Building Setbacks & Zoning in Santa Maria, CA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Santa Maria, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Santa Maria sets minimum front, side and rear yard depths by zoning district in Title 12. In the R-1 single-family district, front yards run 20 feet, side yards 5 and 10 feet, and rear yards 10 to 20 feet depending on building height and story count.
Santa Maria Yard Setbacks by Zoning District
Some RestrictionsSanta Maria Municipal Code Section 12-6.09 (Setbacks, R-1 Single-Family Residential District)
All yard measurements are made from the lot lines. Front Yards. Front yards shall be no less than twenty feet (20′) deep, except as follows: Garages with side entry may be set back not less than fifteen feet (15′) from the front property line. Garages with front entry shall be set back not less than twenty feet (20′), except garages with roll-up doors may be set back a minimum of eighteen feet ...
Structure Height Limits
Santa Maria caps single-family homes in the R-1 zone at thirty feet under Municipal Code Section 12-6.08, measured from the average finish grade of the lot to the highest point of the roof. The R-2 district shares that 30-foot ceiling, R-3 apartments can reach 35 feet, and the RA agricultural district limits dwellings to two stories or 25 feet while allowing 35-foot accessory buildings.
Santa Maria Residential Building Height Limits
Some RestrictionsSanta Maria Municipal Code § 12-6.08 (Height, R-1 Single-Family Residential District)
Maximum allowable building height is thirty feet.
Lot Coverage Limits
Santa Maria doesn't set one citywide lot-coverage percentage. Residential zones control building footprint through minimum lot size and setbacks instead, but two zones cap coverage outright: the Freeway Service (FS) district allows no more than 30% of the site to be covered, and the Public Facilities (PF) district allows up to 50%, exclusive of public streets.
Santa Maria Lot Coverage Limits by Zoning District
Some RestrictionsSanta Maria Municipal Code § 12-18.06 (Lot Coverage, PF Public Facilities and Institutional District)
No development shall cover in excess of 50% of the total area of the property (exclusive of public streets).
Looking for Santa Barbara County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Santa Maria city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Santa Barbara County →