Building Setbacks & Zoning in San Jose, CA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for San Jose, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
San Jose sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks for each residential zoning district in Table 20-60 under Municipal Code § 20.30.200: front setbacks run from 10 feet in R-M to 50 feet in R-1-RR, with separate interior and corner-lot minimums for side and rear yards.
San Jose Yard Setback Minimums by Zone
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 20.30.200 (Table 20-60)
All development in the residential zoning districts shall conform to the development regulations set forth below in Table 20-60...Minimum setback (feet) Front 20 20 30 30 50 15 10 15 Side, interior (Note 6) 5 5 15 20 20 5 5 5 Rear, interior 20 20 25 25 30 25 25 25 [columns: R-1-8, R-1-5, R-1-2, R-1-1, R-1-RR, R-2, R-M, R-MH]
Structure Height Limits
San Jose caps residential building height at 35 feet across all five R-1 single-family districts and the R-2 two-family district. The R-M multifamily district tops out at 45 feet or a limit set under Chapter 20.85, and R-MH mobile home parks are capped at 45 feet.
San Jose Residential Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 20.30.200 (Table 20-60)
Regulations Zoning District R-1-8 R-1-5 R-1-2 R-1-1 R-1-RR R-2 R-M R-MH Maximum height (feet) (Notes 1, 2 and 4) 35 35 35 35 35 35 45 or established in Chapter 20.85 45
Lot Coverage Limits
San Jose caps building footprint at 75% of lot area on small state-mandated SB9 split lots, sliding down to 65% and then 60% as lot size grows, but this numeric lot-coverage table applies only to Senate Bill 9 urban lot splits and streamlined two-unit projects, not to an ordinary single-family lot.
San Jose SB9 & Two-Unit Lot Coverage Caps
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 20.30.820(C)
C. Floor Area Ratio and Lot Coverage. 1. ...the maximum Floor Area Ratio for each lot shall be 0.65... 2. The maximum lot coverage, calculated in accordance with Section 20.200.675 of this Code, shall not exceed the below requirements: Lot Size (sq ft) / Maximum Lot Coverage — 1,200 - 2,500 / 75%; 2,501 - 9,000 / 65%; Greater than 9,000 / 60%.
Looking for Santa Clara County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Jose city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Santa Clara County →