Madera County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Principal structure
- 35–40 ft by zone
- Accessory buildings
- 15 ft max
- Measured from
- Center of building pad
- Height increase
- +10 ft with setback tradeoff
Summary
Residential structures in unincorporated Madera County top out at thirty-five feet in most zones, with a handful of rural residential districts allowed up to forty feet.
The development standards table for residential zones identifies the parcel size, density standards, lot coverage, setbacks and height regulations that apply in the residential zones. Max. structure height 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 40 40 40 40 Accessory building height 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 • 15 15 15
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
Madera County Code § 18.11.120's development standards table caps principal structure height at thirty-five feet across most of the county's residential zone districts, rising to forty feet in the table's higher-density and rural residential columns. Accessory buildings are held to a flat fifteen-foot maximum in the same table. Height is measured from the center of the building pad under § 18.98.130, and the county can grant a limited increase of up to ten feet if the developer pulls back setbacks and offsets by an equal amount, per § 18.98.120. This table governs only unincorporated Madera County's residential zones; the cities of Madera and Chowchilla set their own height limits.
Violations & Fines
Building a principal structure taller than the thirty-five or forty-foot cap set for its residential zone under § 18.11.120, without the offset-based increase allowed by § 18.98.120, is a zoning violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be in unincorporated Madera County?
Can I build higher than the zone's height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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