Santa Clara County · Zoning setbacks
San José setback requirements
This table is transcribed from the adopted code and printed on every export with its citation — but the envelope is drawn only after a table passes independent review, and San José’s has not yet. Until it does, the export carries the numbers and says plainly that they are unverified.
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-1-8 — dashed: cited on the export, not yet drawn.
- Front
- 20′
- Side
- 5′
- Rear
- 20′
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.
San José 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: 12.5′ on the secondary street frontage.
San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-1-8: front 20 ft; interior side 5 ft; corner side 12.5 ft; rear 20 ft. Exceptions: where 40% or more of the block face is built at a shallower average front varying by no more than 10 ft, that average is the front (§20.30.240); an interior lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 50 ft wide may reduce its sides to 10% of width, not less than 4 ft (§§20.30.250, .260; not drawn: no parcel layer carries the recording date); a lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 100 ft deep may reduce the rear to 20% of depth, not less than 15 ft (§20.30.265; not drawn, for the same reason); a one-story addition under 12 ft may reach 15 ft from the rear line over half the yard (§20.30.280); half an abutting alley may count toward the rear (§20.30.220). Accessory structures (Table 20-70): a built-in pool 30 ft from the front, 5 ft from an interior side (9 ft corner) and 5 ft from the rear; others 60 ft from the front and none at sides or rear, 12 ft high. No more than 50% of the required front setback may be paved on a one-family lot or any R-1 lot 40 ft wide or more (§20.30.440). Fences (Table 20-80, R-1): 3 ft in the front setback and within 5 ft of a street side line, 7 ft elsewhere; 3 ft in the corner triangle. A lot zoned with a "(PD)" suffix is not drawn: it builds to its general development plan once a PD permit is effective (§20.10.070). Verify with San José Planning.
Corner lots: 12.5′ on the secondary street frontage.
San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-1-5: front 20 ft; interior side 5 ft; corner side 12.5 ft; rear 20 ft. Exceptions: where 40% or more of the block face is built at a shallower average front varying by no more than 10 ft, that average is the front (§20.30.240); an interior lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 50 ft wide may reduce its sides to 10% of width, not less than 4 ft (§§20.30.250, .260; not drawn: no parcel layer carries the recording date); a lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 100 ft deep may reduce the rear to 20% of depth, not less than 15 ft (§20.30.265; not drawn, for the same reason); a one-story addition under 12 ft may reach 15 ft from the rear line over half the yard (§20.30.280); half an abutting alley may count toward the rear (§20.30.220). Accessory structures (Table 20-70): a built-in pool 30 ft from the front, 5 ft from an interior side (9 ft corner) and 5 ft from the rear; others 60 ft from the front and none at sides or rear, 12 ft high. No more than 50% of the required front setback may be paved on a one-family lot or any R-1 lot 40 ft wide or more (§20.30.440). Fences (Table 20-80, R-1): 3 ft in the front setback and within 5 ft of a street side line, 7 ft elsewhere; 3 ft in the corner triangle. A lot zoned with a "(PD)" suffix is not drawn: it builds to its general development plan once a PD permit is effective (§20.10.070). Verify with San José Planning.
Corner lots: 15′ on the secondary street frontage.
San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-1-2: front 30 ft; interior side 15 ft; corner side 15 ft; rear 25 ft. Exceptions: an interior lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 50 ft wide may reduce its sides to 10% of width, not less than 4 ft (§§20.30.250, .260; not drawn: no parcel layer carries the recording date); a lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 100 ft deep may reduce the rear to 20% of depth, not less than 15 ft (§20.30.265; not drawn, for the same reason); a one-story addition under 12 ft may reach 15 ft from the rear line over half the yard (§20.30.280); half an abutting alley may count toward the rear (§20.30.220). Accessory structures (Table 20-70): a built-in pool 30 ft from the front, 5 ft from an interior side (9 ft corner) and 5 ft from the rear; others 60 ft from the front and none at sides or rear, 12 ft high. No more than 50% of the required front setback may be paved on a one-family lot or any R-1 lot 40 ft wide or more (§20.30.440). Fences (Table 20-80, R-1): 3 ft in the front setback and within 5 ft of a street side line, 7 ft elsewhere; 3 ft in the corner triangle. A lot zoned with a "(PD)" suffix is not drawn: it builds to its general development plan once a PD permit is effective (§20.10.070). Verify with San José Planning.
Corner lots: 20′ on the secondary street frontage.
San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-1-1: front 30 ft; interior side 20 ft; corner side 20 ft; rear 25 ft. Exceptions: an interior lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 50 ft wide may reduce its sides to 10% of width, not less than 4 ft (§§20.30.250, .260; not drawn: no parcel layer carries the recording date); a lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 100 ft deep may reduce the rear to 20% of depth, not less than 15 ft (§20.30.265; not drawn, for the same reason); a one-story addition under 12 ft may reach 15 ft from the rear line over half the yard (§20.30.280); half an abutting alley may count toward the rear (§20.30.220). Accessory structures (Table 20-70): a built-in pool 30 ft from the front, 5 ft from an interior side (9 ft corner) and 5 ft from the rear; others 60 ft from the front and none at sides or rear, 12 ft high. No more than 50% of the required front setback may be paved on a one-family lot or any R-1 lot 40 ft wide or more (§20.30.440). Fences (Table 20-80, R-1): 3 ft in the front setback and within 5 ft of a street side line, 7 ft elsewhere; 3 ft in the corner triangle. A lot zoned with a "(PD)" suffix is not drawn: it builds to its general development plan once a PD permit is effective (§20.10.070). Verify with San José Planning.
Corner lots: 30′ on the secondary street frontage.
San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-1-RR: front 50 ft; interior side 20 ft; corner side 30 ft; rear 30 ft. Exceptions: an interior lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 50 ft wide may reduce its sides to 10% of width, not less than 4 ft (§§20.30.250, .260; not drawn: no parcel layer carries the recording date); a lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 100 ft deep may reduce the rear to 20% of depth, not less than 15 ft (§20.30.265; not drawn, for the same reason); a one-story addition under 12 ft may reach 15 ft from the rear line over half the yard (§20.30.280); half an abutting alley may count toward the rear (§20.30.220). Accessory structures (Table 20-70): a built-in pool 30 ft from the front, 5 ft from an interior side (9 ft corner) and 5 ft from the rear; others 60 ft from the front and none at sides or rear, 12 ft high. No more than 50% of the required front setback may be paved on a one-family lot or any R-1 lot 40 ft wide or more (§20.30.440). Fences (Table 20-80, R-1): 3 ft in the front setback and within 5 ft of a street side line, 7 ft elsewhere; 3 ft in the corner triangle. A lot zoned with a "(PD)" suffix is not drawn: it builds to its general development plan once a PD permit is effective (§20.10.070). Verify with San José Planning.
Corner lots: 10′ on the secondary street frontage.
San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-2: front 15 ft; interior side 5 ft; corner side 10 ft; rear 25 ft. Exceptions: where 40% or more of the block face is built at a shallower average front varying by no more than 10 ft, that average is the front (§20.30.240); an interior lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 50 ft wide may reduce its sides to 10% of width, not less than 4 ft (§§20.30.250, .260; not drawn: no parcel layer carries the recording date); a lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 100 ft deep may reduce the rear to 20% of depth, not less than 15 ft (§20.30.265; not drawn, for the same reason); half an abutting alley may count toward the rear (§20.30.220). Accessory structures (Table 20-70): a built-in pool 30 ft from the front, 5 ft from an interior side (9 ft corner) and 5 ft from the rear; others 60 ft from the front and none at sides or rear, 12 ft high. No more than 50% of the required front setback may be paved on a one-family lot or any R-1 lot 40 ft wide or more (§20.30.440). A lot zoned with a "(PD)" suffix is not drawn: it builds to its general development plan once a PD permit is effective (§20.10.070). Verify with San José Planning.
Corner lots: 7.5′ on the secondary street frontage.
San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-M: front 10 ft; interior side 5 ft; corner side 7.5 ft; rear 25 ft. Exceptions: a corner lot's rear is 15 ft (the interior 25 ft is drawn); where 40% or more of the block face is built at a shallower average front varying by no more than 10 ft, that average is the front (§20.30.240); an interior lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 50 ft wide may reduce its sides to 10% of width, not less than 4 ft (§§20.30.250, .260; not drawn: no parcel layer carries the recording date); a lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 100 ft deep may reduce the rear to 20% of depth, not less than 15 ft (§20.30.265; not drawn, for the same reason); above two and one-half stories each side grows 1 ft per story above the second (§20.30.260); half an abutting alley may count toward the rear (§20.30.220). Accessory structures (Table 20-70): a built-in pool 30 ft from the front, 5 ft from an interior side (9 ft corner) and 5 ft from the rear; others 60 ft from the front and none at sides or rear, 12 ft high. No more than 50% of the required front setback may be paved on a one-family lot or any R-1 lot 40 ft wide or more (§20.30.440). A lot zoned with a "(PD)" suffix is not drawn: it builds to its general development plan once a PD permit is effective (§20.10.070). Verify with San José Planning.
Corner lots: 7.5′ on the secondary street frontage.
San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-MH: front 15 ft; interior side 5 ft; corner side 7.5 ft; rear 25 ft. Exceptions: a corner lot's rear is 15 ft (the interior 25 ft is drawn); an interior lot of record since before 1 July 1929 and under 50 ft wide may reduce its sides to 10% of width, not less than 4 ft (§§20.30.250, .260; not drawn: no parcel layer carries the recording date); above two and one-half stories each side grows 1 ft per story above the second (§20.30.260); half an abutting alley may count toward the rear (§20.30.220). Accessory structures (Table 20-70): a built-in pool 30 ft from the front, 5 ft from an interior side (9 ft corner) and 5 ft from the rear; others 60 ft from the front and none at sides or rear, 12 ft high. No more than 50% of the required front setback may be paved on a one-family lot or any R-1 lot 40 ft wide or more (§20.30.440). A lot zoned with a "(PD)" suffix is not drawn: it builds to its general development plan once a PD permit is effective (§20.10.070). Verify with San José Planning.
Setbacks are one layer of a San José base 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 Santa Clara County →
San José setback FAQ
What are the residential setbacks in San José?
In R-1-8 the code sets a 20 ft front yard, 5 ft sides, and a 20 ft rear yard. The full table is below, transcribed from San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-1-8 with the citation attached to every row. This table is captured and cited on the export, but it has not yet passed independent review — so Lekua prints the code-cited values with an explicit “unverified” advisory rather than drawing lines it can’t stand behind.
Does Lekua draw the setback envelope for San José?
Not yet. The table is encoded and every export carries the code-cited numbers and the citation, but the envelope is only drawn once a table passes independent review. Until then the export says so in plain words instead of drawing a line that might be wrong.
Where do these San José setback numbers come from?
They are transcribed from the adopted code — San José MC §20.30.200 Table 20-60, R-1-8 — 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 San José parcel?
Yes. Enter any San José address and Lekua returns a layered DXF base plan and a PDF site report — county parcel lines, fine contours (1–2 ft on demand, or the county’s own where it publishes them), building footprints, CAL FIRE defensible-space zones, soil, seasonal sun, and a native plant palette matched to the parcel, alongside zoning. See what else resolves in Santa Clara County.
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