Pico Rivera, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Municipal Code Table 18.11.030.A (Development Standards for Residential Zones) lists front, side, and rear setback minimums for the R-E, S-F, R-I, R-M-M, and R-M-H residential zones, with Section 18.26.060 (Measuring Setbacks) governing how each is calculated. The front setback minimum runs from 30 feet down to 15 feet across the table's zones, and Table footnote (a) makes every front and street-side setback subject to Section 18.18.110's visibility rules at driveways and intersections. The interior side setback is set at a flat 5-foot minimum with no variation by zone.

Section 18.26.060A requires the front setback to be measured from the front lot line to the nearest point of the structure along a line at a right angle to the property line, and that depth must be maintained across the full width of the lot rather than only at one point; Section 18.26.060B and C apply the identical right-angle, full-width measuring method to rear and side setbacks. The table also sets a separate 5-foot minimum separation from accessory structures, with at least 3 feet of clearance between roof eaves, and a 10-foot minimum separation between other habitable buildings on the same lot.

The Community and Economic Development Department's Zoning Administrator, the Director or a designee under Section 18.25.270, reviews building permit applications for compliance with these setbacks before construction begins.