Bakersfield Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 25, 2026 · AI-generated overview · General information, not legal advice · detailsless

Compiled with AI research tools from official sources. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Overview

Bakersfield regulates land use through Title 17 Zoning of the Bakersfield Municipal Code, which maps properties to base districts and applies citywide standards for uses, height, setbacks, parking, signs, landscaping, and review procedures. The official zoning map is adopted by ordinance and maintained by the Planning Department; the online file is informative but not the official map (§ 17.06.010; § 17.06.020). Most non‑exempt development requires design review via Site Plan Approval (§ 17.08.080). Bakersfield also relies on specific plans and several overlays (notably the HD Hillside Development overlay) that add location‑specific standards (§ 17.06.060; § 17.66.010).

Single‑family homes in Bakersfield have no minimum off‑street parking requirement, and ADUs are permitted wherever residential uses are allowed (§ 17.58.110(E)(1)–(2); § 17.65.030).

How Bakersfield’s code is organized

• Title 17 Zoning is the city’s zoning ordinance. Key chapters include:
  • General provisions and definitions (§§ 17.02; 17.04).
  • Zones established and the Official Zoning Map (§ 17.06.010; § 17.06.020).
  • General regulations and the Site Plan Approval process (§ 17.08.080).
  • Zone standards by family: residential (§ 17.10), mixed‑use (§ 17.12), commercial (Chs. 17.20–17.26), industrial (Chs. 17.28–17.31), agriculture and open space (Chs. 17.32, 17.37), and special districts.
  • Citywide standards: parking (§ 17.58), signage (§ 17.60), landscaping (§ 17.61).
  • Discretionary tools: director modifications and permits (§ 17.64.020), planned unit and commercial development flexibility (§ 17.52.060; § 17.54.060).
  • Housing tools: ADUs and JADUs (Ch. 17.65).
  • Overlays and special topics: HD Hillside Development (Ch. 17.66), nonconformities (Ch. 17.68), wireless facilities (§ 17.59.020).
• The city may adopt a specific plan to function as the zoning for a defined area (§ 17.06.060).
• The Bakersfield Zoning map governs permitted uses and standards parcel‑by‑parcel (§ 17.06.010–.020).

Zoning district families

• Residential (base districts in § 17.10 and Table 17.10‑2):
  • R‑S (Residential Suburban), R‑1 (Single‑Unit), R‑2, R‑3, R‑4, R‑5, R‑6, R‑H. Table 17.10‑2 sets minimum parcel sizes, setbacks (including differentiated front setbacks to garage/living/porch), structure separation, and height by district (§ 17.10.030).
  • Additional residential standards include nonconforming lot allowances and building‑code tie‑ins (§ 17.10.040(A)).
• Mixed‑Use (§ 17.12.030):
  • MX‑1 and MX‑2. Table 17.12‑2 establishes key metrics: front setbacks can be 0 ft, and maximum building height is 75 ft (MX‑1) and 120 ft (MX‑2) with side/rear adjustments when abutting noncommercial zones (§ 17.12.030).
• Commercial (district‑specific chapters):
  • C‑O (Professional & Administrative Office, Ch. 17.20), C‑1 (Neighborhood Commercial, Ch. 17.22), C‑2 (Regional Commercial, Ch. 17.24), C‑B (Central Business, Ch. 17.25), C‑C (Commercial Center, Ch. 17.26). All must meet site plan, landscaping, parking, signage, and retail design standards (§ 17.20.050; § 17.08.140).
• Industrial:
  • M‑1 (Light Manufacturing, Ch. 17.28), M‑2 (General Manufacturing, Ch. 17.30), M‑3 (Heavy Industrial, Ch. 17.31; includes dedicated sections on height, yards, lot area).
• Special purpose and resource districts:
  • A Agriculture (Ch. 17.32), RE Recreation (Ch. 17.35), OS Open Space (Ch. 17.37), HOSP Hospital (Ch. 17.38), TT Travel Trailer Park (Ch. 17.48), MH Mobile Home (Ch. 17.50).

Citywide development standards

Residential and mixed‑use form

• Residential standards are consolidated in Table 17.10‑2 and include minimum parcel area per dwelling, height limits, and front/side/rear setbacks with specific distances for garage/living/porch elements, plus minimum distances between principal and accessory structures (§ 17.10.030; § 17.10.040(A)).
• Mixed‑use standards are consolidated in Table 17.12‑2; front setbacks may be 0 ft, and heights may reach 75–120 ft depending on district (§ 17.12.030).

Parking

• Residential:
  • No minimum off‑street parking is required for: single‑family dwellings, ADUs, multifamily with 19 or fewer units, and for all residential projects in the Central District and Old Town Kern (§ 17.10.030(C); § 17.58.110(E)(1)–(4)).
  • For multifamily with 20+ units: 0.25 spaces per unit minimum; deed‑restricted affordable projects have no minimum (§ 17.58.110(E)(4)).
• Nonresidential:
  • The citywide table sets use‑specific ratios (e.g., general office 1/250 sf, medical office 1/200 sf, general retail 1/300 sf, restaurant 1/75 sf) and caps total supply at 150% of the minimum (non‑residential) (§ 17.58.110(A), (E)).
  • Tandem parking generally does not count except limited allowances for small residential projects (§ 17.58.110(B)).
• The Planning Director may modify parking and loading for office, commercial, and industrial projects via director review (§ 17.64.020(A)(1)).

See the consolidated Bakersfield Development Standards and parking resources for how these rules are applied across zones.

Design and streetscape

• Retail and commercial design:
  • Citywide retail standards require high‑quality materials and articulation. For example, facades over 100 ft must include projections/recesses with a depth of at least 3% of facade length along at least 20% of the facade; no uninterrupted flat wall may exceed 100 ft; street‑facing facades must include active elements along at least 60% of their length (§ 17.08.140(D)(1)).
  • Rooflines must vary at least every 100 ft; parapets may not exceed one‑third of the supporting wall height and must include a three‑dimensional cornice (§ 17.08.140(D)(4)).
  • In Northeast Bakersfield, specific material palettes and earth‑tone colors are required for qualifying projects (§ 17.08.140(B)(1), (D)(5)–(6)).
  • Commercial districts must also comply with site plan, landscaping, parking, and signage standards (§ 17.20.050; § 17.08.140(B)(2)).
• Signs:
  • All signs must meet structural requirements of the city’s adopted building and electrical codes and the Uniform Sign Code (§ 17.60.060(A)(2)).
  • Illumination limits include shielding for floodlighting; LED/CRT/plasma displays must have automatic brightness compensation; flashing signs are limited to specific commercial/industrial zones (§ 17.60.060(A)(3), (d)–(e)).
  • A city kiosk program governs off‑site directional signage for new residential subdivisions with strict size and siting limits (§ 17.60.070(A)).
• Landscaping:
  • Landscape plans are required with site plan submittals and must meet Chapter 17.61 and the state Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) referenced in the retail standards (§ 17.08.080(A)(4); § 17.61; § 17.08.140(A)).

Use‑specific rules with Bakersfield flavor

• Animal raising in R‑S:
  • The code allows limited animal keeping and sets separation distances: e.g., no livestock/poultry or their enclosures within 50 ft of dwellings, 100 ft of front lot lines or parks/schools/hospitals, or 10 ft of a street‑side lot line; density rules and student project permits apply (§ 17.10.040(B)(1)–(4)).

Intensity measures

• Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is defined citywide and may be used by districts or plans to cap intensity (§ 17.04.282). “Gross floor area” is separately defined (§ 17.04.281.5).

Specific plans & overlays

• Specific plans as zoning: The City Council may adopt a specific plan that sets the zoning districts, permitted and conditional uses, and development standards for the plan area; where designated, the plan functions as the zoning for that geography (§ 17.06.060).
• Overlays and combining districts commonly encountered:
  • HD Hillside Development overlay: Implements General Plan hillside policies; applies to areas averaging 8%+ slopes and requires specialized submittals (topography, slope maps, cross‑sections, grading, drainage, and erosion/revegetation plans), with view protections, slope protection areas (15%+ mapped slopes), and manufactured slope limits (max 2:1 unless a flatter slope is recommended) (§ 17.66.010; § 17.66.040; § 17.66.170).
    • Applicability spans grading permits, maps, CUPs, site plan review, general plan and zoning actions; specified exemptions and limited exceptions apply (§ 17.66.020).
  • FP‑P and FP‑S Floodplain zones (Chs. 17.42; 17.44), AA Airport Approach (Ch. 17.45), DI Drilling Island (oil/gas access limited uses) (§ 17.46.010), and PE Petroleum Extraction combining district (Ch. 17.47). See Bakersfield Overlay Districts.
• Planned development zoning:
  • PUD and PCD zones allow tailored standards (more or less restrictive than base code) to address height, coverage, parking ratios, access, landscaping, and architectural design at the plan level (§ 17.52.060; § 17.54.060).

Building permits & review

Site Plan Approval and CEQA

• Most development requires Site Plan Approval before building permits:
  • Applications must include scaled site plans, parking/driveway details, drainage and utility info, elevations/floor plans, and a landscape plan; CEQA information is required as determined by the Planning Director (§ 17.08.080(A)).
  • The Site Plan Review Committee (Planning, Building, Fire, Public Works) reviews and comments; CEQA review is performed by the Planning Director (§ 17.08.080(B)(2)–(3)).
  • The Development Services Director may approve, condition, or deny; no work (including grading) may start until approvals are final and appeal periods expire (§ 17.08.080(B)(4), (6)).
  • Building permit plan check will reconfirm compliance with all imposed conditions; no certificate of occupancy may issue until conditions are satisfied (§ 17.08.080(B)(5); Ch. 17.70).
• Commercial/office projects must meet site plan, landscaping, parking, and signage requirements as explicit chapter cross‑references (§ 17.20.050).
• The city applies the California Building Standards Code by reference (e.g., structural/electrical requirements for signs; building‑code separation/attachment rules), which governs construction alongside zoning approvals (§ 17.60.060(A)(2); § 17.10.040(A)(2)).

Administrative flexibility and special permits

• The Planning Director may grant director review and approval permits to modify parking/loading, height/yard/lot area, fence/wall/hedge rules, and to approve certain land uses and wireless‑in‑ROW permits, subject to appeal (§ 17.64.020).
• Wireless facilities outside the right‑of‑way follow a tiered review:
  • Exemptions for small private residential antennas apply; camouflaged or integrated facilities may be approved by the Director; uncamouflaged monopoles or lattice towers require a higher level of review (§ 17.59.020(A)–(C)).

State housing law in Bakersfield

• ADUs and JADUs:
  • ADUs/JADUs are permitted in any zone that allows residential uses (including mixed‑use zones) and must be processed consistent with state law; the code defines attached, detached, and converted ADU types (§ 17.65.030; § 17.04.170).
  • No minimum off‑street parking is required for ADUs; multifamily projects also benefit from broad residential parking reductions noted above (§ 17.58.110(E)(2); § 17.10.030(C)).
• Other California housing tools:
  • Density bonus, SB 9 urban lot splits/duplexes, and local rent control/just‑cause procedures are not specified in the source materials below. See California housing laws and California ADU law for statewide frameworks, and verify local implementation with the City.

Information Gaps

• Exact numeric setbacks, heights, and parcel area minimums for each residential district beyond the presence of Table 17.10‑2 could not be fully confirmed from the excerpts. Verify Table 17.10‑2 in the code (§ 17.10.030).
• Procedures and standards for SB 9, density bonus, and any local rent stabilization/just‑cause rules are not present in the source materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
• Detailed standards for floodplain, airport approach, petroleum extraction combining, and nonconforming uses should be consulted in their respective chapters (Chs. 17.42, 17.44, 17.45, 17.47, 17.68).

Source References

• Bakersfield Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning (chapters and sections cited herein; current through Ord. 5214, April 8, 2026).
• Official Zoning Map adoption and maintenance: § 17.06.010; § 17.06.020.
• Residential standards: § 17.10.030; § 17.10.040.
• Mixed‑use standards: § 17.12.030.
• Site Plan Approval: § 17.08.080.
• Retail design standards: § 17.08.140.
• Parking standards: § 17.58.110.
• Signs: § 17.60.060; directional kiosk program § 17.60.070.
• Landscaping: Ch. 17.61.
• Director authority and modifications: § 17.64.020.
• ADUs/JADUs: Ch. 17.65; definitions § 17.04.170.
• HD Hillside Development overlay: §§ 17.66.010; 17.66.020; 17.66.040; 17.66.170.
• Wireless facilities: § 17.59.020.
• Planned development flexibility: § 17.52.060; § 17.54.060.
• Specific plans as zoning: § 17.06.060.
• City website for hillside exhibits: http://www.bakersfieldcity.us (referenced in § 17.66.010).