Elk Grove, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing table
- EGMC Table 23.29-1
- AG-80/AG-20 setback
- 50 ft all sides
- RD-1 to RD-7 front yard
- 20 ft (12.5-20 ft w/ footnotes)
- RD-1 to RD-7 interior side
- 5 ft
- RD-1 to RD-6 rear yard
- 25 ft
- AR-1 interior side yard
- 10 ft
Summary
Elk Grove sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks by zoning district in Table 23.29-1 of the Municipal Code. Agricultural lots (AG-80, AG-20) carry a 50-foot setback on all sides, while standard single-family districts (RD-1 through RD-7) step down from a 20-foot front yard to as little as 5 feet on an interior side yard.
Table 23.29-1 Development Standards for Base Zoning Districts... Setbacks / Front Yard / Generally: [AG-80] 50 ft, [AG-20] 50 ft, [AR-10] 30 ft, [AR-5] 30 ft, [AR-2] 25 ft, [AR-1] 25 ft, [RD-1] 20 ft3, [RD-2] 20 ft3, [RD-3] 20 ft3... Side Yard / Interior side, generally: [AG-80] 50 ft, [AG-20] 50 ft, [AR-10] 20 ft, [AR-5] 20 ft, [AR-2] 20 ft, [AR-1] 10 ft, [RD-1] 5 ft, [RD-2] 5 ft, [RD-3] 5 ft... Rear Yard / Generally: [AG-80] 50 ft, [AG-20] 50 ft, [AR-10] 25 ft, [AR-5] 25 ft, [AR-2] 25 ft, [AR-1] 25 ft, [RD-1] 25 ft, [RD-2] 25 ft, [RD-3] 25 ft
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4937385; v2 updated 2026-05-13; through 05-13-2026).
Full Breakdown
EGMC Chapter 23.29 (Development Standards by Zoning District) sets lot area, density, setback, height, and coverage requirements for every base zoning district under Table 23.29-1. For the agricultural districts AG-80 and AG-20, the front, interior side, street side, and rear yard setbacks are each 50 feet. The agricultural-residential districts (AR-10 through AR-1) step down from a 30-foot front yard (AR-10, AR-5) to 25 feet (AR-2, AR-1), with a 20-foot interior side yard on AR-10/AR-5 narrowing to 10 feet on AR-1, and a consistent 25-foot rear yard across AR-10 through AR-1.
The standard residential density districts RD-1 through RD-7 carry a 20-foot front yard setback (footnote 3, reduced to 15 ft for RD-5/RD-6 and 12.5 ft for RD-7), a 5-foot interior side yard across RD-1 through RD-7, a 12.5-foot street side yard, and a 25-foot rear yard for RD-1 through RD-6 (15 feet for RD-7, marked footnote 7). Higher-density districts RD-10 and above are governed by footnote 4, which routes those setbacks to the applicable specific or master plan rather than a fixed table figure. Garage-specific setbacks also apply within the RD-1 through RD-7 districts: a front-facing garage door needs 22 feet (RD-1), tapering to 18 feet (RD-7), while a side-loading garage needs 15 feet on RD-1 through RD-3 and 12.5 feet on RD-7.
Table 23.29-1 also fixes minimum lot area, lot width, lot depth, and residential density (du/acre) for each district, so a setback question is always answered against the same table used for lot dimension review. The Planning Department applies these standards during building permit plan check; because the table incorporates numbered footnotes (footnote 3, 4, 7, 8, 11 among them) that modify specific district figures, any permit applicant needs to confirm the district's footnote before relying on the base number alone.
Violations & Fines
A structure built without meeting the applicable Table 23.29-1 setback is a zoning code violation subject to Elk Grove's code enforcement process under EGMC Title 8, which can require the property owner to modify or remove the encroaching structure at the owner's expense. Permit applications that do not show conforming setbacks on the site plan are rejected at plan check by the Planning Department before a building permit issues, and a completed structure that fails a final inspection for setback nonconformance cannot receive its certificate of occupancy until corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum front yard setback in an Elk Grove RD-1 lot?
How close to my side property line can I build in an Elk Grove RD-3 lot?
Do agricultural parcels in Elk Grove have larger setbacks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elk Grove
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