Palm Desert, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- RE yards
- 30 front, 15 side, 30 street side, 50 rear (feet)
- R-1 under 10,000 sf
- 20 front, 5 side, 10 street side, 15 rear (feet)
- R-2 yards
- 12 front, 5 side, 10 street side, 15 rear (feet)
- R-3 yards
- 10 front, 8 side, 10 street side, 10 rear (feet)
- Corner lot street side
- Not less than 10 feet under § 25.40.020
- PR perimeter
- 20 feet from property lines adjacent to public streets
Summary
In the City of Palm Desert, California, minimum residential yards come from Table 25.10-3 in § 25.10.050, from a 30 foot front yard and 50 foot rear yard in the RE district down to a 10 foot front and 10 foot rear yard in R-3. R-1 setbacks step down by the lot size on the zoning map.
Table 25.10-3: ... Residential Zoning District Development Standards Measurement/ Zoning District RE3 R-13 R-2 R-3 R-1M1 HPR4 P.R.5 ≥1 ac ≥15,000 sf ≥10,000 sf, but ≤15,000 sf <10,000 sf ... Setbacks Front yard, min 30′ 25′ 20′ 20′ 12′ 10′ 20′ /5′ – – Side yard, min 15′ 15′ 8′ 5′ 6 5′ 8′ 10′ /5′ – – Combined both sides, min 30′ 30′ 20′ 10′ 6 10′ 10′ – – – Street side yard, min 30′ 15′ 10′ 10′ 10′ 10′ 20′ /- – – Rear yard, min 50′ 20′ 20′ 15′ 15′ 10′ 10′ /5′ – – ... Setbacks within the Palm Desert Country Club in R-1 and R-2 have a 5 feet sideyard setback (See Figure 25.10-1 Palm Desert Country Club Setbacks) and a combined setback of 10 feet.
Full Breakdown
Table 25.10-3 in § 25.10.050 sets the minimum yards for residential zoning districts in the City of Palm Desert. In the RE district the table prints a 30 foot front yard, 15 foot side yard, 30 feet combined for both sides, 30 foot street side yard and 50 foot rear yard. R-1 is split into three lot-size tiers. For R-1 lots of 15,000 square feet or more the minimums are 25 feet front, 15 feet side, 30 feet combined, 15 feet street side and 20 feet rear. For lots of at least 10,000 but not more than 15,000 square feet they are 20, 8, 20, 10 and 20 feet in the same order. For lots under 10,000 square feet they are 20, 5, 10, 10 and 15 feet. R-2 prints 12, 5, 10, 10 and 15 feet, and R-3 prints 10, 8, 10, 10 and 10 feet.
Note 3 ties the numbers to the square footage shown on the zoning map, not necessarily the physical lot size, and sends R-1 parcels with no square footage allocation to the standard for under 10,000 square feet. Note 6 gives the Palm Desert Country Club a 5 feet sideyard setback and a combined setback of 10 feet in R-1 and R-2. The HPR and PR columns print dashes for yards.
Planned residential projects follow § 25.10.050(B) instead: a minimum project perimeter setback of 20 feet from all property lines adjacent to existing or proposed public streets, setbacks from the ultimate right-of-way line of 50 feet for freeways, 32 feet for major and arterial streets and 25 feet for collector and local streets, and 100 feet or 1 lot depth, whichever is more, for two-story single-family detached buildings from the project perimeter.
Section 25.40.020 supplies the measuring rules. Yards are measured as the minimum horizontal distance from the property line or street right-of-way line. A corner lot street side yard cannot be under 10 feet, and a garage, carport or off-street parking space on the side street side must be 20 feet. Front and rear yards can be reduced by up to 25 percent if the average still meets the district minimum, and an irregular lot can get as much as a 20 percent reduction when the Architectural Review Commission finds no detrimental impact on the neighborhood.
Violations & Fines
A building or use contrary to the zoning title is declared unlawful and a public nuisance under § 25.60.140(B), and the City Council can order abatement. Under § 25.60.140(C) a first violation is an infraction, a second or later violation of the same provision is a misdemeanor, and each day is a separate offense. The Director enforces the title's land use and construction provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the front yard setback for an R-1 lot in the City of Palm Desert?
How wide is the side yard on a corner lot in the City of Palm Desert?
Can a Palm Desert setback be reduced?
Do Palm Desert Country Club lots have different side setbacks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Desert
California rules heatmap·Compare Palm Desert to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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