Menlo Park · Zoning · R-4
Menlo Park R-4 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Menlo Park's R-4 zone, buildings can be up to 40 ft tall, the front setback is 20 ft and the minimum lot size is 20,000 sq ft (Menlo Park code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 40 ft
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft
- Minimum side setback: 10 ft (street side of a corner lot: at least 15 ft)
- Minimum rear setback: 15 ft
- Minimum lot size: 20,000 sq ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 55%
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 1.0
- Maximum density: 40 units per acre (A density bonus for below-market-rate units may allow more.)
R-4 (HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT) is a zoning district in Menlo Park. Every value below was read from the Menlo Park 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-4
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 | 40 ft § 16.22.040 · code text(5) Height of structures shall not exceed forty (40'), including roof mounted equipment and roof screens; |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft § 16.22.040 · code text(3) Setbacks—Twenty feet (20') front; fifteen feet (15') rear; ten feet (10') side except the street side of a corner lot, which shall be at least fifteen feet (15'); |
| Minimum side setback | 10 ft Applies: street side of a corner lot: at least 15 ft § 16.22.040 · code text(3) Setbacks—Twenty feet (20') front; fifteen feet (15') rear; ten feet (10') side except the street side of a corner lot, which shall be at least fifteen feet (15'); |
| Minimum rear setback | 15 ft § 16.22.040 · code text(3) Setbacks—Twenty feet (20') front; fifteen feet (15') rear; ten feet (10') side except the street side of a corner lot, which shall be at least fifteen feet (15'); |
| Minimum lot size | 20,000 sq ft § 16.22.040 · code text(1) Minimum lot area. Twenty thousand (20,000) square feet; Maximum lot area—One (1) acre; |
| Maximum lot coverage | 55% § 16.22.040 · code text(4) Land cover by all structures shall not exceed fifty-five percent (55%); |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 1.0 § 16.22.040 · code text(8) Floor Area Ratio—The total gross floor area of all the buildings shall not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the total lot area; |
| Maximum density | 40 units per acre Applies: A density bonus for below-market-rate units may allow more. § 16.22.040 · code text(9) Density—Maximum number of forty (40) dwelling units per net acre density; density bonus for below market rate units may be allowed above the forty (40) dwelling units per net acre density. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-4:
- Minimum side setback: 15 ft — street side of a corner lot § 16.22.040
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories limit for R-4 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Menlo Park Municipal Code.
Other Menlo Park zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Menlo Park's R-4 zone?
40 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.22.040.
What is the minimum front setback in Menlo Park's R-4 zone?
20 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.22.040.
What is the minimum side setback in Menlo Park's R-4 zone?
10 ft (street side of a corner lot: at least 15 ft) — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.22.040.
What is the minimum rear setback in Menlo Park's R-4 zone?
15 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.22.040.
What is the minimum lot size in Menlo Park's R-4 zone?
20,000 sq ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.22.040.
General information, not legal advice.
Ask about a Menlo Park property in R-4
Ask GoCodebook what you can build at a specific address and get an answer that cites the section.
Ask your question