Monterey County · Zoning · LDR
Monterey County LDR zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Monterey County's LDR zone, generally the front setback is 30 ft and the minimum lot size is 1 acre, with the conditions listed below (Monterey County code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Minimum front setback: 30 ft (main structures)
- Minimum side setback: 10% of average lot width, maximum 20 ft (main structures)
- Minimum rear setback: 20 ft (main structures)
- Minimum lot size: 1 acre (unless approved otherwise as part of a clustered residential development)
- Maximum lot coverage: 35% (lots less than 20,000 sq ft)
LDR (Low Density Residential) is a zoning district in Monterey County. Every value below was read from the Monterey County 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 LDR
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.
| Minimum front setback | 30 ft Applies: main structures § 21.14.060 · code textFront: thirty (30)feet; |
|---|---|
| Minimum side setback | 10% of average lot width, maximum 20 ft Applies: main structures § 21.14.060 · code textSide: ten (10) percent of the average lot width, to a maximum required of twenty (20) feet; |
| Minimum rear setback | 20 ft Applies: main structures § 21.14.060 · code textRear: twenty (20) feet. |
| Minimum lot size | 1 acre Applies: unless approved otherwise as part of a clustered residential development § 21.14.060 · code textThe minimum building site shall be one acre unless otherwise approved as part of a clustered residential development. |
| Maximum lot coverage | 35% Applies: lots less than 20,000 sq ft § 21.14.060 · code textBuilding Site Coverage, Maximum: thirty-five (35) percent on lots less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet; twenty-five (25) percent on lots of twenty thousand (20,000) square feet or more. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in LDR:
- Maximum building height: 30 ft — main structures § 21.14.060
- Maximum lot coverage: 25% — lots of 20,000 sq ft or more § 21.14.060
Not on this page
We did not find a general height, stories, FAR, density limit for LDR in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Monterey County Municipal Code.
Other Monterey County zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum front setback in Monterey County's LDR zone?
30 ft (main structures) — Monterey County Municipal Code § 21.14.060.
What is the minimum side setback in Monterey County's LDR zone?
10% of average lot width, maximum 20 ft (main structures) — Monterey County Municipal Code § 21.14.060.
What is the minimum rear setback in Monterey County's LDR zone?
20 ft (main structures) — Monterey County Municipal Code § 21.14.060.
What is the minimum lot size in Monterey County's LDR zone?
1 acre (unless approved otherwise as part of a clustered residential development) — Monterey County Municipal Code § 21.14.060.
What is the maximum lot coverage in Monterey County's LDR zone?
35% (lots less than 20,000 sq ft) — Monterey County Municipal Code § 21.14.060.
General information, not legal advice.
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