Tracy, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- RE Zone front yard
- 50 feet minimum
- RE Zone side yard
- 20 feet, +5 ft per story above one
- RE Zone rear yard
- 30 feet minimum
- Accessory building relief
- 3 ft if set back 6 ft from main house
- Governing law
- TMC Title 10, Ch. 10.08, Articles 6-34
- Variance authority
- Community Development Director, TMC 10.08.3630
- First-offense penalty
- $100 infraction, up to $1,000 if repeated
Summary
Tracy sets minimum front, side and rear yard depths separately for each zoning district, not as one citywide number. In the Residential Estate (RE) Zone, Title 10 of the Municipal Code requires a 50-foot front yard, a 20-foot side yard (25 feet once a second story is added), and a 30-foot rear yard. Every other district, from Low Density Residential through the M-1 industrial zone, carries its own minimum-yard section in the same Article.
Minimum yards in the RE Zone shall be as follows: (a)Front yards. The minimum depth of the front yard shall be fifty (50') feet measured in accordance with the provisions of Section 10.08.3220 of Article 24 of this chapter.(b)Side yards. The minimum side yard for any single story main or accessory building shall be twenty (20') feet. The minimum side yard shall be increased by five (5') feet for each story above one story. Accessory buildings which are at least six (6') feet to the rear of the main building may be located in the required side yard but shall have a minimum side yard of three (3') feet, except that no accessory building shall be located closer than thirty (30') feet to a dwelling on an adjacent lot... Corner lot street side yards shall be not less than thirty (30') feet.(c)Rear yards. The minimum rear yard for any main or accessory building shall be thirty (30') feet, except that accessory buildings located at least six (6') feet to the rear of the main building may be located three (3') feet from the rear property line; provided, however, no accessory building may be located closer than thirty (30') feet to a dwelling on an adjacent lot.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).
Full Breakdown
Tracy's Zoning Ordinance, TMC Title 10, gives each zoning district its own minimum-yard section rather than one citywide setback. Section 10.08.1120 governs the Residential Estate (RE) Zone: the front yard must be at least 50 feet, measured from the front property line per Section 10.08.3220; side yards must be at least 20 feet for a single-story building, increasing 5 feet for each story above one; and the rear yard must be at least 30 feet. A detached accessory building set back at least 6 feet from the main building gets relief down to a 3-foot side or rear setback, but it can never sit closer than 30 feet to a dwelling on the neighboring lot, and corner lots must keep a 30-foot street-side yard.
Other zones carry parallel provisions in the same chapter: Low Density Residential at Section 10.08.1220, Medium Density Comm./Res. at 10.08.1310 and 10.08.1420, Small Lot Residential at 10.08.1475, Multiple-Family/Office at 10.08.1510, High Density Residential at 10.08.1610, Planned Office/Mixed Use at 10.08.1700, and Agricultural at 10.08.2040, with separate tables further on for the commercial (CS, NS, CRS, GHC) and industrial (M-1) zones. Projections such as eaves and chimneys may extend into a required yard under Section 10.08.3240, and corner lots must maintain a 25-foot sight-clearance triangle under Section 10.08.3230.
An owner who cannot meet the standard may apply for a variance under Section 10.08.3630; the Community Development Director may grant one administratively only after the five findings required by Section 10.08.3660, including a hardship unique to the property and no injury to the General Plan. An approved variance lapses if unused within six months under Section 10.08.3690 and can be revoked for fraud or misuse under Section 10.08.3680.
Violations & Fines
Building without the required yard is enforced as a Municipal Code infraction under Chapter 1.04: a first violation draws a fine up to $100, a second within twelve months up to $200, and a third up to $500. A fourth violation of the same provision within that twelve-month period becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in county jail. The Community Development Department catches most encroachments at building-permit plan check or through complaint-driven field inspection before construction is finished.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum front yard setback in Tracy's RE zone?
Do setback minimums differ by zoning district in Tracy?
Can an accessory building sit closer to the property line than the main house in Tracy?
What happens if I build without meeting Tracy's yard setback?
Can I get relief from Tracy's setback requirements?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tracy
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