Davis · Zoning · R-2
Davis R-2 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Davis's R-2 zone, generally buildings can be up to 30 ft (2 stories) tall, the front setback is 20 ft and the minimum lot size is 6,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Davis code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 30 ft
- Maximum number of stories: 2 stories
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft
- Minimum lot size: 6,000 sq ft (Single-family interior lots)
- Maximum lot coverage: 40%
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 40% plus up to 500 sq ft for garage or carport
R-2 (Residential One- and Two-Family) is a zoning district in Davis. Every value below was read from the Davis 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 R-2
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 | 30 ft § 40.04.050 · code textNo principal building shall exceed two stories or thirty feet in height. |
|---|---|
| Maximum number of stories | 2 stories § 40.04.050 · code textNo principal building shall exceed two stories or thirty feet in height. |
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft § 40.04.060 · code textFront yard. Twenty feet, except as provided in Section 40.27.050 and projections as permitted in Section 40.27.060. |
| Minimum lot size | 6,000 sq ft Applies: Single-family interior lots § 40.04.060 · code textSingle-family, seven thousand square feet corner lots and six thousand square feet interior lots. |
| Maximum lot coverage | 40% § 40.04.060 · code textLot coverage. Forty percent. |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 40% plus up to 500 sq ft for garage or carport § 40.04.060 · code textUp to forty percent plus up to five hundred square feet for garage or carport. |
Uses in R-2
Uses the code's use tables allow in R-2, or allow with a permit. Each links to its page with the code section.
- Child care center — Needs a conditional use permit
- Growing crops — Allowed — see note
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-2:
- Minimum lot size: 7,000 sq ft — Single-family corner lots § 40.04.060
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): more than 40% plus up to 500 sq ft for garage or carport — only with approval of a discretionary design review application (Article 40.31) § 40.04.060
Not on this page
We did not find a general side setback, rear setback, density limit for R-2 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Davis Municipal Code.
Other Davis zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Davis's R-2 zone?
30 ft — Davis Municipal Code § 40.04.050.
What is the maximum number of stories in Davis's R-2 zone?
2 stories — Davis Municipal Code § 40.04.050.
What is the minimum front setback in Davis's R-2 zone?
20 ft — Davis Municipal Code § 40.04.060.
What is the minimum lot size in Davis's R-2 zone?
6,000 sq ft (single-family interior lots) — Davis Municipal Code § 40.04.060.
What is the maximum lot coverage in Davis's R-2 zone?
40% — Davis Municipal Code § 40.04.060.
General information, not legal advice.
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