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

The City of Gilroy's Zoning Ordinance sets maximum building heights through the 'HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS (Maximum)' rows of the residential site and building requirement table at § 30.11.20(c). The 'Building Height in Feet' row lists 35 feet for A1, R1 and R2, and 30 feet for RR, matched to a 'Number of Stories' maximum of two in each of those four districts. R3 and R4, the city's medium- and high-density multifamily zones, are allowed more stories, three in R3 and six in R4, under the same 'Number of Stories' row, reflecting the taller apartment and condominium buildings those districts are meant to accommodate.

But footnote 7 to the table carves out single-family construction in those two zones: 'For R3 and R4 lots proposed to be developed with one (1) single-family residence as the primary use, the height of the residential dwelling unit shall not exceed two (2) stories and thirty-five feet (35) feet.' So a multifamily project in R3 or R4 can rise to the district's full story count, but a single-family house on an R3 or R4 lot is held to the same two-story, 35-foot ceiling that applies citywide in A1, R1 and R2.

Neighborhood District (ND) parcels are exempt from this table altogether and instead follow the master plan or specific plan adopted for that area. Gilroy Community Development checks building permit plans against these limits before issuing approval.