Building Setbacks & Zoning in Madera County, CA (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Madera County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Every agricultural zone district in unincorporated Madera County, from the five-acre AR-5 district up through the 640-acre ARE districts and the ARF foothills district, shares the same yard setbacks: 25 feet in front, 10 feet on the side, and 20 feet in the rear. Madera County Code Section 18.53.030's development standards table sets those figures alongside lot size, height, and coverage limits for each district.
Madera County Agricultural Zone Setbacks
Some RestrictionsMadera County Code § 18.53.030
The development standards table for agricultural zones identifies the parcel size, density standards, lot coverage, setbacks and height regulations that apply in the agricultural zones. Zone AR-5 ARE ARF. Chapter 54 56 58 60 64. 5 20 40 80-640 2½. Maximum permitted density (DU per lot) 2 2 2 2 2. Minimum Lot area 4½ 18 36 80 160 320 640 2½. Minimum lot dimensions: Lot width (ft.), average 200 2...
Structure Height Limits
Residential structures in unincorporated Madera County top out at thirty-five feet in most zones, with a handful of rural residential districts allowed up to forty feet.
Madera County Residential Height Limit
Some RestrictionsMadera County Code § 18.11.120
The development standards table for residential zones identifies the parcel size, density standards, lot coverage, setbacks and height regulations that apply in the residential zones. Max. structure height 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 40 40 40 40 Accessory building height 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 • 15 15 15
Lot Coverage Limits
Unincorporated Madera County caps the share of a residential lot that structures may cover through the development standards table in Chapter 18.11. The limit is set separately for each residential zone, running from 20 percent in the RRS-2 through RRS-10 rural zones up to 85 percent in the urban RX and RUM zones, with no numeric cap listed for the RMS mountain zone.
Madera County Residential Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsMadera County Code § 18.11.120
The development standards table for residential zones identifies the parcel size, density standards, lot coverage, setbacks and height regulations that apply in the residential zones. ... Max. lot coverage (%) 80 85 40 20 20 20 • 80 85 40 40 ... Setbacks are measured from the property line to the wall of the structure. Front setbacks are measured from the road right-of-way to the wall of the st...
Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Madera County
1 cities in Madera County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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