Building Setbacks & Zoning in Monterey County, CA (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Monterey County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Monterey County sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks by residential zoning district under Title 21. A Low Density Residential main dwelling needs 30 feet in front, 20 feet in back, and a side yard equal to 10% of average lot width up to a 20-foot cap, while High and Medium Density Residential need only 20/5/10 feet and Rural Density Residential needs 30/20/20 feet.
Monterey County Residential Yard Setbacks
Some RestrictionsMonterey County Code § 21.14.060(C)(1)(a)
21.14.060 - Site development standards....1.Main Structures.a.Minimum Setbacks. Front: thirty (30)feet; Side: ten (10) percent of the average lot width, to a maximum required of twenty (20) feet; Rear: twenty (20) feet.
Structure Height Limits
Monterey County's unincorporated residential zoning caps building height by structure type and district: a Low Density Residential main dwelling tops out at 30 feet, Medium and Rural Density Residential also cap at 30 feet, and High Density Residential goes up to 35 feet, while every district limits habitable and non-habitable accessory structures like garages and sheds to 15 feet.
Monterey County Residential Building Height Limits
Some RestrictionsMonterey County Code § 21.14.060(C)(1)(b)
21.14.060 - Site development standards....1.Main Structures...b.Height. Maximum height: thirty (30) feet.2.Accessory Structures (Habitable)...b.Height. Maximum height: fifteen (15) feet3.Accessory Structures (Non-habitable)...b.Height. Maximum height: fifteen (15) feet.c.Agricultural windmills are exempt from the height provisions of this Chapter.
Lot Coverage Limits
Monterey County caps how much of a residential lot can be covered by structures, and the cap moves with zoning density: Low Density Residential parcels top out at 35% coverage under 20,000 square feet and 25% at or above that size, while High Density Residential allows up to 60%, Medium Density Residential 35%, and Rural Density Residential 25%, all under Title 21.
Monterey County Maximum Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsMonterey County Code § 21.14.060(E)
21.14.020 - Applicability. The regulation of this Chapter shall apply in all "LDR" Districts and are subject to Chapter 21.62 (Height and Setback Exceptions) of this Title....21.14.060 - Site development standards....E.Building Site Coverage, Maximum: thirty-five (35) percent on lots less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet; twenty-five (25) percent on lots of twenty thousand (20,000) squ...
Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Monterey County
1 cities in Monterey County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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