San Diego Setbacks & Height Limits — Residential Zones

Fact-checked against the San Diego Municipal Code July 2026 edition and current California ADU law on September 20, 2026.

San Diego's residential dimensions are controlled by the exact base-zone designator. The current Table 131-04D contains two different series of RS zones, and districts with similar minimum lot sizes can have different setbacks and height rules.

RS-1-7: Current Development Standards

For RS-1-7, the July 2026 table lists:

The 24/30-ft entry should not be rewritten as a simple 30-ft wall height. Section 131.0444 uses an angled building-envelope plane that connects the height at the setback to the overall maximum height.

The previous page also listed a 10-ft street-side setback for RS-1-7. The current Table 131-04D lists 5 ft, subject to the additional setback rules in §131.0443.

RS-1-14 Is Not a 10,000-Square-Foot Zone

The previous page described RS-1-14 as a larger-lot 10,000-sq-ft zone. Under the current code, RS-1-14 is in the Planned Urbanized Communities / Proposition A series and has:

This is a different regulatory pattern from RS-1-7 even though both list a 5,000-sq-ft minimum lot area.

Rear-Yard and Side-Yard Exceptions

Section 131.0443 contains important exceptions:

• for RS-1-1 through RS-1-7 lots under 100 ft deep, rear setback may be based on 10% of lot depth but cannot be less than 5 ft;
• qualifying alley width can count toward part of a rear setback;
• RS-1-8 through RS-1-14 lots with alley access can have a 4-ft rear setback under the stated rule;
• side setbacks may be reallocated on qualifying lots, but the reallocated side setback cannot be less than 4 ft and the reallocated street-side setback cannot be less than 10 ft.

Use the table and §131.0443 together.

FAR Is Lot-Size Dependent in RS-1-2 Through RS-1-7

The previous page characterized RS-1-7 FAR as a fixed 0.60. Current §131.0446 instead uses a sliding table for RS-1-2 through RS-1-7:

• 4,001–5,000 sq ft: 0.60;
• 5,001–6,000 sq ft: 0.59;
• larger lots step down progressively;
• 19,001 sq ft and above: 0.45.

That means a 5,500-sq-ft RS-1-7 lot does not use the same FAR as a 5,000-sq-ft lot.

Coastal Overlay Caveat

The July 2026 code includes editor's notes that some amendments adopted in 2024 and 2026 do not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until certified by the California Coastal Commission as Local Coastal Program amendments.

A coastal parcel must therefore be checked against the applicable certified coastal rules, not simply the newest citywide text.

California State ADU Law

California HCD's 2026 materials identify State ADU Law as Government Code §§66310–66342. Older references to §65852.2 are outdated.

For new-construction ADUs, local rear and side setbacks generally cannot exceed 4 ft under current state law. Height standards vary by the statutory ADU configuration.

See the San Diego ADU rules page and the City's current Information Bulletin 400.

How to Check a Property

1. Confirm the complete San Diego base zone.
2. Use current Table 131-04D for RS zones.
3. Apply the exceptions in §§131.0443–131.0446.
4. Check Coastal, Coastal Height, airport, historic, environmentally sensitive lands, and community-plan controls.
5. Verify whether recent amendments are certified for a Coastal Overlay parcel.
6. Confirm project-specific questions with Development Services.

Official Sources

• San Diego Municipal Code — Chapter 13, Article 1, Division 4, July 2026
• City of San Diego — ADU/JADU Information Bulletin 400
• California HCD — 2026 Housing Law Fact Sheets

This guide is informational only. The current SDMC, certified coastal rules, state law, and parcel-specific controls govern.