Madera, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard
- 15 ft minimum (20 ft for street-facing garages)
- Interior side yard
- 5 ft minimum
- Exterior side yard
- 10 ft (20 ft for garage doors)
- Rear yard
- 15 ft with windows, 10 ft without
- Alley-adjacent rear yard
- measured to alley centerline, 7 ft parking setback
- Violation
- misdemeanor under § 10-3.1603
Summary
Madera's residential yard rules set a 15-foot front setback (20 feet for street-facing garages), a 5-foot interior side yard, a 10-foot exterior side yard, and a 15- or 10-foot rear yard depending on whether windows face the rear line, under Municipal Code § 10-3.508.
§ 10-3.508 R; YARD REQUIREMENTS. Except as provided for in subsection § 10-3.508(E) below, the following yard requirements shall be met: (A) Front yards. No building shall be constructed nearer than 15 feet to the front property line, however in no case shall garages with doors facing the street or carports be set back less than 20 feet. (B) Interior side yards. The minimum setback for any required interior side yard shall be not less than five feet provided the Planning Commission may approve encroachment into the five foot setback subject to the provisions of the Building Code. (C) Exterior side yards. The required exterior side yard shall be not less than ten feet. Garages or carports facing an exterior side yard shall be not less than 20 feet from the property line. (D) Rear yards. Rear yards shall be provided as follows: (1) Fifteen feet where windows face the rear property line plus five feet per story for each story over two stories. (2) Ten feet where no windows face the rear property line.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2024 S-50: Current through Ordinance 1010 C.S., passed 6-5-24).
Full Breakdown
508 of the Madera Municipal Code sets the baseline yard requirements for R-zoned lots. No building can sit closer than 15 feet to the front property line, but a garage or carport with a door facing the street must sit back at least 20 feet, wide enough for a parked car to clear the sidewalk. Interior side yards need a minimum of 5 feet, though the Planning Commission can approve an encroachment into that space subject to Building Code review. Exterior side yards on corner lots require 10 feet, with the same 20-foot garage-door rule applying there too.
Rear yards run 15 feet where windows face the rear property line, plus an extra 5 feet per story beyond two stories, or 10 feet where no windows face the rear line. R-3 zoned lots get a break: the rear yard need not exceed 10 feet unless the rear line abuts an R or PD zone, in which case the full 15/10-foot windows rule applies. Where the rear line abuts an alley, the setback is measured to the alley centerline, and any parking space that uses the alley for access must sit back 7 feet to leave a 27-foot backup distance.
Multi-family projects of three or more units carry extra setbacks from adjoining single-family or R-1 property: 15 feet for a two-story building, 25 feet for three stories plus 5 feet per additional story. 410: the rear yard equals the average of the yards on adjoining developed lots, or matches the zone's front setback if those lots are undeveloped. 411 yard-encroachment standards.
Violations & Fines
Under § 10-3.1602, the Planning Director enforces the zoning chapter and cannot issue a building permit that conflicts with it; any permit issued in conflict is void. Section 10-3.1603 makes violating any zoning chapter provision, including a yard setback, a misdemeanor, and any structure built in violation is declared a public nuisance subject to abatement in addition to criminal prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close to my front property line can I build in Madera?
What is the side yard setback for a Madera house?
Can my rear yard be less than 15 feet?
What happens if I build in violation of a Madera setback?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera
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