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

Building setbacks in unincorporated Imperial County are established zone by zone in the Land Use Ordinance, Title 9, Division 5 (Zoning Areas Established). Each zoning district has its own setback section, so the required distances from the property lines depend on whether a parcel is residential (R), agricultural (A) or another classification. For the common R-1 (Low Density Residential, one residential unit per lot) zone, Section 90502.06 sets the standards: the front yard setback is twenty-five (25) feet, unless the lot is less than ninety (90) feet in depth, in which case the front setback is twenty (20) feet. Side yards require a minimum five (5) feet on each side from the structure to the property line, except that on a corner lot the side yard facing a street must be set back fifteen (15) feet. The rear yard requires ten (10) feet minimum for primary structures on lots that have a qualifying alley of at least twenty (20) feet in width. Detached accessory structures may be set back five (5) feet on lots without an alley, or zero feet where they abut a qualifying 20-foot alley, provided the wall facing the alley meets California Building Code fire-protection standards. Agricultural zones (A-1, A-2/Chapter 8, A-3/Section 90509.06) and the higher-density residential zones (R-2, R-3, R-4/Section 90505.06) have their own setback sections with different distances. Because setbacks vary by zone and lot configuration, owners should confirm their parcel's zoning and the controlling setback section with Planning & Development Services before designing a structure.