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

Napa sets maximum building height district by district. (1) Residential: NMC Chapter 17.08 establishes the RS (Residential Single), RI (Single-Family Infill), RT (Traditional Residential Infill), and RM (Multiple-Family Residential) districts; the property development standards table in §17.08.030 lists the maximum building height for each. Single-family RS and RI districts cap principal-building height at typical low-density residential limits; the RT historic-neighborhood district uses context-sensitive standards; the RM district allows taller multi-story buildings to support apartments and condominiums. (2) Commercial, industrial, and mixed-use: separate chapters in Title 17 set higher height limits for downtown, mixed-use, commercial, and industrial districts consistent with Napa's General Plan and Downtown Specific Plan. (3) Site and use regulations: NMC Chapter 17.52 (Site and Use Regulations) supplements bulk standards with situational rules and exceptions (rooftop mechanical, chimneys, etc.). (4) State Building Code overlay: California Building Code (Title 24 Part 2), adopted through Napa Municipal Code Title 15, adds height-and-area limits based on construction type and occupancy classification — the more restrictive of the zoning cap and the CBC cap controls. (5) Hazard overlays: portions of Napa are in CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area / Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones (relevant to the 2017 Atlas Fire / Tubbs Fire / 2020 Glass Fire regional context); construction in those areas is subject to California Building Code Chapter 7A wildland-urban-interface standards on top of zoning. Napa is also subject to FEMA flood-zone construction standards along the Napa River. (6) Variances: height variances and adjustments go through Napa Community Development under the Title 17 variance and adjustment procedures.