Clayton · Zoning · PAO
Clayton PAO zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Clayton's PAO zone, generally buildings can be up to 35 ft tall, the front setback is 20 ft and the minimum lot size is 10,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Clayton code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 35 ft (20 ft within 50 ft of an abutting single family residential district)
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft
- Minimum side setback: 5 ft (Aggregate side setback must be at least 15 feet; no single side setback less than 5 feet)
- Minimum rear setback: 15 ft
- Minimum lot size: 10,000 sq ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 35%
PAO (Professional Administrative Office) is a zoning district in Clayton. Every value below was read from the Clayton 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 PAO
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 | 35 ft Applies: 20 ft within 50 ft of an abutting single family residential district § 17.32.040 · code textNo building or structure permitted in the PAO district shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height; except that when the PAO district abuts any single family residential district, then the building height maximum of the portion of the PAO district being within fifty (50) feet of the abutting single family residential district shall be twenty (20) feet. |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft § 17.32.050 · code textThere shall be a front setback of at least twenty (20) feet for any structure. |
| Minimum side setback | 5 ft Applies: Aggregate side setback must be at least 15 feet; no single side setback less than 5 feet § 17.32.060 · code textThere shall be an aggregate side setback of at least fifteen (15) feet with no single side setback being less than five (5) feet; except that when a side setback abuts a residential land use district, it shall then have a minimum width of fifteen (15) feet, with a minimum of five (5) feet width on the other side. |
| Minimum rear setback | 15 ft § 17.32.070 · code textThere shall be a rear yard setback, for any structure, of at least fifteen (15) feet. |
| Minimum lot size | 10,000 sq ft § 17.32.020 · code textA. Minimum lot area of ten thousand (10,000) square feet; |
| Maximum lot coverage | 35% § 17.32.030 · code textNo building or structure permitted in the PAO district shall cover more than thirty-five percent (35%) of the total lot area. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in PAO:
- Maximum building height: 20 ft — Portion of the PAO district within 50 feet of an abutting single family residential district § 17.32.040
- Minimum side setback: 15 ft — Side next to a residential district; the other side stays at 5 ft § 17.32.060
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, FAR, density limit for PAO in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Clayton Municipal Code.
Other Clayton zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Clayton's PAO zone?
35 ft (20 ft within 50 ft of an abutting single family residential district) — Clayton Municipal Code § 17.32.040.
What is the minimum front setback in Clayton's PAO zone?
20 ft — Clayton Municipal Code § 17.32.050.
What is the minimum side setback in Clayton's PAO zone?
5 ft (aggregate side setback must be at least 15 feet; no single side setback less than 5 feet) — Clayton Municipal Code § 17.32.060.
What is the minimum rear setback in Clayton's PAO zone?
15 ft — Clayton Municipal Code § 17.32.070.
What is the minimum lot size in Clayton's PAO zone?
10,000 sq ft — Clayton Municipal Code § 17.32.020.
General information, not legal advice.
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