Pasadena, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Site <75 ft wide
- 28 ft max height
- Site ≥75 ft wide
- 32 ft max height
- First-story top plate
- 10 ft maximum
- Second-story top plate
- 20 ft (23 ft in historic/overlay zones)
- Chimney exception
- +2 ft over height limit
Summary
Pasadena caps main structures in its RS districts at 28 feet on lots under 75 feet wide and 32 feet on wider lots, plus separate top-plate limits for each story. Municipal Code Section 17.22.040, Table 2-3, ties every height figure to the encroachment plane rules in Section 17.40.160.
Height limit (4) Maximum height of main structures at points noted. See 17.40.060 for height measurement, and exceptions to height limits. All structures shall also comply with the encroachment plane requirements of 17.40.160. Site less than 75 ft wide 28 ft, and within the encroachment plane (Section 17.40.160). Site of 75 ft wide or more 32 ft, and within the encroachment plane (Section 17.40.160). Maximum top plate height (first story)(7)(8) 10 ft, as measured from the front plane of the primary structure and within the encroachment plane (Section 17.40.160). Maximum top plate height (second story) (9) 23 ft., and within the encroachment plane (Section 17.40.160) within historic districts, LD, HD-1, or ND overlay zone. 20 ft, and within the encroachment plane (Section 17.40.160) for all other zones.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
160 that every structure must satisfy regardless of the flat height number. Lots narrower than 75 feet are capped at 28 feet, while lots 75 feet wide or more can reach 32 feet, both measured from the lowest point of existing grade at an exterior wall to the structure's highest ridge or parapet. Two additional top-plate limits apply within those envelopes: the first story cannot exceed a 10-foot top plate measured from the front plane of the primary structure, and the second-story top plate is capped at 20 feet in most zones but rises to 23 feet inside a historic district or the LD, HD-1, or ND overlay zones; both top-plate limits apply only to new dwellings or new second stories.
1, and roof-mounted equipment on multi-family or commercial structures can exceed the limit by up to 10 or 15 feet respectively if it covers no more than 25 percent of the roof area. A footnote to Table 2-3 lets a rebuilt structure match a pre-November 5, 2009 height that exceeds the current limit, but only after the owner secures a Minor Conditional Use Permit for that specific height match.
Violations & Fines
A structure built above the applicable height limit, or above the first- or second-story top-plate maximums, is unlawful and a public nuisance under Section 17.78.060, triggering a Stop Work Order and administrative penalties under Municipal Code Chapters 1.25 and 1.26. Section 17.78.070 makes each day of the violation a separate offense, and a Minor Conditional Use Permit granted to match a pre-2009 structure's height can be revoked under Section 17.78.090 if its conditions are not met.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be in Pasadena's RS zoning districts?
What is the top-plate height limit for a second story?
Can a chimney exceed the height limit?
Do older, taller houses in Pasadena have to be torn down to the new height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena to another location·View the California building setbacks & zoning overview
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Structure Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle structure height limits.