Cathedral City · Zoning · OS-R
Cathedral City OS-R zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Cathedral City's OS-R zone, buildings can be up to 26 ft tall and the front setback is 50 ft (Cathedral City code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 26 ft
- Minimum front setback: 50 ft
- Minimum side setback: 20 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 100 ft (garages or carports may be up to 10 ft from the rear property line)
- Maximum lot coverage: 10%
OS-R (OPEN SPACE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT) is a zoning district in Cathedral City. Every value below was read from the Cathedral City Municipal Code and links to its section (read October 2026). State laws such as the ADU and SB 9 rules can allow more on a residential lot. General information, not legal advice — read the code text and check with the city before you build.
Development standards in OS-R
The general rule for a typical lot in this zone. Zoning tables often attach notes, such as rules for corner lots, lots next to a residential zone, or new subdivisions only. Open “code text” under a value to see the table cell or sentence it was read from.
| Maximum building height | 26 ft § 9.44.080 · code textB. Building height shall not exceed twenty-six feet. |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 50 ft § 9.44.070 · code textA. Front yard: fifty feet. |
| Minimum side setback | 20 ft § 9.44.070 · code textB. Side yards: twenty feet each. |
| Minimum rear setback | 100 ft Applies: garages or carports may be up to 10 ft from the rear property line § 9.44.070 · code textC. Rear yard: one hundred feet, except garages or carports may be located up to ten feet from a rear property line. |
| Maximum lot coverage | 10% § 9.44.080 · code textA. Maximum building coverage shall be ten percent of net lot area; |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in OS-R:
- Minimum front setback: 30 ft — Garages only, if the planning commission finds the design necessary to reduce grading § 9.44.070
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft — Garages or carports § 9.44.070
- Minimum lot size: 5 acres — Density category 5 § 9.44.050
- Minimum lot size: 10 acres — Density category 10 § 9.44.050
- Minimum lot size: 15 acres — Density category 15 § 9.44.050
- Minimum lot size: 20 acres — Density category 20 § 9.44.050
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, lot size, FAR, density limit for OS-R in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Cathedral City Municipal Code.
Other Cathedral City zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Cathedral City's OS-R zone?
26 ft — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.44.080.
What is the minimum front setback in Cathedral City's OS-R zone?
50 ft — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.44.070.
What is the minimum side setback in Cathedral City's OS-R zone?
20 ft — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.44.070.
What is the minimum rear setback in Cathedral City's OS-R zone?
100 ft (garages or carports may be up to 10 ft from the rear property line) — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.44.070.
What is the maximum lot coverage in Cathedral City's OS-R zone?
10% — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.44.080.
General information, not legal advice.
Ask about a Cathedral City property in OS-R
Ask GoCodebook what you can build at a specific address and get an answer that cites the section.
Ask your question