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

025: a building limited to twelve feet cannot exceed one story, one limited to twenty-two feet cannot exceed two stories, and one limited to fifty feet cannot exceed four stories. 020 drops that to 12 feet, measured to the top of the plate line, on any lot of record with less than 5,000 square feet that averages less than 40 feet wide. R-4 multifamily buildings can reach up to 60 feet under their table. 600. 010 measures height from the sidewalk level of the fronting street when the lot is 150 feet deep or less, or applies the taller street's height rules for the first 150 feet on deeper through lots.

020 lets penthouses and roof structures, elevator and stairway housings, water tanks, chimneys, solar panels, flagpoles, and church steeples and belfries rise above the zone's height limit, but that space cannot be converted into usable floor area beyond what is needed to install or service the equipment. 030 requires a licensed surveyor or civil engineer to certify the building's height for approval by the department of building and safety.