Building Setbacks & Zoning in Santa Ana, CA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Santa Ana, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Santa Ana's R1 single-family zone requires a front yard equal to the block's prevailing setback but never less than 20 feet, side yards of at least 5 feet (10 feet on a corner lot's street side), and a rear yard of at least 20 feet, though the rear setback doesn't apply to permitted accessory dwelling units.
Santa Ana R1 Front, Side & Rear Setbacks
Some RestrictionsSanta Ana, CA, Municipal Code §§ 41-234, 41-235, 41-236
Sec. 41-234. - Front yard. The front yard shall be equal to the prevailing front yard setback of the block as described in subsection 41-603(b), but not less than twenty (20) feet. Sec. 41-235. - Side yards in the R1 district. (a)Each side yard shall be not less than five (5) feet for each building.(b)On corner lots, the side yard on the street side shall be not less than ten (10) feet for each...
Structure Height Limits
A single-family home in Santa Ana's R1 district can't rise higher than 27 feet or exceed two stories, measured from the lowest adjacent grade to the top of the structure. Planned developments follow the same cap under Section 41-357(b), which imposes no separate height limit of its own for PD projects.
Santa Ana R1 Home Height Limit
Some RestrictionsSanta Ana, CA, Municipal Code § 41-233
No primary structure shall exceed twenty-seven (27) feet nor two (2) stories in height, as measured from the lowest adjacent grade of the structure to the top of the structure.
Lot Coverage Limits
Multifamily residential development processed under Santa Ana's Planned Community Development (PCD) provisions is capped at fifty percent lot coverage under Section 41-575. Buildings, driveways, parking areas and covered patios together may take up no more than half the site; the remaining half must stay open as landscaping, recreation space or walkways, keeping density in check.
Santa Ana Multifamily Lot Coverage Cap
Some RestrictionsSanta Ana, CA, Municipal Code § 41-575
The following maximum lot coverage shall be applied to multiple-family residential land use categories designated on the adopted general plan of development: Not more than fifty (50) per cent of the total lot area shall be devoted to main and accessory building area, driveways, open or enclosed parking areas and covered patios. The remaining fifty (50) per cent of the total lot area shall be de...
Looking for Orange County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Santa Ana city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Orange County →