San Francisco Setbacks & Height Limits — Residential Zones

This guide explains the basic setback and height rules that apply to residential construction in San Francisco. The numbers depend on your exact zoning district, your separate Height & Bulk District, overlay districts, and lot geometry, so always confirm with the SF Planning Department before finalizing plans.

What Are Setbacks?

A setback (called a "yard" in the SF Planning Code) is the minimum required distance between a building and a lot line. Setbacks are measured from the property line to the nearest point of the building wall. Eaves, bay windows, decks, and chimneys have separate projection rules under Planning Code Article 1.3.

San Francisco specifies front, side, and rear yards separately for each zoning district. Corner lots have two street frontages and are treated specially under Section 132.

Typical Residential Yards (RH and RM Zones)

For common RH and lower-density RM districts, the Planning Code provides base yard rules, but lot width, adjacent development, overlays, and specific code exceptions can change the result:

These are the base requirements for the most common residential lots. Higher-density RM-2/RM-3/RM-4, mixed-use NCT corridors, and downtown C-3 zones each have separate yard schedules. Always read the district section that matches the zone shown on the SF Property Information Map.

Height & Bulk Districts (Separate Map)

San Francisco is unusual: height is not set by the base zoning district. Instead, every parcel has a separate Height & Bulk District designation that is mapped on its own layer and overlaid on the zoning map. You read both designations together.

A Height & Bulk District has two parts:

• Number = maximum building height in feet (e.g., 40, 45, 50, 65, 85, 130, 240, 320)
• Letter = bulk control category (X, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, S) limiting plan dimensions and diagonal length above a certain height

Example: a parcel mapped 40-X allows buildings up to 40 ft tall with bulk control X (the most permissive — no plan-length limit). A parcel mapped 65-A allows up to 65 ft with stricter A-category bulk limits above 40 ft.

Most one- and two-family neighborhoods (the Sunset, Richmond, Bernal Heights, much of Noe Valley) are mapped 40-X. Mid-rise corridors are commonly 50-X, 55-X, or 65-A. Downtown can reach 240-S, 320-I, or higher.

To find your Height & Bulk District, open the SF Property Information Map, enter your address, and look for the "Height and Bulk District" line in the property report.

Height Measurement

Building height is measured from average grade at the building wall to the topmost point of the roof, per Planning Code Section 260. Pitched roofs receive a 5 ft height bonus measured to a horizontal plane between eave and ridge. Stair penthouses, elevator overruns, parapets, mechanical screening, and small rooftop features are allowed limited additional height under Section 260(b).

Hillside lots are measured from existing grade — designs that step with the slope are favored.

Buildable Envelope and Open Space

Do not treat 55% as a universal residential lot-coverage cap. San Francisco's buildable envelope is controlled by several interacting provisions, including the rear-yard rule in Section 134, front and side-yard rules, usable open-space requirements, height and bulk controls, lot geometry, and permitted projections. For RH/RM-1/RM-2 parcels, the basic rear-yard rule is 30% of lot depth with a 15 ft minimum, subject to the Code's exceptions and reductions.

Common Exceptions and Encroachments

Planning Code Sections 136 and 1.3 allow certain features to project beyond the building wall or into a required yard:

• Bay windows — limited projection into front and side yards
• Eaves and gutters — typically up to 1 ft into a required yard
• Cornices — up to 4 ft of projection on upper stories
• Decks and stairs — open and unenclosed, subject to height limits
• Chimneys — limited projection
• Front stoops and steps — allowed in the front setback

Fences, retaining walls, and accessory structures have their own rules in Sections 136 and 184. Always read the actual code section before designing — bay window rules in particular are detailed.

State ADU Overrides

If your project is an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), California state law (Government Code §65852.2) overrides local setback and height rules. State law guarantees a 4 ft side and rear setback and a 16 ft height for a detached ADU (or up to 18–25 ft in some configurations). A local 30%-rear-yard requirement cannot be enforced if it would prevent an 800 sq ft ADU. See the ADU rules page for San Francisco specifics.

How to Look Up Your Specific Requirements

1. Find your zoning district and Height & Bulk District — open the SF Property Information Map and enter your address. Note both lines.
2. Read the district regulations — find your zone in Planning Code Article 2 (RH, RM) for use and density, and Article 1.2 / Article 2.5 for yards and bulk
3. Check for overlays — historic districts, Special Use Districts (SUDs), and the Coastal Zone can modify the base rules
4. Schedule a Planning Information Counter (PIC) appointment — SF Planning offers free zoning advice before you commit to a design

Variances

If your project cannot meet the strict letter of the Planning Code, you may apply for a variance through the Zoning Administrator under Planning Code Section 305. Variances are discretionary, require a public hearing, and must show practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship specific to your lot. See the guide to understanding zoning codes for the general process.

Official Sources

See the sources linked in the frontmatter for the SF Planning Code, the SF Planning Department, and the SF Property Information Map. This guide is informational and is not a substitute for direct confirmation from SF Planning staff.