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

Merced County Code Section 18.12.030, Table 2-4 (Residential Zone Development Standards), fixes minimum yard setbacks separately for each residential zone: R-R without public sewer/water, R-R with public sewer/water, R-1, R-1-5000, R-2/R-3/R-4, and M-H. Front setbacks run 50 feet (R-R no sewer), 30 feet (R-R with sewer), 20 feet for garages and 15 feet for livable area in R-1 and R-1-5000, 20 feet in R-2/R-3/R-4, and 10 feet in M-H. Interior side setbacks are 15, 10, 5, 5, 5/12, and 3 feet respectively across those same six zones, and side-facing-street setbacks mirror the front figures.

Rear setbacks are 25, 20, 10, 10, 15, and 10 feet. Section 18.12.030 notes that property lines are measured in feet, with those adjacent to a street measured from the face of the curb, the adopted plan line, or the edge of the right-of-way. Section 18.12.040.A.1.a further specifies that the front setback is measured from the existing or adopted street right-of-way line at the ultimate width of the street. A commission- or director-approved Administrative or Conditional Use Permit can require setbacks larger than the table minimums where needed to make a permitted use compatible with surrounding properties, per Section 18.12.030.B.

New residential dwellings in a designated urban community that sit next to agricultural land also carry a separate 200-foot agricultural setback under Section 18.12.040.A.2.b, waivable only through a variance under Chapter 18.126.