Davis, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- DMC § 40.03.060(e), (f), (g)
- R-1-6/8 interior side yard
- 5 feet
- R-1-6/8 street side yard
- 15 feet
- R-1-6 front yard
- 20 feet
- Rear yard (all R-1 subzones)
- 20 feet, 25 ft if 2-story
- Corridor-plan reduction
- Front/street side to 10 feet
Summary
In Davis's R-1-6 and R-1-8 single-family zones, side yards run 5 feet interior and 15 feet on a street side, front yards are 20 feet, and rear yards are 20 feet, jumping to 25 feet for any two-story portion of the house. Approved street corridor plans can cut the front or street-side setback to 10 feet.
Zones R-1-6 and R-1-8: street side yard, fifteen feet; interior side yard, five feet; side yards of three feet may be allowed if a tentative development plan showing twelve feet between future buildings is submitted by the subdivider and approved by the director. Total side yard, twelve feet, except for projections as permitted by Section 40.27.060. ... Zone R-1-6, twenty feet, except as provided in Section 40.27.050 and projections permitted by Section 40.27.060. For those properties with a front yard facing a street for which a corridor plan was accepted by the city council at a public hearing, the minimum front yard setback shall be ten feet. The accepted corridor plan must have specific language relating to reduced setbacks for those properties fronting the corridor street. Garage setbacks shall conform to the requirements of Section 40.27.050 of this Code. ... Zones R-1-6, R-1-8, R-1-15, twenty feet, except for any portion of a building over one story (or any portion of a single-story building over twenty feet in height as measured to the exterior), that portion must meet the following minimum setback: twenty-five feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
060 sets the area, lot width, yard and open space standards for the R-1 single-family district, with separate figures for the R-1-15, R-1-8 and R-1-6 subzones. For R-1-6 and R-1-8 lots, the interior side yard is 5 feet and the street side yard is 15 feet, for a 12-foot total side yard minimum, though a 3-foot side yard can be approved if the subdivider's tentative development plan shows 12 feet between future buildings. Any portion of a two-story building, or a single-story building over 20 feet tall, must instead meet a 10-foot side setback and a 15-foot street side yard.
Where a street has an accepted corridor plan with specific reduced-setback language, the minimum street side yard drops to 10 feet. 050. Rear yards across R-1-6, R-1-8 and R-1-15 are 20 feet, rising to 25 feet for any portion of a building taller than one story or over 20 feet. A corner-lot rear yard can shrink to 5 feet only if the property leaves an unimproved rear area calculated by multiplying lot width by a factor that ranges from 20 to 30 depending on district and building height, with no resulting dimension below 20 feet. The R-1-15 subzone carries larger baseline yards: a 15-foot street side yard and 8-foot interior side yard, and a 25-foot front yard.
Violations & Fines
Section 40.01.120 makes it unlawful to erect, reconstruct, alter, or move any building or structure into a yard, or to encroach on required open space, except in conformity with the yard, area and building-location standards of the district. Building permits are conditioned on meeting these setbacks, so a nonconforming structure can be denied a permit or ordered corrected through the city's code enforcement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum side yard in an R-1-6 lot in Davis?
How close can I build to the rear property line in Davis?
Can Davis reduce my front yard setback below 20 feet?
Do two-story additions face bigger setbacks in Davis?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
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