Madera County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- RX / RUM zones
- 85% max lot coverage
- RUS / RT zones
- 80% max lot coverage
- RRS-1ac / RRM / RM
- 40% max lot coverage
- RRS-2/2.5/3, RRS-5, RRS-10
- 20% max lot coverage
- RMS zone
- no numeric coverage cap listed
- Violation
- misdemeanor, per-day offense
- Variance appeal window
- 15 days after hearing
Summary
Unincorporated Madera County caps the share of a residential lot that structures may cover through the development standards table in Chapter 18.11. The limit is set separately for each residential zone, running from 20 percent in the RRS-2 through RRS-10 rural zones up to 85 percent in the urban RX and RUM zones, with no numeric cap listed for the RMS mountain zone.
The development standards table for residential zones identifies the parcel size, density standards, lot coverage, setbacks and height regulations that apply in the residential zones. ... Max. lot coverage (%) 80 85 40 20 20 20 • 80 85 40 40 ... Setbacks are measured from the property line to the wall of the structure. Front setbacks are measured from the road right-of-way to the wall of the structure.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
lot coverage (%)' row of that table sets the following limits by zone: RUS 80%, RX 85%, RRS on one-acre minimum lots 40%, RRS-2/RRS-2½/RRS-3 20%, RRS-5 20%, RRS-10 20%, RMS (dash, no coverage percentage listed), RT 80%, RUM 85%, RRM 40%, and RM 40%. 010(B), a dash in the table 'indicates no specific regulation of that requirement,' so the RMS mountain single-family zone carries no numeric lot coverage cap even though it has minimum lot size and setback standards. These figures apply only inside unincorporated Madera County; the cities of Madera and Chowchilla set their own zoning and are not governed by this county code.
The same section ties lot coverage to the county's setback rule: 'Setbacks are measured from the property line to the wall of the structure. Front setbacks are measured from the road right-of-way to the wall of the structure,' and where a parcel fronts two roadways, a twenty-five-foot front setback applies to each. The table also carries maximum floor area ratio figures by zone and story count and a required parking count of two spaces per unit, both of which interact with how much of a lot can practically be built out.
This standard traces to Ord. No. 525VV § 3 (Exh. C), adopted July 18, 2017, and was most recently amended by Ord. No. 525YY § 2 (December 17, 2024) and Ord. No. 525ZZ § 3 (October 14, 2025).
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the lot coverage limit is enforced under Chapter 18.112. Any structure built in conflict with Title 18 'is declared to be unlawful and a public nuisance' (§ 18.112.020), and violating the title is a misdemeanor with a 'separate offense for each and every day during which any violation... is committed' (§ 18.112.010). If the zoning administrator abates the nuisance after notice, the county may recover abatement costs plus 'a penalty of ten dollars for each day the nuisance remained after service of the notice' (§ 18.112.070, § 18.112.080), and injunctive relief is available under § 18.112.085. A permit application for construction already built in violation of the title 'shall require a fee double the application fee' under § 18.112.120.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum lot coverage for a house in unincorporated Madera County?
Does the RMS mountain zone have a lot coverage limit?
What happens if I build past the lot coverage limit without a permit?
Can a property owner get relief from the lot coverage limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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