Simi Valley, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- OS zone front setback
- 50 feet
- RE/RVL/RL/RM front setback
- 20 feet
- Interior side (1-story)
- 6 to 10 feet depending on zone
- Rear setback (most zones)
- 20 feet
- Freeway-adjacent rear reduction
- down to 5 feet, SR-118 lots
- Open-space-adjacent reduction
- up to 50% smaller setback
Summary
Table 2-3 sets Simi Valley's residential setbacks by zoning district: 50-foot fronts in OS down to 20 feet in RE through RVH, with 6 to 15-foot sides depending on stories and density and 20-foot rears citywide. Section 9-24.050 layers in exceptions for front porches, zero-lot-line projects, freeway-adjacent lots, and reduced setbacks near open space or HOA greenbelts.
A.Front yard setback requirements. In the RVL, RL, RM, and RMod zones, subject to the approval of a Planned Development Permit for five or more units, up to 50 percent of the units on a block may have the living area portion of the house set back no closer than 15 feet from the front property line... C.Rear yard setback requirements.1.Freeway setback. In all residential zones, where lots and uses back on to the State Route 118 Freeway, rear yard setbacks may be reduced to five feet for all structures, provided no structures shall cumulatively cover more than 40% of any yard.2.The total cumulative length of an Accessory Dwelling Unit and all accessory structures may not be more than 50 percent of the width of the rear setback area.D.Accessory structure height limits. A Conditional Use Permit shall be required to exceed the height limits established in Table 2-3.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
040's general development standards, sets baseline setbacks that scale with density: the OS zone requires a 50-foot front, 10-foot interior sides, and 20-foot rear yard; RE requires 20 feet front, sides, and rear; RVL through RMod-Single require a 20-foot front, 6 feet for one-story and 10 feet for two-story interior sides, and a 20-foot rear; and the multi-family RMod, RH, RVH, and MH districts scale sides up to 15 feet for multi-family structures. 050 then carves out exceptions. Subsection A lets up to 50 percent of units in a Planned Development of five or more units set the living area back only 15 feet from the front line, with up to 25 percent allowed 15-foot side-facing garage setbacks and 25 percent allowed 10-foot covered porch setbacks, but only on streets built to Ventura County Design Plate B-4.
Subsection B sets the interior side yard at five feet for single-story houses on projects of four units or fewer filed after April 5, 2007, ten feet for two-story houses, and requires zero-lot-line projects to keep a combined ten feet across both sides. Subsection C lets rear setbacks shrink to five feet for lots backing onto the State Route 118 Freeway, provided structures cover no more than 40 percent of the yard, and caps a rear-yard ADU and accessory structures at 50 percent of the rear setback's width.
Subsection D requires a CUP to exceed the accessory structure height limits in Table 2-3. A citywide note allows any residential setback to shrink by up to 50 percent next to Open Space zones, RSRPD parkland, HOA greenbelts, or Ventura County Watershed Protection District channels, capped at 40 percent lot coverage.
Violations & Fines
Building or maintaining a structure that encroaches into a required setback without an approved exception or permit violates Section 9-78.020's general prohibition on non-conforming construction. Section 9-78.040 makes that a misdemeanor or infraction under Chapter 2 of Title 1, with each day the encroachment continues treated as a new offense, and Section 9-78.040(A) allows the City to declare the encroaching structure a public nuisance subject to abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close to my Simi Valley property line can I build in a standard RL zone?
Can my setback be smaller if I back up to open space or a freeway?
Do covered porches count against my front setback?
Do I need a permit to build a taller shed or garage than Table 2-3 allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Simi Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Simi Valley to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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Setback Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle setback rules.