Alameda County · Zoning setbacks
Berkeley setback requirements
Lekua resolves a parcel’s jurisdiction and zone, then draws this envelope on the site plan with its citation in the title block. Enter a Berkeley address and the setbacks arrive already drawn.
The envelope
What the numbers below make on the ground. Shown for the first district in the table; the rest follow the same geometry at their own dimensions.
Zone R-1 — the envelope Lekua draws on the plan.
- Front
- 5′
- Side
- 4′
- Rear
- 5′
The hatched band is the yard — ground the code gives up. Drawn not to scale: the yards are proportional to each other, so the deepest one fills the band and the rest follow. The dimensions carry the real numbers, and the export draws them on the actual parcel outline.
Berkeley setbacks by district
Every row is produced by the same function the exporter calls, so this page cannot drift from what the drawing gets. The citation under each row is what prints on the sheet.
Corner lots: 4′ on the secondary street frontage.
BMC Table 23.202-2 (R-1): front 5 ft and rear 5 ft are PER-EDGE minimums — front + rear must TOTAL >= 20 ft (note [2]), which further limits building depth inside the envelope; interior + street side 4 ft. On R-1 lots under 100 ft deep, the front may reduce to 20% of lot depth with a Zoning Certificate (front/rear never under 5 ft). Corner key-lot rule (BMC 23.304.030.B.1) may change the street side; projections per Table 23.304-2. BMC current through Ord. 8008-NS (5-12-2026). Verify with Berkeley Planning.
Corner lots: 4′ on the secondary street frontage.
BMC Table 23.202-5 (R-2): front 5 ft and rear 5 ft are PER-EDGE minimums — front + rear must TOTAL >= 20 ft (note [2]), which further limits building depth inside the envelope; interior + street side 4 ft. Corner key-lot rule (BMC 23.304.030.B.1) may change the street side; projections per Table 23.304-2. BMC current through Ord. 8008-NS (5-12-2026). Verify with Berkeley Planning.
Corner lots: 6′ on the secondary street frontage.
BMC Table 23.202-13 (R-3): front 15 ft, interior side 4 ft, street side 6 ft, rear 15 ft. Values are GROUND-story; upper stories step (interior side 6 ft at 3rd story; street side steps with height) and building-separation minimums apply. Within the Southside Plan area: 10/4/10 with street side 4 ft and no separation minimums — verify plan boundary. Corner key-lot rule (BMC 23.304.030.B.1) may change the street side; projections per Table 23.304-2. BMC current through Ord. 8008-NS (5-12-2026). Verify with Berkeley Planning.
Corner lots: 6′ on the secondary street frontage.
BMC Table 23.202-15 (R-4): front 15 ft, interior side 4 ft, street side 6 ft, rear 15 ft. Values are 1-story; sides/street/rear step up per story (to 12/15/21 ft at 6 stories). Corner key-lot rule (BMC 23.304.030.B.1) may change the street side; projections per Table 23.304-2. BMC current through Ord. 8008-NS (5-12-2026). Verify with Berkeley Planning.
Corner lots: 6′ on the secondary street frontage.
BMC Table 23.202-18 (R-5): front 10 ft, interior side 4 ft, street side 6 ft, rear 15 ft. Values are 1-story; sides/street/rear step up per story (to 12/10/21 ft at 6 stories). Corner key-lot rule (BMC 23.304.030.B.1) may change the street side; projections per Table 23.304-2. BMC current through Ord. 8008-NS (5-12-2026). Verify with Berkeley Planning.
What the export says about this table
Berkeley reviewed 2026-07-20 for hillside R-1H and flats R-2 against the city zoning map and Ch. 23.202. In flat districts the front and rear yards must total at least 20 ft beyond the drawn 5 ft edges. ES-R, R-3 and above, and corner-lot street sides are not yet reviewed.
Printed verbatim on every Berkeley export — the same words the reviewer signed off, not a summary of them.
Setbacks are one layer of a Berkeley site plan
The same address search returns the parcel boundary, 1–2 ft contours, building footprints, CAL FIRE defensible-space zones, the soil profile, four-season sun, and a native plant palette matched to the site. See everything Lekua resolves in Alameda County→
Berkeley setback FAQ
What are the residential setbacks in Berkeley?
In R-1 the code sets a 5 ft front yard, 4 ft sides, and a 5 ft rear yard. The full table is below, transcribed from BMC Table 23.202-2 with the citation attached to every row. This table has passed independent review, so Lekua draws the setback envelope on the site plan for a Berkeley parcel.
Does Lekua draw the setback envelope for Berkeley?
Yes. Berkeley is one of the jurisdictions whose table has passed review, most recently on 2026-07-20, so the envelope is drawn on the DXF and the PDF site plan with its citation in the title block.
Where do these Berkeley setback numbers come from?
They are transcribed from the adopted code — BMC Table 23.202-2 — and this page renders them by calling the same function the exporter calls, so what you see here is what the drawing gets. Zoning changes; verify against the current code and with the planning department before submittal.
Can I get a CAD base map for a Berkeley parcel?
Yes. Enter any Berkeley address and Lekua returns a layered DXF base plan and a PDF site report — property lines, 1–2 ft contours, building footprints, CAL FIRE defensible-space zones, soil, seasonal sun, and a native plant palette matched to the parcel, alongside the zoning determination. See what else resolves in Alameda County.
Start with a Berkeley address
Free to search. The zone resolves from the parcel, not from the mailing address.