Building height limits in Vacaville are set by zoning district under Vacaville Municipal Code Chapter 14.09.060 (Residential), 14.09.070 (Commercial and Mixed-Use), and 14.09.090 (Public and Semi-Public). VMC Chapter 14.09.200 (General Site Regulations) provides that no portion of a structure exceeding the building height limit may provide habitable area, and additional height above the limit may be approved with a minor use permit.
Vacaville's zoning districts set district-specific maximum building heights. Under VMC Chapter 14.09.060 (Residential Zoning Districts), maximum heights are listed in the development standards tables for each residential district (RE / RR / RL / RM / RH), with two-story limits common in single-family districts and higher allowances in RM and RH multifamily districts. VMC Chapter 14.09.070 sets heights for commercial and mixed-use districts (Neighborhood Commercial, Community Commercial, Downtown, Mixed-Use, etc.), and VMC Chapter 14.09.090 covers Public/Semi-Public. Under VMC Chapter 14.09.200 (General Site Regulations), no portion of a structure that exceeds the district building-height limit may provide habitable areas — meaning ornamental architectural features (cupolas, parapets, chimneys, certain mechanical penthouses) may project above the limit only if they are not habitable. Additional height above the limit may be approved with a minor use permit through the Planning Division. The Hillside (H) Overlay District (VMC §14.09.120) imposes additional height stepping and ridge-protection rules in the city's hillside-development areas (parts of the Vaca foothills, Browns Valley, and Lagoon Valley edge). For parcels adjacent to designated open-space wildfire lands, VMC Chapter 14.20.290 layers additional buffer and structure requirements on top of base height limits.
Building above the allowed district height without a minor use permit is a zoning and building-code violation; Vacaville Building Division will refuse to permit or final-inspect the work, and Code Enforcement can issue administrative citations and daily fines until correction. Hidden habitable area built into a 'non-habitable' architectural feature (e.g., an inhabited cupola) is independently a violation of VMC 14.09.200. Hillside Overlay violations also implicate the Vacaville Design Review process.
Vacaville, CA
Vacaville enforces California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code 115921-115929) and California Building Code Section 3109. Every new or remodel...
Vacaville, CA
Vacaville Municipal Code 14.09.200 permits standard fence materials including wood, masonry, brick, wrought iron, and vinyl. Barbed wire, razor wire, ultra-b...
Vacaville, CA
Vacaville has no special neighbor-fence ordinance - California Civil Code 841 (the 2014 Good Neighbor Fence Act) governs shared boundary fences. Adjoining la...
Vacaville, CA
Vacaville follows the California Building Code as adopted in VMC Title 15 - fences 7 feet tall or less are typically exempt from a building permit under CBC ...
Vacaville, CA
Vacaville Municipal Code 14.09.200 (General Site Regulations) caps residential fences at 6 feet outside required setbacks and 3 feet within 5 feet of the bac...
Vacaville, CA
Vacaville Municipal Code limits residential households to three dogs and three cats over four months old per lot, plus six adult rabbits. Higher counts requi...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Solano County.
See how other cities in Solano County handle structure height limits.
See how Vacaville's structure height limits rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.