San Ramon, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Section D3-6(C) states plainly that "no structure shall exceed the height limit established for the applicable zone by Division D2," and Division D2-9's zone tables set that number at 35 feet for the RC, HR, RE-A, RE-B zones (Table 2-2) and for every RS district, RS-12, RS-10, RS-7, RS-6, and RS-D (Table 2-3). Table 2-4 raises the ceiling for attached and multi-family housing: 35 feet again in RM and RH, 40 feet in RMH, and 50 feet in RVH. Section D3-6(D) defines exactly how that number is measured: the vertical distance from the average point of the plane connecting the highest and lowest points where the exterior walls touch natural grade, up to the midpoint of a pitched roof or the highest point of a flat roof, with the Zoning Administrator fixing the natural-grade line so it cannot be artificially raised to gain height.

Subsection (E) lists narrow exceptions: chimneys, cupolas, mechanical equipment, monuments, and vents may exceed the zone's height limit by up to three feet, while elevator penthouses, spires, theater scenery lofts, towers, and roof-mounted water tanks may exceed it by up to eight feet. Section D3-6(B) separately imposes a citywide backstop outside the designated San Ramon City Center parcels: no building there may exceed the greater of five stories or 85 feet, including mechanical equipment, unless San Ramon voters themselves approve going higher. Accessory structures, decks, and fences are measured and limited separately under Sections D4-26, D3-6(G), and D3-4.