Los Altos · Zoning · PCF
Los Altos PCF zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Los Altos's PCF zone, generally buildings can be up to 30 ft (2 stories) tall and the front setback is 40 ft, with the conditions listed below (Los Altos code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 30 ft (or 2 stories, whichever is less)
- Maximum number of stories: 2 stories (or 30 feet in height, whichever is less)
- Minimum front setback: 40 ft
- Minimum side setback: 25 ft (first story; the side yard on a corner lot next to the street is 35 ft; 10 ft is added per extra story)
- Minimum rear setback: 50 ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 30%
PCF (PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT) is a zoning district in Los Altos. Every value below was read from the Los Altos 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 PCF
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 Applies: or 2 stories, whichever is less § 14.58.120 · code textNo structure shall exceed two stories or thirty (30) feet in height, whichever is the lesser. |
|---|---|
| Maximum number of stories | 2 stories Applies: or 30 feet in height, whichever is less § 14.58.120 · code textNo structure shall exceed two stories or thirty (30) feet in height, whichever is the lesser. |
| Minimum front setback | 40 ft § 14.58.070 · code textThe minimum depth of front yards shall be forty (40) feet. |
| Minimum side setback | 25 ft Applies: first story; the side yard on a corner lot next to the street is 35 ft; 10 ft is added per extra story § 14.58.080 · code textThe minimum width of side yards shall be twenty-five (25) feet, except that on a corner lot, the minimum width of side yards adjoining the street shall be thirty-five (35) feet. |
| Minimum rear setback | 50 ft § 14.58.090 · code textThe minimum depth of rear yards shall be fifty (50) feet. |
| Maximum lot coverage | 30% § 14.58.060 · code textThe maximum coverage shall be thirty (30) percent of the total area of the site. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in PCF:
- Minimum side setback: Add 10 ft to each side yard — for each story above the first, or each 12 ft of height (or part) above the lowest 15 ft, whichever is less § 14.58.080
Not on this page
We did not find a general lot size, FAR, density limit for PCF in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Los Altos Municipal Code.
Other Los Altos zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Los Altos's PCF zone?
30 ft (or 2 stories, whichever is less) — Los Altos Municipal Code § 14.58.120.
What is the maximum number of stories in Los Altos's PCF zone?
2 stories (or 30 feet in height, whichever is less) — Los Altos Municipal Code § 14.58.120.
What is the minimum front setback in Los Altos's PCF zone?
40 ft — Los Altos Municipal Code § 14.58.070.
What is the minimum side setback in Los Altos's PCF zone?
25 ft (first story; the side yard on a corner lot next to the street is 35 ft; 10 ft is added per extra story) — Los Altos Municipal Code § 14.58.080.
What is the minimum rear setback in Los Altos's PCF zone?
50 ft — Los Altos Municipal Code § 14.58.090.
General information, not legal advice.
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