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

Municipal Code Table 18.11.030.A (Development Standards for Residential Zones) lists Building Height, maximum among the standards that apply citywide in the R-E, S-F, R-I, R-M-M, and R-M-H residential zones, cross-referencing Section 18.26.040 (Measuring Height) for how the number is calculated. Section 18.26.040A defines building height as the vertical distance between finished grade and the highest point of the structure, which is the peak of the highest roof; Section 18.26.040B separately measures floor-to-floor height, from finished ground floor to the bottom of the finished second floor for the ground level and bottom-to-bottom for every floor above.

Footnote (b) to the table allows up to 6 additional feet of height for roof elements such as parapets, chimneys, cupolas, and skylights, but only where the Zoning Administrator, the title used in the code for the Director of Community and Economic Development or a designee, approves the feature as matching the architectural style, color, material, and finish of the primary building. The City may inspect a building under construction under Section 18.01.060, entering only during daylight hours and, for an occupied dwelling, only after 24-hour notice unless the occupant consents.

A structure built above the applicable cap without qualifying for the roof-element allowance is out of compliance with Title 18 and subject to Section 18.01.070's citywide penalty and abatement provisions, and any condition attached to a discretionary height exception can be enforced through permit revocation under Section 18.04.090.