Half Moon Bay · Zoning · C-D
Half Moon Bay C-D zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Half Moon Bay's C-D zone, generally buildings can be up to 36 ft (3 stories) tall, the front setback is None required and the minimum lot size is 5,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Half Moon Bay code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 36 ft
- Maximum number of stories: 3 stories
- Minimum front setback: None required (except 5 ft from a property line that adjoins a residential parcel, where the parcel borders an R district)
- Minimum side setback: None required (except 5 ft from a property line that adjoins a residential parcel, where the parcel borders an R district)
- Minimum rear setback: None required (except 5 ft from a property line that adjoins a residential parcel, where the parcel borders an R district)
- Minimum lot size: 5,000 sq ft (new parcels)
- Maximum lot coverage: No limit (commercial, mixed-use and multifamily buildings; one- and two-family homes with multiple stories are limited to 35%)
C-D (commercial-downtown) is a zoning district in Half Moon Bay. Every value below was read from the Half Moon Bay 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 C-D
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 | 36 ft § 18.07.040 · code textThe maximum height permitted shall be thirty-six feet and three stories. |
|---|---|
| Maximum number of stories | 3 stories § 18.07.040 · code textThe maximum height permitted shall be thirty-six feet and three stories. |
| Minimum front setback | None required Applies: except 5 ft from a property line that adjoins a residential parcel, where the parcel borders an R district § 18.07.040 · code textThere are no setbacks required within the C-D district. |
| Minimum side setback | None required Applies: except 5 ft from a property line that adjoins a residential parcel, where the parcel borders an R district § 18.07.040 · code textThere are no setbacks required within the C-D district. |
| Minimum rear setback | None required Applies: except 5 ft from a property line that adjoins a residential parcel, where the parcel borders an R district § 18.07.040 · code textThere are no setbacks required within the C-D district. |
| Minimum lot size | 5,000 sq ft Applies: new parcels § 18.07.040 · code textThe minimum lot size for any new parcels shall be five thousand square feet with a minimum width of fifty feet. |
| Maximum lot coverage | No limit Applies: commercial, mixed-use and multifamily buildings; one- and two-family homes with multiple stories are limited to 35% § 18.07.040 · code textFor residential uses in the C-D district, one-family and two-family residential structures are limited to thirty-five percent site coverage for multiple stories, and fifty percent site coverage for a single story. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in C-D:
- Maximum lot coverage: 50% — one-family and two-family residential structures; single story § 18.07.040
Not on this page
We did not find a general FAR, density limit for C-D in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Half Moon Bay Municipal Code.
Other Half Moon Bay zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Half Moon Bay's C-D zone?
36 ft — Half Moon Bay Municipal Code § 18.07.040.
What is the maximum number of stories in Half Moon Bay's C-D zone?
3 stories — Half Moon Bay Municipal Code § 18.07.040.
What is the minimum front setback in Half Moon Bay's C-D zone?
None required (except 5 ft from a property line that adjoins a residential parcel, where the parcel borders an R district) — Half Moon Bay Municipal Code § 18.07.040.
What is the minimum side setback in Half Moon Bay's C-D zone?
None required (except 5 ft from a property line that adjoins a residential parcel, where the parcel borders an R district) — Half Moon Bay Municipal Code § 18.07.040.
What is the minimum rear setback in Half Moon Bay's C-D zone?
None required (except 5 ft from a property line that adjoins a residential parcel, where the parcel borders an R district) — Half Moon Bay Municipal Code § 18.07.040.
General information, not legal advice.
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