Mendocino County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- S-R district height cap
- 35 feet (Sec. 20.044.045)
- R-R district height cap
- 35 feet (Sec. 20.048.050)
- A-G district height cap
- 50 feet (Sec. 20.052.050)
- Antenna exception
- 25 feet above district limit, no Variance
- Wind generator exception
- up to 100 feet
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 4538, September 10, 2024
- Violation penalty
- infraction, separate offense each day
Summary
In Mendocino County's unincorporated S-R Suburban Residential and R-R Rural Residential zoning districts, buildings are capped at 35 feet under Sec. 20.044.045 and Sec. 20.048.050 of the Zoning Code. The A-G Agricultural District allows a taller 50-foot limit under Sec. 20.052.050. Antennas, wind generators, and mineral-processing equipment get specific exceptions under Sec. 20.152.025, and taller structures otherwise need a Variance under Chapter 20.200.
Sec. 20.044.045 - Building Height Limit. Thirty-five (35) feet. See height exceptions in section 20.152.025. ...
Sec. 20.152.025 - Height Exceptions. (A)Height limitations shall not apply to electric transmission lines and towers.(B)A Variance pursuant to Chapter 20.200 is not required for the following Height Exceptions:(1)Radio and television aerials and antennae, and similar utility structures and necessary mechanical appurtenances for private reception, may be built and used to a height not more than twenty-five (25) feet above the height limit established for the district in which the structures are located, provided, however, that no such structure in excess of the allowable building height shall be used for any commercial or advertising purposes or any communication transmissions.(2)Wind generators (including windmills used for agricultural uses) and their associated towers may be built and used to a height of one hundred (100) feet as measured from the ground to the highest point of the system.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Mendocino County's 2024 zoning code rewrite (Ord. No. 4538, adopted September 10, 2024) sets building height by district. In the S-R Suburban Residential District, the county's standard residential zone for unincorporated communities like Mendocino village and Boonville, Sec. 045 caps structures at 35 feet. The R-R Rural Residential District carries the identical 35-foot cap under Sec. 050, regardless of whether the parcel is zoned R-R:L-1, L-2, L-5 or L-10. Parcels zoned A-G Agricultural District get five additional feet of headroom, 50 feet, under Sec. 050, reflecting the barns and agricultural structures those parcels typically hold.
Height exceptions live in Sec. 025 and apply countywide. Electric transmission lines and towers are exempt from any height limitation. 200, radio and television aerials, antennae and similar private-reception utility structures may rise 25 feet above whatever limit applies to their district, so long as they are not used commercially or for communication transmissions. Wind generators, including agricultural windmills, may reach 100 feet measured to the highest point of the system. Asphalt silos and other mineral-processing equipment inside a Mineral Processing Combining District may reach 75 feet.
All of these exceptions remain subject to state and federal law, and none may exceed the airport height restrictions imposed by the county's 'AZ' Airport combining district. A property owner who wants to exceed the district limit for any other structure must apply for a Variance through the Department of Planning and Building Services.
Violations & Fines
Building taller than the district limit without an approved Variance or exception is a zoning violation under Division I of Title 20. Sec. 20.216.010 makes the violation an infraction punishable under Government Code Section 25132, or lets Planning and Building Services pursue administrative enforcement under Chapter 1.08 or a civil action through County Counsel. Each day the oversized structure stands after the first citation counts as a separate offense, and the county may record a notice-of-violation lien against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build a house in Mendocino County's S-R zoning district?
Is the height limit different on agriculturally zoned land?
Can I install a ham radio antenna taller than my district's height limit?
What happens if I build over the height limit without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mendocino County
California rules heatmap·Compare Mendocino County to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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