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

Building setbacks in unincorporated Kings County are established zone by zone, and the County controls these areas, not the incorporated cities. In the agricultural districts (AL-10, AG-20, AG-40 and AX), Table 4-3 of Article 4 requires occupied structures (homes, dairy milk barns, public uses) to be set back 50 feet from the front, non-occupied structures 35 feet, and dairy corrals, feed and manure areas 20 feet. Agricultural rear yards and interior side yards are 10 feet, corner side yards 20 feet; front setbacks are measured from the public road right-of-way. In the residential districts, Table 5-2 of Article 5 sets standards by zone: the Rural Residential (RR) zone requires a 50-foot front setback (or not less than 80 feet from the road centerline), 20-foot rear, and 20-foot side yards. The standard single-family R-1 zones (R-1-20, R-1-12, R-1-8, R-1-6) require a 25-foot front yard, 10-foot rear yard, 5-foot interior side yards, and a 10-foot street side yard on corner lots. Required setbacks are minimums measured horizontally from the property or street line. Article 1 allows limited projections into setbacks - eaves, cornices and chimneys may extend up to six feet into front and rear setbacks (24 inches into side), and accessory structures under six feet may sit in a required rear yard. Because standards vary by zone, owners should confirm their parcel's zoning with the Community Development Agency.