Placer County, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)

) alongside a locally adopted supplemental bonus. A developer who commits at least 5% of a housing development's units to very low income households qualifies for a 20-30% density bonus and one incentive or concession; the bonus rises on a sliding scale, reaching the full 50% maximum and three incentives or concessions once 15% or more of units are set aside for very low income households. A parallel schedule applies to low income unit set-asides, starting at 10% of units for a 20-29% bonus and reaching 50% at 24% or more low income units.

A 'housing development' means a project of five or more residential units, including mixed-use projects; a 'small project' is one with fewer than five units in a zone allowing duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes. Only one density bonus program may be applied to a given project, and density bonus requests cannot be used to obtain a general plan or zoning map amendment; they must instead be submitted with a development permit such as a tentative map, parcel map, conditional use permit, or design review application. Applicants file the density bonus request before or together with the development permit application, and the planning director must notify the applicant within 30 days of a complete application whether the project qualifies. 3 for special needs housing) under subsection (K).