In unincorporated Orange County single-family districts, the maximum building height is 35 feet under Zoning Code Section 7-9-31.3. Accessory structures in a required setback are limited to 12 feet, or 8 feet within 3 feet of a property line. Limited rooftop projections and antennas may exceed the limit under Section 7-9-62.
Maximum structure height in unincorporated Orange County is set by each zoning district's standards table and applied through Section 7-9-62. The Single-Family Residential district table (Section 7-9-31.3) sets a 35-foot maximum building height across the AR, E1, RHE, E4, RE, R1, and RS single-family districts. The agricultural A1 and R/OSP open-space districts likewise allow 35 feet, while the B1 and OS districts are capped at 18 feet unless a Use Permit provides otherwise. Multifamily districts allow 35 feet in R2 and R4 and 65 feet in R3. Building height is measured per the rules in Section 7-9-24. Accessory structures located within a required side or rear setback area are limited to 12 feet in height, and to 8 feet if within 3 feet of the property line. Section 7-9-62 lists exceptions: radio and television antennas may exceed the district limit by 10 feet (licensed amateur ham radio towers up to 70 feet), towers, gables, spires, flagpoles, and similar non-habitable architectural features may exceed the limit by 10 feet with a Use Permit, and screened mechanical equipment, elevators, and chimneys covering no more than 10 percent of the roof may exceed by up to 8 feet. None of these projections may create habitable space above the height limit, and their total aggregate coverage may not exceed 30 percent of the roof area.
Exceeding the district's maximum building height, or building an over-height accessory structure in a setback, without an approved exception or Use Permit is a Zoning Code violation. The County may withhold permits or a certificate of occupancy and require the structure be brought into compliance.
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