Redwood City, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Section 5.6 of the Redwood City Zoning Code sets one height rule for both single-family districts created by Article 5: the RH (Residential Hillside) district and the R-1 (Residential Single-Family) district. Maximum building height is 28 feet, and a structure cannot exceed 2.5 stories. The two limits work together. A design under 28 feet still fails if it adds a third full floor, and a two-story design still fails if any point of the roof rises above 28 feet.

Height is not taken from one average ground level. Article 2 defines height of building as the vertical distance from any point of the roof to the finished or natural grade, whichever is lower, directly below that point. On a hillside lot the downhill side is measured against the lower ground. Section 5.8 treats a lot as sloping when its average slope is 15 percent or more, and Article 2 points to an illustrative diagram for residential structures on sloping lots.

Stories follow the Article 2 definition: the portion of a building between a floor surface and the floor above it, or the ceiling if no floor sits above. A basement counts as a story when it is more than six feet above finished or natural grade, whichever is lower. A half story is a partial story under a gable, hip, or gambrel roof whose wall plates on at least two opposite exterior walls are not more than four feet above the floor, and whose interior height does not equal or exceed seven feet for more than 40 percent of the floor space.

Section 5.6 does not set the height of detached accessory buildings. It refers to Section 36.5, which limits an accessory building to 16 feet total height and 9 feet of wall height for flat or shed roofs adjacent to the side and rear property line. Ordinance 1130-892, adopted July 27, 2026, is the latest amendment listed for Section 5.6. SB 9 projects under Section 5.10 take the building height of the underlying district, so the 28 foot cap applies to them too.