Pasadena, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Site ≤7,200 sf
- No maximum coverage
- 7,200-11,999 sf
- 35%, up to 40% if single-story
- ≥12,000 sf
- 35% or 4,800 sf, whichever greater
- Coverage over 35%
- Single-story portion only
- Applies to
- RS-1 through RM-12 zoning districts
Summary
Pasadena caps roofed building coverage on RS and RM-12 lots at 35 percent, or up to 40 percent if everything above 35 percent is single-story. Lots of 7,200 square feet or less carry no maximum. Municipal Code Section 17.22.040, Table 2-3, sets the formula by lot size across the RS-1 through RM-12 districts.
Maximum site coverage Maximum allowed lot coverage of all roofed areas on the site. Site 7,200 sf or less No maximum. Site greater than 7,200 sf to 11,999 sf 35%; up to 40% provided any additional coverage over 35% shall be single-story only. Site 12,000 sf or more 35% or 4,800 sf, whichever is greater; any additional coverage over 35% shall be single-story only.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
040, governs how much of an RS-1 through RM-12 lot can be covered by roofed structures. The rule scales with lot size rather than applying one flat percentage citywide. A site of 7,200 square feet or less carries no maximum lot coverage at all under this table, leaving coverage to be limited instead by setbacks, floor-area, and height standards. Once a lot exceeds 7,200 square feet and runs up to 11,999 square feet, coverage is capped at 35 percent, though an owner can push that to 40 percent if every square foot of coverage above the 35 percent line is single-story only, with no second floor above it.
Lots of 12,000 square feet or larger get the more generous of two figures, 35 percent of the lot or a flat 4,800 square feet, and again any coverage beyond the 35 percent threshold has to stay single-story. 250. Lot coverage is a distinct limit from the maximum floor area ratio and the neighborhood compatibility calculation in the same table, so a project can be within the coverage cap and still exceed the floor-area limit, or vice versa.
Violations & Fines
Building beyond the lot coverage cap is treated the same as any other Zoning Code violation: a structure erected, enlarged, or maintained contrary to Table 2-3 is declared a public nuisance under Section 17.78.060, subject to a Stop Work Order and administrative penalties under Chapters 1.25 and 1.26 of the Municipal Code. Section 17.78.070 makes each day of over-coverage construction a separate offense, and City plan check staff will not issue a Building Permit for a project that exceeds the table's coverage percentage in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum lot coverage for a house in Pasadena?
Is there a lot coverage limit on small lots?
Does lot coverage include garages and accessory structures?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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Lot Coverage Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle lot coverage limits.