of forty percent. ... Floor area ratio (FAR). (1) Up to forty percent plus up to five hundred square feet for garage or carport. (2) In excess of forty percent plus up to five hundred square feet for garage or carport with approval of a discretionary design review application pursuant to Article 40.31.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
060, the area, lot width, yard and open space standards for the R-1 single-family district, sets lot coverage at not in excess of forty percent for every R-1 lot, alongside a matching usable-open-space requirement of twenty percent of lot area for the R-1-8 and R-1-6 subzones. 31. 060 for the R-2 one- and two-family district, so duplexes and two-family lots share the same coverage ceiling as single-family lots. 120(c) bars any building, addition or enlargement that encroaches on the required yard, building-site area, or open-space standards, a house that meets the 40 percent coverage cap can still be blocked if it does not also fit inside the yard setbacks set elsewhere in the same section.
060(i) requires a converted attic to take on the setbacks of the story below it, and bars any exterior change to the roofline beyond what is needed for code-required egress.
Violations & Fines
Because lot coverage and FAR are building-permit standards under Section 40.03.060, a design that exceeds forty percent lot coverage, or forty percent FAR beyond the garage/carport allowance, cannot be permitted unless the owner obtains discretionary design review approval under Article 40.31. Constructing beyond the cap without that approval falls under the general prohibition in Section 40.01.120 against erecting or enlarging a structure inconsistent with the district's site standards, exposing the owner to code enforcement and a stop-work or correction order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of my Davis lot can I build on?
Can I exceed the 40 percent floor area ratio in Davis?
Does a garage count toward my lot coverage or FAR limit?
Do lot coverage limits apply the same way to attic conversions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
California rules heatmap·Compare Davis to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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Lot Coverage Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Yolo County handle lot coverage limits.