Corte Madera · Zoning · M
Corte Madera M zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Corte Madera's M zone, generally buildings can be up to 35 ft tall and the front setback is 30 ft, with the conditions listed below (Corte Madera code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 35 ft (30 ft for structures within 500 ft of a residential district)
- Minimum front setback: 30 ft
- Minimum side setback: 25 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 30 ft
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 34% (Of net site area, not counting required parking. Exempt: existing buildings expanded only inside, if a town-selected traffic engineer confirms in writing the parking is enough.)
M (Light Industrial District) is a zoning district in Corte Madera. Every value below was read from the Corte Madera 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 M
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: 30 ft for structures within 500 ft of a residential district § 18.14.110 · code textNo structure shall exceed thirty-five feet in height, as defined by Section 18.24.060, except that within five hundred feet of a residential district, no structure shall exceed thirty feet in height. |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 30 ft § 18.14.070 · code textThe minimum front yard shall be thirty feet, except that, where the front property line of a site is across a street from property in a residential district, the minimum front yard shall be seventy-five feet. |
| Minimum side setback | 25 ft § 18.14.080 · code textThe minimum side yard shall be twenty-five feet with the following exception: |
| Minimum rear setback | 30 ft § 18.14.090 · code textThe minimum rear yard shall be thirty feet with the following exception: |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 34% Applies: Of net site area, not counting required parking. Exempt: existing buildings expanded only inside, if a town-selected traffic engineer confirms in writing the parking is enough. § 18.14.100 · code textGross floor area shall not exceed thirty-four percent of the net site area, exclusive of the floor area devoted to required parking. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in M:
- Maximum building height: 30 ft — Within 500 feet of a residential district § 18.14.110
- Minimum front setback: 75 ft — Where the front property line of a site is across a street from property in a residential district § 18.14.070
- Minimum side setback: 50 ft — Where the side property line of a site adjoins property in a residential district § 18.14.080
- Minimum rear setback: 50 ft — Where the rear property line of a site adjoins property in a residential district § 18.14.090
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, lot size, lot coverage, density limit for M in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Corte Madera Municipal Code.
Other Corte Madera zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Corte Madera's M zone?
35 ft (30 ft for structures within 500 ft of a residential district) — Corte Madera Municipal Code § 18.14.110.
What is the minimum front setback in Corte Madera's M zone?
30 ft — Corte Madera Municipal Code § 18.14.070.
What is the minimum side setback in Corte Madera's M zone?
25 ft — Corte Madera Municipal Code § 18.14.080.
What is the minimum rear setback in Corte Madera's M zone?
30 ft — Corte Madera Municipal Code § 18.14.090.
What is the maximum floor area ratio (far) in Corte Madera's M zone?
34% (of net site area, not counting required parking. Exempt: existing buildings expanded only inside, if a town-selected traffic engineer confirms in writing the parking is enough) — Corte Madera Municipal Code § 18.14.100.
General information, not legal advice.
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