Building Setbacks & Zoning in San Diego County, CA (2026)

3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 9 cities in San Diego County, California.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of San Diego County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Setback Rules

Unincorporated San Diego County assigns each parcel a lettered setback designator (A through W) under Zoning Ordinance Schedule C, fixing exact front, side, and rear yard minimums that range from 0 to 100 feet depending on the zone.

San Diego County Yard Setback Minimums

Some Restrictions

San Diego County Zoning Ordinance §§ 4805, 4810

SEC. 4805. SETBACK DESIGNATOR NOTATION. Setbacks shall be indicated by a capital letter corresponding to one row of the Setback Schedule at Section 4810 specifying the minimum dimensions of the front, side, and rear yard setbacks. A dash ("-") shall indicate that there are no setbacks required for the property, and may be used only where a dash has been used for the Building Type designator...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Structure Height Limits

Unincorporated San Diego County caps building height by zone designator under the Zoning Ordinance Height Schedule, ranging from 15 feet and one story up to 60 feet; anything taller requires a Major Use Permit.

San Diego County Structure Height Limits

Some Restrictions

San Diego County Zoning Ordinance § 4610

4610 HEIGHT SCHEDULE. Height designators used for the Development Regulations shall be limited to those in the following Schedule B: A 15 1 B 20 2 C 25 2 ... P 60 4 Q 60 (a) R (b) (a). Notes: (a) Any number of stories is permitted, provided all building code requirements and floor-area ratio limitations are met. (b) Greater than 60 feet. Any height in excess of 60 feet requires a Major Us...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Lot Coverage Limits

In unincorporated San Diego County, the Zoning Ordinance caps how much of a lot buildings can cover, set per zone as either a percentage of lot area or a flat square-footage limit, whichever is more restrictive.

San Diego County Maximum Lot Coverage Limits

Some Restrictions

San Diego County Zoning Ordinance § 4705

Coverage shall be indicated by either or both of the following, of which the most restrictive applies: 1. An Arabic numeral specifying as a decimal fraction the actual maximum portion of a lot or building site which may be covered by all buildings located on such lot or building site. 2. An Arabic numeral specifying as a whole number the actual maximum area in square feet which may be covered b...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗