Laguna Beach · Zoning · R-2
Laguna Beach R-2 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Laguna Beach's R-2 zone, generally buildings can be up to 25 ft tall, the front setback is 20 ft and the minimum lot size is 6,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Laguna Beach code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 25 ft (slope 0 to 15 percent; height rises 1 ft for each percent of slope above 15, up to 30 ft at 20 percent and over)
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft
- Minimum side setback: 10% of average lot width, min 4 ft, max 12 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft
- Minimum lot size: 6,000 sq ft (unless the zoning map shows a larger number after the zone symbol; that number is then the minimum)
- Maximum density: 1 unit per 2,000 sq ft (of net lot area, counting guest houses and guest rooms; at most two such units per lot; a larger mapped number may replace 2,000)
R-2 (Residential Medium Density Zone) is a zoning district in Laguna Beach. Every value below was read from the Laguna Beach 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 | 25 ft Applies: slope 0 to 15 percent; height rises 1 ft for each percent of slope above 15, up to 30 ft at 20 percent and over § 25.12.008 · code textTable row “Over 10”, column “Height Permitted Above Upper Curb Elevation (in feet)”: 20 |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft § 25.12.008 · code textEach lot shall maintain a front yard or yards of at least twenty feet. |
| Minimum side setback | 10% of average lot width, min 4 ft, max 12 ft § 25.12.008 · code textEach lot shall maintain side yards, each of which shall be at least ten percent of the average lot width, with a maximum requirement of twelve feet and a minimum of four feet. |
| Minimum rear setback | 10 ft § 25.12.008 · code textEach lot shall maintain a rear yard of at least ten feet. |
| Minimum lot size | 6,000 sq ft Applies: unless the zoning map shows a larger number after the zone symbol; that number is then the minimum § 25.12.008 · code textEach lot shall have an area of not less than six thousand square feet, except where, on the official zoning map, a number greater than six thousand follows and is connected with a hyphen with the zone symbol. |
| Maximum density | 1 unit per 2,000 sq ft Applies: of net lot area, counting guest houses and guest rooms; at most two such units per lot; a larger mapped number may replace 2,000 § 25.12.008 · code textThere shall be a minimum of two thousand square feet of net lot area for each dwelling unit, guest house or guest room, except where a number following the zone symbol or minimum lot area requirement is greater than two thousand but less than the minimum lot area requirement. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-2:
- Maximum building height: 20 ft — Rear lot line below street, slope in percent over 10; height permitted above curb elevation. § 25.12.008
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, lot coverage, FAR limit for R-2 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Laguna Beach Municipal Code.
Other Laguna Beach zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Laguna Beach's R-2 zone?
25 ft (slope 0 to 15 percent; height rises 1 ft for each percent of slope above 15, up to 30 ft at 20 percent and over) — Laguna Beach Municipal Code § 25.12.008.
What is the minimum front setback in Laguna Beach's R-2 zone?
20 ft — Laguna Beach Municipal Code § 25.12.008.
What is the minimum side setback in Laguna Beach's R-2 zone?
10% of average lot width, min 4 ft, max 12 ft — Laguna Beach Municipal Code § 25.12.008.
What is the minimum rear setback in Laguna Beach's R-2 zone?
10 ft — Laguna Beach Municipal Code § 25.12.008.
What is the minimum lot size in Laguna Beach's R-2 zone?
6,000 sq ft (unless the zoning map shows a larger number after the zone symbol; that number is then the minimum) — Laguna Beach Municipal Code § 25.12.008.
General information, not legal advice.
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