Contra Costa County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- R-6 height cap
- 35 ft or 2.5 stories, whichever governs
- Measurement point
- Grade to top of structure (Section 82-4.214)
- Exempt features
- Chimneys, towers, silos, flagpoles, water tanks
- Parapet/fire wall cap
- 3 ft above conforming structure
- Applies to
- R-6 district; repeats in R-7 through R-100
Summary
Homes and other structures in the county's R-6 single-family district cannot rise above two and one-half stories or 35 feet, whichever governs, under Ordinance Code Section 84-4.802. A separate countywide rule, Section 82-2.008, exempts chimneys, towers, silos, flagpoles, and similar appurtenances from that cap, though parapet or fire walls on an otherwise conforming building may not exceed three feet.
82-4.214 - Building height. "Building height" means the vertical distance measured from grade to the top of structure directly above with exceptions noted elsewhere in the code. Height may be measured from finished grade when such grade is below natural grade. Height shall be measured from natural grade when the finished grade is higher than natural grade. ... 84-4.802 - Building height—Maximum. No single-family dwelling or other structure permitted in the R-6 district shall exceed two and one-half stories or thirty-five feet in height. ... 82-2.008 - Building height restrictions. The limits of heights of structures established in Division 84 for any district shall not apply to chimneys, stacks, fire towers, radio towers, television towers, water towers, windmills, oil and gas well derricks, monuments, flag poles, telephone poles, telegraph poles, silos, water tanks, and necessary mechanical appurtenances attached to buildings. In all cases parapet or fire walls on buildings or structures otherwise conforming to the regulations established in Division 84 may be constructed not higher than three feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Ordinance Code: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
214 as the vertical distance from grade to the top of the structure directly above, using finished grade when it sits below natural grade and natural grade when fill has raised the ground above its original level, a rule that keeps a hillside owner from artificially lowering the measuring point with a cut pad. 802 caps any single-family dwelling or other structure in the R-6 district, the county's base single-family zone, at two and one-half stories or 35 feet, whichever limit is reached first. 8.
008 then carves out a countywide exception applying across every zoning district in Division 84: chimneys, stacks, fire towers, radio and television towers, water towers, windmills, oil and gas derricks, monuments, flagpoles, telephone and telegraph poles, silos, water tanks, and mechanical appurtenances attached to a building are not counted against the height limit at all. The only cap that survives for those exempted features is on parapet and fire walls, which may rise no more than 3 feet above an otherwise height-conforming building or structure.
A homeowner adding a widow's walk, mechanical enclosure, or decorative tower onto a 35-foot house should confirm with the Department of Conservation and Development whether the addition qualifies as one of the enumerated exempt structures or simply counts toward the 35-foot cap.
Violations & Fines
A structure built above the R-6 district's 35-foot or two-and-one-half-story limit is unlawful and a public nuisance under Section 82-2.006, which applies to any building erected, constructed, altered, or maintained contrary to Title 8. The county can require the excess height removed or reduced and may pursue any other remedy available under the code or state law until the structure conforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build a house in Contra Costa County's R-6 zone?
Does a chimney or antenna count toward my house's height limit?
From what point is building height actually measured?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Contra Costa County
California rules heatmap·Compare Contra Costa County to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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