Pismo Beach, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- A-E zone (1983 code)
- Ten percent of subdivided parcel
- R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-R (1983 code)
- Fifty-five percent
- C-1, C-2, G (1983 code)
- Eighty percent
- C-M (1983 code)
- Thirty-three percent
- P-R zone (1983 code)
- Set by use permit, not over forty percent
- Sheds and garages (1998 code)
- Counted in site coverage
Summary
In the City of Pismo Beach, California, the 1983 Zoning Ordinance caps total lot coverage for all structures at ten percent in the A-E zone, fifty-five percent in R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-R, eighty percent in C-1, C-2 and G, and thirty-three percent in C-M. The 1998 Zoning Code defines site coverage to include sheds, garages and porches.
A. A-E Zone. Total maximum lot coverage for subdivided parcels: Ten percent. B. R-1 and R-2 Zone. Total maximum lot coverage for subdivided parcels: Fifty-five percent. C. R-3, R-4 and R-R Zones. Total maximum lot coverage for subdivided parcels: Fifty-five percent. ... F. C-1, C-2 and G Zones. Total maximum lot coverage: Eighty percent. G. C-M Zone. Total maximum lot coverage: Thirty-three percent. ... Site Coverage. ... The percentage of total site area occupied by structures. Structure/building coverage includes the primary structure, all accessory structures (e.g., carports, garages, patio covers, storage sheds, trash dumpster enclosures, etc.) and architectural features (e.g., chimneys, balconies, decks above the first floor, porches, stairs, etc.).
Full Breakdown
Only the 1983 Zoning Ordinance prints lot coverage percentages in prose. The 1998 Zoning Code prints its site coverage figures inside Table 2-3 of § 17.08.040, where paired districts share merged cells, so this page quotes the 1998 definition instead of a number.
1983 Zoning Ordinance, § 17.102.080: the A-E zone allows ten percent for subdivided parcels, R-1 and R-2 fifty-five percent, R-3, R-4 and R-R fifty-five percent, C-1, C-2 and G eighty percent, and C-M thirty-three percent. In the P-R zone the coverage, less existing road rights of way and nonbuildable open space, is established by the use permit and is not to exceed forty percent. The M-H and C-R zones follow their own guidelines, and coverage limits do not apply to the OS-1 and OS-R zones.
Coverage is one of three area controls. Section 17.102.090 caps total building floor area as a percentage of lot area: ten percent in A-E, eighty-six percent of the first two thousand seven hundred square feet of lot area plus sixty percent of any excess in R-1, eighty percent in R-2 except that single-family houses follow R-1, and one hundred twenty-five percent in R-3, R-4 and R-R. Section 17.102.095 requires minimum planting and vegetation of seventy-five percent in A-E and twenty percent in R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-R.
1998 Zoning Code: the definition in chapter 17.62 says site coverage is the percentage of total site area occupied by structures, counting the primary structure, all accessory structures such as carports, garages, patio covers, storage sheds and trash dumpster enclosures, and architectural features such as chimneys, balconies, decks above the first floor, porches and stairs. The definitions also say Lot Coverage means Site Coverage, and coverage is measured from exterior wall to exterior wall.
Pismo Beach uses two adopted zoning codes. The city's Zoning and Land Use page states that properties inside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1983 Zoning Code, and properties outside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1998 Zoning Code.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the 1983 Zoning Ordinance is an infraction under § 17.133.040, and the city attorney can charge it as a misdemeanor instead. Chapter 1.20 sets infraction fines at not exceeding one hundred dollars for a first violation, two hundred dollars for a second within twelve months, and five hundred dollars for each later one. A misdemeanor carries up to one thousand dollars or six months, and each day is a separate offense. The 1998 Zoning Code adds a stop work order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of an R-1 lot can be covered in Pismo Beach?
Do sheds and garages count toward coverage?
What is the limit in the commercial zones?
Does the A-E zone have a coverage limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pismo Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Pismo Beach to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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