Tehama County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard
- 50 ft from centerline or 20 ft
- Rear yard
- 20 feet minimum
- Side yards
- 20% of lot width, 6 ft min
- Corner lots
- 10 ft street-side yard
Summary
Tehama County's R-1 district requires a 50-foot front setback (or 20 feet from the property line, whichever is greater), a 20-foot rear yard, and side yards totaling 20% of lot width.
Yard requirements in an R-1 district shall be as follows: A. Minimum front yard, fifty feet from the centerline of roadway or twenty feet from the property line, whichever is greater; B. Minimum Side Yards. Side yards shall total not less than twenty percent of the lot width, and no side yard may be less than six feet...; the side yard on the street side of each corner lot shall not be less than ten feet; C. Minimum rear yard, twenty feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
County Code § 17.16.040 sets R-1 One-Family Residence yard minimums for the unincorporated county: a front yard of fifty feet from the road centerline or twenty feet from the property line, whichever is greater; a twenty-foot minimum rear yard; and side yards totaling at least twenty percent of lot width, with no single side yard under six feet. Corner lots need a ten-foot street-side yard. Red Bluff, Corning, and the City of Tehama set their own setbacks under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Building within the required front, side, or rear setback without an approved variance is a Title 17 zoning violation, punishable as a misdemeanor under the county's general penalty, § 1.04.042.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the front setback measured?
Do these setbacks apply to my Corning address?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tehama County
California rules heatmap·Compare Tehama County to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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