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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Front yard
20 ft minimum
Rear yard
20 ft minimum
Side yard
5-10 ft, scales with lot width
Corner lot side yard
10 ft minimum
Applies to
unincorporated areas only

Summary

Unincorporated Alameda County requires 20-foot front and rear yards in R-1 single-family districts, with side yards scaling from five feet up to a 10-foot maximum based on lot width.

City-specific rules exist: Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, San Leandro, and Oakland have their own setback rules rules that differ from Alameda County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

Except as otherwise specified in the case of a combining district, the minimum requirements for yards in R-1 districts shall be as follows, subject to the provisions of Section 17.52.330: A. Depth of front yard: Twenty (20) feet; B. Depth of rear yard: Twenty (20) feet; C. Width of side yards: not less than five feet plus one foot for each full ten feet by which the median lot width exceeds fifty (50) feet up to a maximum requirement of ten feet, except that in every case the side yard on the street side of a corner lot shall have a width not less than ten feet.

Source: Alameda County Code Title 17 — SetbacksView official code

Full Breakdown

Alameda County's zoning code sets R-1 single-family yard minimums for unincorporated areas only. Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview and Sunol among them. Front and rear yards must each run at least 20 feet deep. Side yards start at five feet and add one foot for every full ten feet the lot's median width exceeds 50 feet, capped at 10 feet, with a flat 10-foot minimum on a corner lot's street side. These standards do not reach inside Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward, San Leandro, Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, Alameda, Union City, Newark, Emeryville, Albany or Piedmont, each of which runs its own zoning code.

Violations & Fines

Building into a required yard can draw a stop-work order, a red-tagged permit, or a Planning Department correction notice ordering the encroaching wall or addition altered or removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this rule apply inside Oakland or Berkeley?
No. Alameda County zoning governs unincorporated territory only. Oakland, Berkeley and the county's twelve other cities enforce their own codes.
Can an R-1 side yard ever be less than five feet?
No. Five feet is the R-1 minimum; it grows with lot width up to a 10-foot cap, and corner lots need 10 feet on the street side.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Alameda County

Structure Height LimitsSome RestrictionsLot Coverage LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Preferential Parking DistrictsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage TreesSome RestrictionsWater Use Rules: Recycled Water RulesLight RestrictionsHistoric Preservation: Historic-Cultural MonumentsSignificant Restrictions

All Alameda County rules

California rules heatmap·Compare Alameda County to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview

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Setback Rules in Cities Across Alameda County

Oakland, CAFremont, CAHayward, CABerkeley, CASan Leandro, CALivermore, CACastro Valley, CA