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Building Setbacks & Zoning in Gardena, CA (2026)

3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Gardena, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Setback Rules

Every R-1 lot in Gardena keeps a twenty-foot front setback under Section 18.12.050(G). Side yards run five feet on an interior lot or ten feet on a corner lot's street side, and the rear setback is ten feet for new construction or additions, dropping to five feet for an existing single-story dwelling that predates the current standard.

Yard Setback Minimums in Gardena

Some Restrictions

Gardena Municipal Code § 18.12.050(G)(1)-(3)

G. Yards. 1. Front yard setback: twenty feet. 2. Side yard setback: a. A minimum of five feet for interior lots, and b. A minimum of ten feet for corner lots (street side only), 3. Rear yard setback: ten feet for new dwellings and additions and a minimum of five feet for existing single story dwelling units.

Structure Height Limits

A single-family house in Gardena's R-1 zone cannot rise above twenty-five feet or more than two stories. Section 18.12.050(F) sets that flat height ceiling for the R-1 zone, and it applies to the whole building envelope, main house included, alongside the zone's separate five-thousand-square-foot minimum lot size and eight-hundred-square-foot minimum dwelling size.

Residential Height Limit in Gardena

Some Restrictions

Gardena Municipal Code § 18.12.050(F)

F. Building Height. The maximum building height shall not exceed twenty-five feet and shall consist of not more than two stories;

Lot Coverage Limits

Gardena caps how much of an R-1 lot buildings can cover: fifty percent for an interior lot and seventy-five percent for a corner lot under Section 18.12.050(I). The cap counts the house, garage and any accessory building together, and it applies on top of a separate limit on front-yard paving and hardscape.

Lot Coverage Limits in Gardena

Some Restrictions

Gardena Municipal Code § 18.12.050(I)

I. Lot coverage: 1. A maximum of fifty percent for interior lots, and 2. A maximum of seventy-five percent for corner lots;

Looking for Los Angeles County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Gardena city rules.

Building Setbacks & Zoning in Los Angeles County →