Newport Beach, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- R-1/R-2/R-A/R-BI flat roof limit
- 24 feet
- R-1/R-2/R-A/R-BI sloped roof limit
- 29 feet
- RM/RMD sloped roof limit
- 33 feet
- Nonresidential nonshoreline sloped limit
- 37 feet
- High Rise Area ceiling
- 300 feet
Summary
Homes in Newport Beach's R-1, R-2, R-A, and R-BI districts are capped at 24 feet with a flat roof or 29 feet with a sloped roof under Municipal Code Section 20.30.060(C)(2)(a). A discretionary permit can push those limits to 28 or 33 feet, but only with specific design and amenity findings.
R-A, R-1, R-BI, and R-2 Zoning Districts Height Limit Area. In this height limit area the base height limit for structures with flat roofs is twenty-four (24) feet (including guardrails and parapet walls) and the base height limit for structures with sloped roofs is twenty-nine (29) feet. The height of a structure may be increased up to a maximum of twenty-eight (28) feet with a flat roof or thirty-three (33) feet with a sloped roof through the approval of a discretionary application as provided above. This height limit applies in all R-A, R-1, R-BI, and R-2 Zoning Districts as shown on the Zoning Map.
Full Breakdown
060(C)(2). Single-family and duplex zones, R-A, R-1, R-BI, and R-2, carry a base limit of 24 feet for a flat roof and 29 feet for a sloped roof, both measured including any guardrails and parapet walls. 060. Nonresidential and mixed-use development is split by location: the Shoreline Height Limit Area allows 26 feet flat or 31 feet sloped, the Nonshoreline Area allows 32 feet flat or 37 feet sloped, and a High Rise Height Area exists where towers up to 300 feet are permitted outright with no further increase available.
Every one of these base limits can be raised through a discretionary planned community district, specific plan, planned development permit, or site development review, but the code caps the increase (for example, to 28 feet flat or 33 feet sloped in the R-1 areas) and requires the review authority to find the project delivers real amenities such as added open space or public view protection, avoids abrupt scale changes with neighbors, and gains no extra floor area from the added height. 050, to the highest point of the structure, with sloped roofs measured to the roof peak and flat roofs to the top of the roof, guardrail, or parapet.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the height limits in Section 20.30.060 without an approved discretionary increase is a Zoning Code violation. Community Development Department staff verify building height before roof sheathing, and unpermitted oversheight construction is referred to Code Enforcement under Section 1.04.010, which can pursue infraction fines up to $500, misdemeanor charges up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or an order to cut the structure down to the legal height.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build a new house in an R-1 zone?
What roofline counts toward the height limit?
Can any building in Newport Beach go above 30 feet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newport Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Newport Beach to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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Structure Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle structure height limits.