San Clemente · Zoning · NC 3
San Clemente NC 3 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In San Clemente's NC 3 zone, generally buildings can be up to 45 ft (3 stories) tall, the front setback is 0 ft and the minimum lot size is 6,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (San Clemente code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 45 ft (top of roof; plate limit 37 ft; on South El Camino Real, not above Interstate-5 elevation without a Conditional Use Permit)
- Maximum number of stories: 3 stories (on South El Camino Real, not above Interstate-5 elevation without a Conditional Use Permit)
- Minimum front setback: 0 ft
- Minimum side setback: 0 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 0 ft
- Minimum lot size: 6,000 sq ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 80%
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 0.75
NC 3 is a zoning district in San Clemente. Every value below was read from the San Clemente 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 NC 3
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 | 45 ft Applies: top of roof; plate limit 37 ft; on South El Camino Real, not above Interstate-5 elevation without a Conditional Use Permit § 17.36.030 · code textTable row “Height Limitations”, column “NC 3 Zone Requirement”: Height shall be limited as follows: 1. 45'-0" Top of Roof; 37'-0" Plate; 3 Stories; and 2. For properties along South El Camino Real, projects shall be at the same elevation or lower than the Interstate-5 highway. The Interstate-5 highway elevation is measured where the center of southbound travel lanes intersects a straight line drawn through the midpoint of the rear property line and midpoint of the front property line. With the approval of a Conditional Use Permit, projects may exceed the Interstate-5 elevation, up to the height limits in Subsection 1 above, provided the review authority meets the general findings for a Conditional Use Permit [Section 17.16.060 (F)] and specific finding below. a. The proposed project will not obstruct freeway ocean views. |
|---|---|
| Maximum number of stories | 3 stories Applies: on South El Camino Real, not above Interstate-5 elevation without a Conditional Use Permit § 17.36.030 · code textTable row “Height Limitations”, column “NC 3 Zone Requirement”: Height shall be limited as follows: 1. 45'-0" Top of Roof; 37'-0" Plate; 3 Stories; and 2. For properties along South El Camino Real, projects shall be at the same elevation or lower than the Interstate-5 highway. The Interstate-5 highway elevation is measured where the center of southbound travel lanes intersects a straight line drawn through the midpoint of the rear property line and midpoint of the front property line. With the approval of a Conditional Use Permit, projects may exceed the Interstate-5 elevation, up to the height limits in Subsection 1 above, provided the review authority meets the general findings for a Conditional Use Permit [Section 17.16.060 (F)] and specific finding below. a. The proposed project will not obstruct freeway ocean views. |
| Minimum front setback | 0 ft § 17.36.030 · code textTable row “Front Setback, Minimum”, column “NC 3 Zone Requirement”: 0'-0" |
| Minimum side setback | 0 ft § 17.36.030 · code textTable row “Interior Side Setback, Minimum”, column “NC 3 Zone Requirement”: 0'-0" |
| Minimum rear setback | 0 ft § 17.36.030 · code textTable row “Rear Setback Minimum”, column “NC 3 Zone Requirement”: 0'-0" |
| Minimum lot size | 6,000 sq ft § 17.36.030 · code textTable row “Lot Area, Minimum”, column “NC 3 Zone Requirement”: 6,000 Square Feet |
| Maximum lot coverage | 80% § 17.36.030 · code textTable row “Lot Coverage, Maximum”, column “NC 3 Zone Requirement”: 80 percent of lot area |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 0.75 § 17.36.030 · code textTable row “Floor Area Ratio”, column “NC 3 Zone Requirement”: .75 |
Uses in NC 3
Uses the code's use tables allow in NC 3, or allow with a permit. Each links to its page with the code section.
- Child care center — Needs a conditional use permit — see note
- Church or place of worship — Needs a conditional use permit
Not on this page
We did not find a general density limit for NC 3 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the San Clemente Municipal Code.
Other San Clemente zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in San Clemente's NC 3 zone?
45 ft (top of roof; plate limit 37 ft; on South El Camino Real, not above Interstate-5 elevation without a Conditional Use Permit) — San Clemente Municipal Code § 17.36.030.
What is the maximum number of stories in San Clemente's NC 3 zone?
3 stories (on South El Camino Real, not above Interstate-5 elevation without a Conditional Use Permit) — San Clemente Municipal Code § 17.36.030.
What is the minimum front setback in San Clemente's NC 3 zone?
0 ft — San Clemente Municipal Code § 17.36.030.
What is the minimum side setback in San Clemente's NC 3 zone?
0 ft — San Clemente Municipal Code § 17.36.030.
What is the minimum rear setback in San Clemente's NC 3 zone?
0 ft — San Clemente Municipal Code § 17.36.030.
General information, not legal advice.
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