Pico Rivera, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

Municipal Code Table 18.11.030.A (Development Standards for Residential Zones) sets Lot Coverage, maximum at 35% for the R-E estate zone, 40% for the S-F and R-I single-family zones, and 50% for the R-M-M and R-M-H multi-family zones, cross-referencing Section 18.26.070 (Calculating Lot Coverage) for the formula. Under Section 18.26.070, coverage is calculated by summing the footprints of all primary and accessory structures, including garages, carports, and enclosed patios and porches, and dividing that total by the lot area. The section excludes several features from the calculation entirely: permitted projections into setbacks under Section 18.18.060, balconies, roof decks, porte cocheres, unenclosed patios, swimming pools, and trellises or similar roofed structures that are at least 50% open to the sky.

The same table pairs the lot coverage limit with a Floor Area Ratio of 0.5 in the R-E, S-F, and R-I single-family zones; the R-M-M and R-M-H multi-family zones instead rely on the table's dwelling-unit-density standard, so no FAR figure applies there. Applicants show compliance with both the coverage percentage and the FAR on the site plan submitted with a building permit application, reviewed by the Community and Economic Development Department's Zoning Administrator before construction begins, and coverage is checked again at final inspection before the City will approve occupancy of the finished structure.