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
Redwood City sets minimum setbacks for main buildings in its RH and R-1 single-family districts under Zoning Code Section 5.7. Front setbacks are 20 or 25 feet in RH and 15 feet in R-1, with 20 feet for R-1 garages and carports. Rear setbacks are 25 feet in RH and 20 feet in R-1. An R-1 interior side yard starts at 6 feet or half the building-face height, whichever is greater.
Redwood City R-1 and RH Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsRedwood City Zoning Code § 5.7 (Setback Requirements. Modified [R-1 and RH])
Front. In the R-1 and RH districts, structures shall be set back from the front property line as provided below or adjusted per Section 5.8D (Parking Front Setback Adjustment): 1. RH District. a. Lot area less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet: Twenty (20) feet. b. Lots area of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or more: Twenty-five (25) feet. 2. R-1 District. The minimum setback is fifteen...
Structure Height Limits
In Redwood City's RH and R-1 single-family zoning districts, a building can be no taller than 28 feet and no more than 2.5 stories. Both caps apply at once. Detached accessory buildings follow a separate 16 foot limit under Section 36.5, and height is measured from every point of the roof straight down to the lower of finished or natural grade.
Redwood City Building Height Limits in RH and R-1 Districts
Some RestrictionsRedwood City Zoning Code § 5.6
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) for accessory building height regulations. See Article 2 (Definitions) for information on how "story" and "height of building" are measured.
Lot Coverage Limits
Redwood City caps total lot coverage at 40 percent of the lot area in the R-1 single-family and RH hillside districts. Accessory buildings carry a second limit: any combination of them can cover no more than 50 percent of the required rear yard. Section 5.5 of the Zoning Code, last amended by Ordinance 1130-892 on July 27, 2026, sets both numbers.
Redwood City Lot Coverage Limit: 40% in R-1 and RH
Some RestrictionsRedwood City Zoning Code § 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 subject to Section 36.5 (Accessory Buildings). (Ord. No. 1130-363, § 4, 6-22-15; Ord. No. 1130-366, § 4, 12-7-15; Ord. No. 1130-892 , § 5(Exh. A), 7-27-26)
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 →