Oakland · Zoning · RU-4
Oakland RU-4 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Oakland's RU-4 zone, generally the front setback is 5 ft and the minimum lot size is 4,000 sf, with the conditions listed below (Oakland code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Minimum front setback: 5 ft (Residential Facilities; street-to-setback gradient ≤20%)
- Minimum side setback: 0 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft (Residential Facilities, and any use next to an RH, RD or RM Zone; Nonresidential Facilities elsewhere need none)
- Minimum lot size: 4,000 sf
RU-4 is a zoning district in Oakland. Every value below was read from the Oakland 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 RU-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.
| Minimum front setback | 5 ft Applies: Residential Facilities; street-to-setback gradient ≤20% § 17.19.050 · code textTable row “Minimum front (≤20% street-to-setback gradient) for Residential Facilities”, column “RU-4”: 5 ft. |
|---|---|
| Minimum side setback | 0 ft § 17.19.050 · code textTable row “Minimum interior side”, column “RU-4”: 0 ft. |
| Minimum rear setback | 10 ft Applies: Residential Facilities, and any use next to an RH, RD or RM Zone; Nonresidential Facilities elsewhere need none See note 10 below the table in the code. § 17.19.050 · code textWhen a rear lot line in the RU-4 or RU-5 Zones is adjacent to an RH, RD, or RM Zone, the required rear setback for both Residential and Nonresidential Facilities is ten (10) feet. Note 10: Wherever a rear lot line abuts an alley, one-half (½) of the right-of-way width of the alley may be counted toward the required minimum rear setback; provided, however, that the portion of the minimum rear setback actually on the lot itself shall not be so reduced to less than ten (10) feet. Also, see Section 17.108.130 for allowed projections into setbacks. |
| Minimum lot size | 4,000 sf § 17.19.050 · code textTable row “Lot area”, column “RU-4”: 4,000 sf. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in RU-4:
- Minimum front setback: 0 ft — Commercial Facilities § 17.19.050
- Minimum rear setback: None required — Nonresidential Facilities where rear lot line is not adjacent to RH, RD, or RM Zone § 17.19.050
Not on this page
We did not find a general height, stories, lot coverage, FAR, density limit for RU-4 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Oakland Municipal Code.
Other Oakland zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum front setback in Oakland's RU-4 zone?
5 ft (residential Facilities; street-to-setback gradient ≤20%) — Oakland Municipal Code § 17.19.050.
What is the minimum side setback in Oakland's RU-4 zone?
0 ft — Oakland Municipal Code § 17.19.050.
What is the minimum rear setback in Oakland's RU-4 zone?
10 ft (residential Facilities, and any use next to an RH, RD or RM Zone; Nonresidential Facilities elsewhere need none) — Oakland Municipal Code § 17.19.050.
What is the minimum lot size in Oakland's RU-4 zone?
4,000 sf — Oakland Municipal Code § 17.19.050.
General information, not legal advice.
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