Santa Monica, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Nebraska Ave / Pennsylvania Ave setback (Bergamot)
- 20 feet from curb
- Colorado Ave / Olympic Blvd setback (Bergamot)
- 15 feet from curb
- All other streets setback (Bergamot)
- 10 feet from curb
- Daylight plane start height (adjacent to residential)
- 30 feet above property line
- Daylight plane angle
- 45 degrees from vertical toward interior
- Interior side/rear setback adjacent to residential
- 10 feet
Summary
In the Bergamot Districts, buildings must be set back from the street curb face by 10 to 20 feet depending on the specific street, and in Mixed-Use/Commercial Districts, buildings adjacent to residential zones must respect a daylight plane starting at 30 feet above the shared property line.
B. Building Frontage Line. 1. To create walkable streets, buildings facing the following streets shall provide a minimum building setback as measured from the street curb face to the building façade, as provided below and in Figure 9.12.030(C): a. Nebraska Avenue between Stewart and Berkeley Street: 20 feet. b. Pennsylvania Avenue between 26th Street and Stewart Street: 20 feet. c. Stewart Street between Colorado Avenue and Nebraska Avenue: 20 feet. d. Colorado Avenue between Stewart Street and Stanford Street: 15 feet. e. Olympic Boulevard between 26th Street and Centinela Avenue: 15 feet. f. Stanford Street between Colorado Avenue and Nebraska Avenue: 10 feet. g. Berkeley Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Nebraska Avenue: 10 feet. h. All other streets shall be 10 feet. ... D. Daylight Plane Adjacent to Residential Districts. Buildings shall not extend above a plane starting at 30 feet in height directly above the parcel line abutting any residentially-zoned parcel, or where there is an alley, the centerline of the alley, and from that point, extending in at a 45-degree angle from vertical toward the interior of the site.
Full Breakdown
030(B) establishes Building Frontage Line setbacks measured from the street curb face to the building facade in the Bergamot area: Nebraska Avenue (Stewart to Berkeley) and Pennsylvania Avenue (26th to Stewart) require 20 feet; Stewart Street (Colorado to Nebraska), Colorado Avenue (Stewart to Stanford), and Olympic Boulevard (26th to Centinela) require 15 or 20 feet; Stanford Street, Berkeley Street, and all other streets require 10 feet. For frontage lines of 15 feet or greater, habitable space above the ground floor may project up to 5 feet into the frontage line zone but cannot project over the property line.
030(D) additionally requires that in Mixed-Use and Commercial Districts, buildings not extend above a daylight plane starting at 30 feet height directly above the property line abutting any residentially-zoned parcel, rising at a 45-degree angle from vertical toward the interior. Interior side and rear setbacks of 10 feet are required in most mixed-use and commercial districts when adjacent to residential districts.
Violations & Fines
Projects not meeting building frontage line setbacks or daylight plane requirements would not receive development approval. Encroachments into required setbacks may require a modification or waiver under Chapter 9.43, Modifications and Waivers, which requires specific findings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a new building be from the street in the Bergamot area?
Can commercial buildings right next to my house block my sunlight?
Can upper floors of a building project closer to the street than the ground floor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Monica
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Setback Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle setback rules.