Costa Mesa, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Section 13-32's Table 13-32 sets a single residential height standard across the R1, R2-MD, R2-HD, and R3 zones: 2 stories and 27 feet for residential land uses. Nonresidential uses on those same residentially zoned lots don't get a fixed number at all; their maximum stories and height are determined case by case through the conditional use permit review process. The table carves out a specific exception for lofts: a loft, as defined in section 13-6, does not count as a story if it has no exterior access and only clerestory windows, so a loft-equipped design can add usable space without tripping the two-story cap.

Attics get similar but stricter treatment. An attic cannot be heated or cooled, and cannot contain electrical outlets or operable windows, and an attic above a second story must remain an integral part of the second-story roofline rather than reading as a third story on any building elevation; windows in an attic above a second story are limited to a dormer style. Chimneys may project up to 2 feet above the maximum building height under the table's projections standards. These rules work together with the setback table: a one-story structure gets a reduced 10-foot rear setback (versus 20 feet for two stories) only if it stays at or under 15 feet in height, tying height directly to how close a home can sit to its rear property line.