San Bernardino County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Building setbacks in the unincorporated area are determined by the applicable land use zoning district under the Development Code, with the general rules and exceptions in Section 83.02.070 (Setback Regulations and Exceptions). The Residential Development Guide confirms "the land use zoning district will dictate the size of the front, side, or rear building setback," and that all building setbacks must be maintained whether or not a permit is required. For the Valley Region (Table 82-9A), the RL (Rural Living), RS (Single Residential), and RM (Multiple Residential) districts all require a 25 ft front setback and a 15 ft rear setback. Street-side setbacks are 15 ft on a local street and 25 ft on a collector or wider. Interior side setbacks vary: RS and RM require 5 ft on one side and 10 ft on the other, while RL depends on lot width (5 ft/10 ft for lots 75 ft wide or less, 15 ft for wider lots). The Mountain Region (Table 82-9B) uses smaller figures - for RS/RM, 15 ft front on lots under 14,000 sq ft (25 ft on larger lots), with interior side setbacks of 20% of lot width (need not exceed 15 ft) and 15 ft rear. Section 83.02.070 also sets minimum street setbacks (a 30 ft half-width right-of-way in the Valley and Desert Regions, 20 ft in the Mountain Region) and provides that on corner parcels the street-side yard matches the front-yard setback. Because figures differ by region, district, lot size, and street classification, confirm exact setbacks with Land Use Services.