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San Luis Obispo County · Building on your lot

Affordable units in new housing (inclusionary) in San Luis Obispo County

San Luis Obispo County's own rules on affordable units in new housing (inclusionary), with the code text for every value.

Each rule below links to the section of the San Luis Obispo County Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What San Luis Obispo County's code says

San Luis Obispo County code What San Luis Obispo County's code adds
Exemptions
  • The first 2,200 square feet of the unit are exempt from fees.
    Applies: Residential development projects.
    § 29.04.020 · code text
    The first two thousand two hundred square feet of the unit shall be exempt from paying fees.
  • Projects of 11 or more dwelling units that provide moderate and/or low-income units.
    Applies: Coastal Zone.
    § 29.04.020 · code text
    In the Coastal Zone, projects that include eleven or more dwelling units, and that provide moderate and/or low-income units pursuant to Section 23.04.092, shall be exempt from paying in-lieu fees.
Fee instead of units
  • eight dollars per square-foot
    Applies: Portion of the unit between two thousand two hundred and two thousand five hundred square feet
    § 29.04.020 · code text
    The portion of the unit between two thousand two hundred and two thousand five hundred square feet shall be subject to a fee of eight dollars per square-foot.
  • twelve dollars per square-foot
    Applies: Portion of the unit between two thousand five hundred and three thousand five hundred square feet
    § 29.04.020 · code text
    The portion of the unit between two thousand five hundred and three thousand five hundred square feet shall be subject to a fee of twelve dollars per square-foot.
  • $16 per square foot.
    Applies: Portion of the unit above 3,500 square feet.
    § 29.04.020 · code text
    The portion of the unit above three thousand five hundred square feet shall be subject to a fee of sixteen dollars per square-foot.
  • Capped at $7 per square foot of the whole unit; units over 4,622 square feet pay the cap.
    Applies: In-lieu fee for residential development projects.
    § 29.04.020 · code text
    The maximum fee for any single unit shall not exceed seven dollars per square-foot as calculated using the entire square footage of the residence. Units greater than four thousand six hundred twenty-two square feet in size would pay a rate of seven dollars per square-foot instead of the fee resulting from the above rate schedule.

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Does San Luis Obispo County require affordable units in new housing?

San Luis Obispo County's code: The first 2,200 square feet of the unit are exempt from fees. (Residential development projects.) (§ 29.04.020); Projects of 11 or more dwelling units that provide moderate and/or low-income units. (Coastal Zone.) (§ 29.04.020).

General information, not legal advice.

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