Building Setbacks & Zoning in Santa Clara County, CA (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 4 cities in Santa Clara County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In the unincorporated urban residential districts of Santa Clara County, Table 2.30-3 of Zoning Ordinance § 2.30.030 sets minimum setbacks in feet. R1 and R1E lots need a 25-foot front, 5-foot side, 10-foot exterior side and 25-foot rear setback, while RHS lots need 30 feet in front and 20 on the side. Where a lot abuts a road, setbacks are measured from the ultimate right-of-way.
Santa Clara County Residential Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsSanta Clara County Zoning Ordinance § 2.30.030 (Table 2.30-3)
Standards. Table 2.30-3 establishes property development standards for the urban residential base districts. ... R1 R1E RHS R1S R3S R2 R3 ... Setbacks (feet) 6, 7 : Front 25 8 25 30 25 Note 4 25 20 8 Side 5 8 5 20 5 5 Note 4 5 10 8 Corner lot: Exterior side 10 8 10 20 10 5 Note 4 10 10 8 Rear 25 8 25 25 25 5 Note 4 25 15 8 Scenic road 100 100 100 — Note 4 100 100 Exceptions § 4.20.110 , Setback...
Structure Height Limits
Homes in unincorporated Santa Clara County's R1 residential district are capped at 35 feet and two stories, dropping to 21 feet and one story on small flag lots, under the county's own Zoning Ordinance.
Unincorporated Santa Clara County Building Height Limits
Some RestrictionsSanta Clara County Zoning Ordinance § 2.30.030 (Table 2.30-3; subsection B)
Maximum height 6: Feet 35 8 35 35 35 Note 4 35 45 8 Stories 2 8 2 3 2½ Note 4 2 4 8 [...] B. Flag lots: Height restriction. On any flag lot of less than 20,000 square feet, the maximum height of dwellings shall be 21 feet and shall not include more than one story.
Lot Coverage Limits
In unincorporated Santa Clara County, single-family residential districts (R1, R1E, RHS, R1S, R2) carry no separate lot-coverage percentage, bulk is controlled through setback and height rules instead, while the multi-family R3 district caps building footprint at 50 percent of the lot.
Santa Clara County Lot Coverage Standards
Some RestrictionsSanta Clara County Zoning Ordinance § 2.30.030, Table 2.30-3
TABLE 2.30-3. URBAN RESIDENTIAL BASE DISTRICTS: PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS R1 R1E RHS R1S R3S R2 R3 ... Lot coverage—buildings6 —8 — — — — — 50%8
Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Santa Clara County
4 cities in Santa Clara County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
3 verified rules • Lot Coverage Limits, Setback Rules
3 verified rules • Lot Coverage Limits, Setback Rules
3 verified rules • Lot Coverage Limits, Setback Rules
3 verified rules • Lot Coverage Limits, Setback Rules
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