Butte County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front setback (most zones)
- 20 ft (FR/FCR through MDR)
- Front setback (HDR/VHDR)
- 10 ft
- Street side setback
- 10 ft, all residential zones
- Interior side/rear setback
- 5-10 ft, varies by zone
- VLDR setback
- Sliding scale, Table 24-20-3
- Max structure height
- 35 ft, all residential zones
- General penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine / 6 months
Summary
Unincorporated Butte County sets minimum building setbacks by zone in Table 24-20-2 of the Zoning Ordinance. Front setbacks are 20 feet in most residential zones, dropping to 10 feet in High and Very High Density Residential. Interior side and rear setbacks range from 5 to 10 feet depending on zone, while street side setbacks hold at 10 feet across every residential zone in the county.
C.Structure Setbacks and Height. Table 24-20-2 (Setback and Height Standards for Residential Zones) identifies structure setback and height standards that apply in residential zones. ... Primary Structure Setbacks (min.) Front 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. ... Rear 10 ft. 10 ft. See Table 24-20-3 10 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. 5 ft. 5 ft. 5 ft. ... Primary Structure Height (max.) 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. [1]Additional setbacks may be required by the Butte County Fire Safe regulations and the Public Resources Code, Section 4290.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
Butte County's Table 24-20-2 sets minimum yard setbacks for every residential zone from Foothill Residential (FR/FCR) through Very High Density Residential (VHDR). Front setbacks run 20 feet in the FR/FCR, RR/RCR, VLDR, VLDCR, LDR, MDR and MHDR zones, dropping to 10 feet in the HDR and VHDR zones. Street side setbacks are a flat 10 feet countywide. Interior side and rear setbacks are 10 feet in FR/FCR and RR/RCR, and 5 feet in the LDR, MDR, MHDR, HDR and VHDR zones, except VLDR, which instead follows the sliding parcel-size scale in Table 24-20-3.
Maximum primary structure height is 35 feet in every residential zone. Setbacks are measured at right angles from the property line to the nearest point of the structure under Section 24-53, and a note to Table 24-20-2 warns that Butte County Fire Safe regulations and Public Resources Code Section 4290 can require additional clearance beyond these minimums. Where a lot abuts an Agriculture zone or a Williamson Act contract parcel, the separate 300-foot agricultural buffer setback of Section 24-83 applies on top of the zone setback, and lots near streams carry the riparian setbacks of Article III, Division 6.
Accessory structures generally share the primary structure's front, side and street-side setback, but under Section 24-156(C)(3)(b) a rear setback of only 5 feet applies to accessory structures 15 feet or less in height. The Zoning Administrator resolves setback lines on odd-shaped and corner lots.
Violations & Fines
Building without meeting the setbacks in Table 24-20-2 violates Zoning Ordinance Section 24-5, which authorizes enforcement through Section 1-7 (General Penalty), Chapter 32A (Nuisance Abatement) and Chapter 41 (Code Enforcement). Section 1-7(a) makes an unpermitted encroachment punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, six months' imprisonment, or both, and Section 1-7(c) treats every day the violation continues as a separate offense subject to a new penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the front yard setback in Butte County's Foothill Residential zone?
How are side and rear setbacks different in the VLDR zone?
Does the fire department require larger setbacks than the zoning table?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Butte County
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