Maximum building site (lot) coverage in unincorporated Orange County is set by zoning district. Coverage is the ground-floor building area as a share of net development area, computed after deducting street rights-of-way and use-prohibiting easements, per Zoning Code Section 7-9-24.4. District tables set the percentage and exclude certain low decks, pools, and a small accessory structure.
Maximum building site coverage in unincorporated Orange County is defined in Zoning Code Section 7-9-24.4 as the relationship between the ground-floor area of the building(s) and the project net development area of the site. Coverage is computed by deducting from the gross site area any ultimate street rights-of-way together with all rights-of-way and easements that prohibit surface use of the site, except open-space easements on single-family lots. The code excludes from the coverage calculation: unenclosed decks, patio slabs, porches, landings, balconies, and stairways less than 18 inches in height at the deck surface (and railings less than 6 feet above grade); swimming pools and hot tubs not enclosed in roofed structures or decks; and one small non-habitable accessory structure under 120 square feet. The actual maximum coverage percentage is set in each district's site development standards table rather than as a single county-wide number; for example, the Agricultural/Open Space table caps the OS district at 10 percent and the R/OSP district at 20 percent of the site. Single-family and multifamily district coverage figures are likewise listed in their respective standards tables, so owners should read the table for their specific zoning district. Planned-developments may have no maximum building site coverage where so specified.
Covering more of the building site with structures than the district's maximum allows is a Zoning Code violation that can block permit approval or a certificate of occupancy. Owners may have to reduce building footprint or seek a variance to come into compliance.
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