Mountain View, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front setback
- 20 ft minimum, first-floor wall
- Side setback
- 5 ft minimum per side (10-12 ft total)
- Corner lot street side
- 15 ft minimum
- Rear setback
- 20% of lot depth or 15 ft, capped at 40 ft
- Applies to
- New construction, additions, replacement floor area
Summary
Mountain View's R1 single-family zone sets minimum yard setbacks in City Code Sec. 36.10.25: 20 feet from the front property line for the first-floor wall, at least 5 feet per side, 15 feet on a corner lot's street side, and a rear setback equal to 20 percent of lot depth or 15 feet, whichever is greater, capped at 40 feet.
Setbacks (See Figures 36.10-1 and 36.10-2) The following setbacks apply to any new construction, additions or replacement floor area, regardless of the existing building's setbacks. Front 20 ft. minimum for the first floor wall; an additional 5 ft. from the first-floor wall for a second floor over an attached garage, where garage projects forward. Sides (1st-story) For lots less than 6,000 sq. ft. or less than 60 ft. wide: 5 ft. minimum and 10 ft. total for both sides. For lots of 6,000 sq. ft. or more and 60 ft. or greater in width: 5 ft. minimum and 12 ft. total for both sides. Street sides (corner lots) 15 ft. minimum. Rear 1-story portions of structure: 20% of the lot depth or 15 ft., whichever is greater, but not more than 40 ft. maximum, required. Encroachment allowed, see Section 36.14.75.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 34 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 36.10.25's setback table applies to any new construction, addition or replacement floor area on an R1 parcel, regardless of what setbacks the existing building already has, so a remodel can't simply carry forward a legal nonconforming setback. The front setback is a flat 20 feet to the first-floor wall, with an added 5 feet required if a second-story addition sits over a garage that projects forward of the main house. Side yards scale with lot size: narrower or smaller lots, under 6,000 square feet or under 60 feet wide, need only 5 feet minimum per side with 10 feet combined, while standard or larger lots need the same 5-foot minimum but 12 feet combined. Corner lots carry an added burden along the street side: 15 feet minimum, separate from the front setback along the primary frontage.
The rear setback is the most variable of the four: it floats at 20 percent of lot depth or a flat 15 feet, whichever produces the bigger number, but the code caps it at 40 feet so a very deep lot doesn't lose an unreasonable share of its yard. Section 36.14.75 lists specific encroachment exceptions that let certain features cross into these setbacks without a variance. The R2 zone (Sec. 36.10.50) and R3 zone (Sec. 36.10.70) apply their own, separately tabulated setback figures rather than these R1 numbers.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 36.08.10 makes it unlawful to erect any building or structure inside a required setback line, with narrow exceptions for fences three feet or less and permitted signs, and directs the zoning administrator, city council or building inspector to refuse a construction permit for anything that violates the setback. A structure built into a required setback without an approved exception is a zoning violation subject to the city's code enforcement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a new house sit from the front property line in Mountain View?
Do side yard setbacks change with lot size in Mountain View?
What's the rear yard setback for an R1 house in Mountain View?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mountain View
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