Sacramento · Zoning · RO
Sacramento RO zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Sacramento's RO zone, generally buildings can be up to 35 ft tall and the front setback is 20 ft, with the conditions listed below (Sacramento code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 35 ft
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft (When there is no other building with a front-yard setback on the same side of the street on the same block)
- Minimum side setback: No minimum
- Minimum rear setback: 15 ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 60% (dwellings outside the central city)
- Maximum density: 36 dwelling units per net acre
RO (Residential Office Zone) is a zoning district in Sacramento. Every value below was read from the Sacramento 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 RO
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 | 35 ft § 17.212.220 · code textThe maximum height is 35 feet. |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft Applies: When there is no other building with a front-yard setback on the same side of the street on the same block § 17.212.230 · code textIf there is no other building with a front-yard setback on the same side of the street on the same block, the minimum front-yard setback is 20 feet. |
| Minimum side setback | No minimum § 17.212.230 · code textUnless paragraph 2 of this subsection applies, there is no minimum interior side-yard setback. |
| Minimum rear setback | 15 ft § 17.212.230 · code textUnless paragraph 2 of this subsection applies, the minimum rear-yard setback is 15 feet. |
| Maximum lot coverage | 60% Applies: dwellings outside the central city § 17.212.220 · code textOutside the central city, the maximum lot coverage for dwellings in the RO zone is 60%. |
| Maximum density | 36 dwelling units per net acre § 17.212.220 · code textThe maximum density is 36 dwelling units per net acre. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in RO:
- Minimum front setback: the average of the two front-yard setbacks of the nearest two buildings or 25 feet, whichever is less — at least two other buildings with front-yard setbacks on the same side of the street on the same block § 17.212.230
- Minimum front setback: the front-yard setback of that building or 25 feet, whichever is less — only one other building with a front-yard setback on the same side of the street on the same block § 17.212.230
- Minimum side setback: 5 ft — interior side-yard lot line abuts a lot in the R-1 or R-1B zone or a lot containing a detached single-unit dwelling § 17.212.230
- Minimum rear setback: 5 ft — rear-yard lot line abuts a public alley § 17.212.230
- Maximum lot coverage: no maximum — office uses § 17.212.220
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, lot size, FAR limit for RO in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Sacramento Municipal Code.
Other Sacramento zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Sacramento's RO zone?
35 ft — Sacramento Municipal Code § 17.212.220.
What is the minimum front setback in Sacramento's RO zone?
20 ft (when there is no other building with a front-yard setback on the same side of the street on the same block) — Sacramento Municipal Code § 17.212.230.
What is the minimum side setback in Sacramento's RO zone?
No minimum — Sacramento Municipal Code § 17.212.230.
What is the minimum rear setback in Sacramento's RO zone?
15 ft — Sacramento Municipal Code § 17.212.230.
What is the maximum lot coverage in Sacramento's RO zone?
60% (dwellings outside the central city) — Sacramento Municipal Code § 17.212.220.
General information, not legal advice.
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