Building Setbacks & Zoning in Redwood City, CA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Redwood City, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In Redwood City's R-1 single-family district, structures must be set back a minimum of 15 feet from the front property line, with a first-story interior side setback of at least 6 feet (or half the wall height), except as adjusted by the zoning code.
Redwood City R-1 Setback Requirements
Some RestrictionsRedwood City Zoning Code sec. 5.7
Front. In the R-1 and RH districts, structures shall be set back from the front property line as provided below... R-1 District. The minimum setback is fifteen (15) feet except as provided below. ... Side—R-1 District. First Story Interior: A minimum of six (6) feet or one-half (½) the height of the [wall].
Structure Height Limits
Redwood City caps main houses in its R-1 and RH single-family districts at 28 feet and two and a half stories, with separate, lower height ceilings for detached accessory buildings and accessory dwelling units built on the same lot.
Redwood City R-1 and RH Building Height Limit
Some RestrictionsRedwood City Zoning Code sec. 5.6
5.6 - Building Height. Maximum building height is twenty-eight (28) feet and structures shall not exceed two and one-half (2.5) stories. See Section 36.5 (Accessory Buildings) and Article 37 (Accessory Dwelling Units) for accessory building and accessory dwelling unit height regulations, respectively. See Article 2 (Definitions) for information on how "story" and "height of building" are measu...
Lot Coverage Limits
Redwood City caps total lot coverage at 40 percent of lot area in its R-1 and RH single-family districts, and separately limits how much of the required rear yard can be eaten up by sheds, garages and other accessory buildings to no more than half.
Redwood City Residential Lot Coverage Limit
Some RestrictionsRedwood City Zoning Code sec. 5.5
5.5 - Lot Coverage. Total lot coverage is limited to forty percent (40%) of the lot area. Not more than fifty percent (50%) of the required rear yard shall be covered by any combination of accessory buildings or an accessory dwelling unit subject to Section 36.5 (Accessory Buildings) and Article 37 (Accessory Dwelling [Units]). Lot Coverage. The footprint of all structures including the primary...
Looking for San Mateo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Redwood City city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in San Mateo County →