Shasta County, CA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger size
- 10,000 sq ft floor area
- Additional space
- Per 20,000 sq ft beyond trigger
- Minimum dimensions
- 12 ft wide, 30 ft long
- Covered clearance
- 15 ft minimum height
- Residential buffer
- 50 ft, unless enclosed/walled
- Governing section
- Code Section 17.86.120
Summary
Buildings of 10,000 square feet or more used as a hospital, hotel, or commercial or industrial facility must provide at least one off-street loading space, plus one more for every additional 20,000 square feet of floor area. Loading spaces must be 12 feet wide, 30 feet long, and kept 50 feet from residential lots unless enclosed.
A.No building or part thereof having a floor area of ten thousand square feet or more, which will be occupied by a hospital, institution, hotel, commercial or industrial use or other similar uses shall be erected, structurally altered or allowed to house a change in use unless at least one off-street parking space, plus one additional loading space for each additional twenty thousand square feet of floor area is provided...B.Each off-street loading space shall not be less than twelve feet in width, thirty feet long (exclusive of driveways and maneuvering areas), and, if covered, a minimum of fifteen feet high...E.No off-street loading space shall be closer than fifty feet to any lot in a residential district unless the space is wholly within a building or enclosed on three sides by a wall not less than eight feet in height.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
120 sets the off-street loading space standards that apply countywide to larger commercial, industrial, hospital and institutional buildings. Subsection A triggers the requirement once a building or part of one reaches 10,000 square feet of floor area occupied by a hospital, institution, hotel, or commercial or industrial use: it must provide at least one off-street loading space, with one additional loading space required for each further 20,000 square feet of floor area. The code allows a workaround for the extra spaces: on-site driveways and maneuvering areas can substitute for dedicated loading spaces if they still provide adequate room for delivery vehicles to maneuver.
Subsection B fixes the physical dimensions: each loading space must be at least 12 feet wide and 30 feet long, exclusive of driveway and maneuvering area, and if covered, at least 15 feet of vertical clearance. Subsection C requires a minimum 20-foot-wide access where the loading space doesn't directly adjoin a street or alley, and subsection D requires the space be paved and improved to the same standard as regular parking areas. Subsection E is the residential buffer rule: no off-street loading space can sit closer than 50 feet to any lot in a residential district unless the loading space is either entirely inside a building or screened on three sides by a wall at least 8 feet high.
150 if the applicant shows the alternative arrangement will be of equal or greater design quality, and legacy commercial buildings that predate the ordinance and lack space for full compliance can seek an exception the same way.
Violations & Fines
A commercial or industrial project that occupies a qualifying building without providing the required loading spaces, or that places a loading space within 50 feet of a residential lot without the required enclosure or wall, is out of compliance with the zoning code and can be denied final building inspection, occupancy approval, or cited through county code enforcement until the space is added or screened.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a Shasta County commercial building need an off-street loading space?
How big must an off-street loading space be in Shasta County?
How close can a loading dock be to a house next door?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shasta County
California rules heatmap·Compare Shasta County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.