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

04(M) of the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance sets the height rules for single-family homes in every residential district except small RMH-A lots. The maximum for a main dwelling is 35 feet, but anything above 30 feet triggers a conditional use permit before the Zoning Administrator, and any roof exceeding 30 feet must carry at least a 5/12 pitch. Second-story top plates are capped at 25 feet measured from the top of the subfloor or slab below. Habitable space above that second-story plate line, including rooftop decks and balconies, also needs a conditional use permit; it must stay within the roof volume except for dormers and decks that step back five feet from the exterior wall, and exterior stairways up to that space are prohibited outright.

70 fixes how height is measured: datum is set at the highest point of the curb along the front property line, or the highest street centerline if no curb exists. The gap between the top of the subfloor and datum cannot exceed two feet as verified by Public Works; any extra is subtracted from the allowable ridgeline height. Lots with a grade differential of three feet or more between their high and low points before grading need a conditional use permit from the Zoning Administrator based on a terraced building and grading plan compatible with neighboring development.

On lots under 50 feet wide in the RMH-A subdistrict, the front and rear 25 feet of the lot are capped at 25 feet for every structure, including railings, while the rest of the lot allows the standard 35 feet. 72 lets chimneys, flagpoles, antennas, cupolas and similar rooftop features exceed the district height limit by up to 10 feet, with the Zoning Administrator able to approve more through a conditional use permit; inside the coastal zone, that extra height is granted only if public view corridors are preserved.