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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Main building height
35 feet (Sec. 17.24.060(C)(1))
Accessory bldg, under 50 ft from line
20 feet max
Accessory bldg, 50-70 ft from line
25 feet max
Accessory bldg, 70-90 ft from line
30 feet max
Accessory bldg, 90+ ft from line
35 feet max
Exceptions
Governed separately by Sec. 17.84.030

Summary

Shasta County's Limited Residential (R-L) district caps a main building at thirty-five feet under Section 17.24.060(C)(1). Accessory buildings follow a sliding scale tied to distance from the property line, from twenty feet within fifty feet of the line up to thirty-five feet once set back ninety feet or more.

City-specific rules exist: Redding has its own structure height limits rules that differ from Shasta County's county-level regulations. If you live in Redding, check the city-specific page instead.

C.Maximum Structural Height. The following structural height restrictions apply, except as otherwise provided in Section 17.84.030:1.Main building, thirty-five feet;2.Accessory building:a.If less than fifty feet from any property line: twenty feet;b.If at least fifty feet, but less than seventy feet, from any property line: twenty-five feet;c.If at least seventy feet, but less than ninety feet, from any property line: thirty feet;d.If at least ninety feet from any property line: thirty-five feet.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code: Supplement 22).

Full Breakdown

060(C) sets the standard for the Limited Residential (R-L) district, the county's general-purpose residential zone. 030, the code's height-limit-exceptions section. Accessory buildings follow a graduated scale keyed to distance from the property line rather than a single flat number: an accessory building closer than fifty feet from any property line is capped at twenty feet; one set back at least fifty feet but less than seventy feet may reach twenty-five feet; one set back at least seventy feet but less than ninety feet may reach thirty feet; and only once an accessory building sits at least ninety feet from every property line can it reach the same thirty-five-foot cap that applies to the main building.

The scale links height to distance, so a taller shed, barn, garage or workshop must also sit farther from neighboring lots. Because this height table lives inside the R-L district's own site development standards, it applies only to parcels zoned R-L; the Limited Agriculture (A-1), Rural Residential (R-R) and other districts each carry a separate structural-height provision in their own site development standards section, so a property owner should confirm the parcel's zoning district before assuming the thirty-five-foot main-building figure applies.

Violations & Fines

Constructing a main building above thirty-five feet, or an accessory building taller than its distance-based tier allows, in the R-L district without qualifying for a Section 17.84.030 exception or obtaining a variance is a zoning violation. The Department of Resource Management can withhold a building permit for an over-height structure, or require an owner to modify a structure already built out of compliance with Section 17.24.060(C).

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall can I build my house in unincorporated Shasta County?
In the Limited Residential (R-L) district, Section 17.24.060(C)(1) caps a main building at thirty-five feet, unless an exception under Section 17.84.030 applies to your parcel. Other zoning districts set their own maximum structural heights in their respective site development standards sections, so confirm your parcel's zoning designation before designing to the thirty-five-foot figure.
How tall can I build a detached garage or shed?
Accessory building height in the R-L district scales with distance from the property line under Section 17.24.060(C)(2): twenty feet if it sits closer than fifty feet from any property line, twenty-five feet between fifty and seventy feet, thirty feet between seventy and ninety feet, and the full thirty-five-foot main-building height once it sits at least ninety feet from every property line.
Is there a way to exceed the height limits in Shasta County?
Section 17.24.060(C) applies its thirty-five-foot main-building cap and the accessory-building sliding scale except as otherwise provided in Section 17.84.030, the county's dedicated height-exceptions provision. A property owner seeking to exceed these figures needs to qualify under that exceptions section or obtain discretionary approval through the county's variance process administered by the Department of Resource Management.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Shasta County

All Shasta County rules

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