Trinity County, CA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Trinity County has no incorporated cities, so building height is governed by the County's zoning ordinance (Title 17), and the maximum height depends on the parcel's district. In the R-2 Duplex Residential district, the maximum allowable height is forty feet (Sec. 17.17.080). Other districts set different limits, so owners must check their own zone. Chapter 17.30's general height provisions (Sec. 17.30.050) add county-wide exceptions and rules: accessory buildings in the R, A, H, and RR districts are limited to a maximum height of twenty-five feet unless a use permit is obtained; chimneys, silos, cupolas, flagpoles, monuments, gas holders, radio and other towers, water tanks, church steeples, and similar structures may exceed the district height limit with a use permit; in districts with limits under fifty feet, public and institutional buildings (schools, churches, hospitals) may exceed the limit if a seventy-degree light angle is established and maintained; and on steeply sloped lots - where the slope exceeds one foot of rise or fall in seven feet of distance - one additional story is allowed on the downhill side without exceeding the district height limit. Height is generally measured per the building code and zoning definitions. Because limits and exceptions vary by district and structure type, confirm the applicable height with the Trinity County Planning Division.