Zoning Overlays & Bonuses in Modesto, CA (2026)
2 verified zoning overlays & bonuses rules for Modesto, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Density Bonus Law
Modesto grants developers a density bonus above the maximum allowed by zoning when a project sets aside affordable units. Setting aside 10% of units for lower-income households alone earns a 20% bonus, rising on a sliding scale as high as 50% under Code of Ordinances § 10-8.801.
Modesto Density Bonus: Up to 50% More Units
Some RestrictionsModesto Code of Ordinances § 10-8.801
10-8.801 - Low-Income Units. If ten (10) percent of the total units of a housing development for rental or sale to lower income households, as defined in Section 50079.5 of the Health and Safety Code, the density bonus shall be calculated as follows: TABLE 10-8.801 - Low-Income Units / Percentage Low-Income Units Percentage Density Bonus / 10 20 / 11 21.5 / 12 23 / 13 24.5 / 14 26 / 15 27.5 / 1...
Downtown Design Guide
Modesto governs its downtown with a form-based code under Article 5 of the zoning chapter, splitting the area into six named zones such as Central Downtown and Main Street Downtown under Section 10-7.505. Development must use one of nine defined Building Types, from Row House to Commercial Block, per Section 10-7.512, and follow the City's Design Guidelines for Commercial and Industrial Development under Section 10-7.515.
Modesto Downtown Zones: Six Districts, Nine Building Types
Significant RestrictionsModesto Code of Ordinances §§ 10-7.505, 10-7.512
10-7.505 - Downtown Zones Purpose. The Zoning Map identifies six (6) form-based code zones in the downtown area. Each Downtown Zone is different in terms of purpose, development standards, intensity, and allowed uses...(a)Central Downtown (CD). This zone is intended to foster the most intensive and active urban environment in the Downtown, while ensuring an overall human scale to development. T...
Looking for Stanislaus County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Modesto city rules.
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