Gilroy, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing table
- Residential site/building table, City Code § 30.11.20(c)
- Corner side setback
- 21 ft in A1, RR, R1, R2, R3, R4
- Interior side setback
- 12 ft (6 ft in R1/R2, footnote 3)
- R1/R2 subdivision rule
- Combined side yards must total 12 ft
- Enforcing agency
- Gilroy Community Development Department
Summary
Gilroy's residential site and building requirement table, City Code § 30.11.20(c), sets minimum yard setbacks by zoning district. Every A1, RR, R1, R2, R3 and R4 lot needs a 21-foot side setback along any street-facing side, and a 12-foot interior side setback, reduced to 6 feet in R1 and R2 for pre-existing structures under footnote 3.
A1 RR R1 R2 R3 R4 ND ... YARD REQUIREMENTS (Minimum Setbacks in Feet. Property Lines Adjacent to Streets Measured from the Face of Curb) ... Side (Adjacent to a Street) 21 21 21 21 21 21 * ... Side (All Other Side Yards) 12 12 63 63 12 12 * ... Notes: ... (3) For dwellings located within new subdivisions (after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter), containing five (5) or more lots, the total width of the two (2) side yards for any one (1) lot in an R1 or R2 district must equal twelve (12) feet. For structures in existence on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, a six (6) foot side yard setback shall be maintained, unless a smaller side yard has been allowed by a variance, planned unit development, or preexisting, nonconforming use.
Full Breakdown
The City of Gilroy's Zoning Ordinance sets residential setbacks through the table at § 30.11.20(c), titled 'YARD REQUIREMENTS (Minimum Setbacks in Feet. Property Lines Adjacent to Streets Measured from the Face of Curb).' Every district the table covers, A1, RR, R1, R2, R3 and R4, carries the same 21-foot minimum for a 'Side (Adjacent to a Street)' setback, the corner-lot side yard that faces a public street. For 'Side (All Other Side Yards),' the interior side setback, the standard is 12 feet in A1, RR, R3 and R4, but only 6 feet in R1 and R2 under footnote 3, which lets 'structures in existence on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter' keep a six-foot side yard 'unless a smaller side yard has been allowed by a variance, planned unit development, or preexisting, nonconforming use.' That same footnote requires new subdivisions of five or more lots in R1 or R2 to design so that 'the total width of the two (2) side yards for any one (1) lot' equals twelve feet combined.
Neighborhood District (ND) parcels are exempt from this table and instead follow their adopted master or specific plan, per the table's asterisk note. Front and rear yard minimums appear in the same table but carry footnote references tied to garage driveway length and rear patio-cover encroachments. Gilroy Community Development reviews building permit applications against these setbacks before construction begins.
Violations & Fines
Building or expanding a structure closer to a side property line than the table at § 30.11.20(c) allows, without a variance or approved planned unit development, is a zoning violation Gilroy Community Development can cite through the administrative citation procedure in Chapter 6A, and the property owner can be required to remove or relocate the non-compliant portion of the structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a house sit from the side property line in Gilroy?
Why is the side setback only 6 feet in some Gilroy R1 homes?
Does the Neighborhood District follow the same setback table?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gilroy
California rules heatmap·Compare Gilroy to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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How other cities in Santa Clara County handle setback rules.