What extra rules apply to a hillside lot in Santa Barbara County?

Santa Barbara County's code: Grading may be no more than 1,500 cubic yards of cut or fill. (Montecito Hillside overlay; more if needed for reasonable development or access, or with Board of Architectural Review findings; basements, pools, hidden digs not counted.) (§ 35.428.070); Fill for homes on downhill areas may be no more than 10 feet high at the top of slope. (Montecito Hillside overlay zone.) (§ 35.428.070).

Building on a hillside in Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County code What Santa Barbara County's code adds
Grading and retaining walls	Grading may be no more than 1,500 cubic yards of cut or fill. Applies: Montecito Hillside overlay; more if needed for reasonable development or access, or with Board of Architectural Review findings; basements, pools, hidden digs not counted. § 35.428.070 · code text Project grading shall not exceed 1,500 cubic yards of cut or fill, unless additional grading is necessary to allow reasonable development of the property or to achieve reasonable vehicular access. Fill for homes on downhill areas may be no more than 10 feet high at the top of slope. Applies: Montecito Hillside overlay zone. § 35.428.070 · code text Fill for residential structures on downslope areas shall not be over 10 feet in height at the highest point (top of slope). Cuts over 30 feet in total height should be avoided where possible. Applies: Montecito Hillside overlay zone. § 35.428.070 · code text Cut over thirty (30) feet in total height shall be avoided to the extent feasible.
Height on hillside lots	The main home should be no more than 16 feet tall. Applies: Montecito Hillside overlay; a guideline (should not exceed); no point may exceed 28 feet. § 35.428.070 · code text The height of the primary residence should not exceed 16 feet. Any side of the building, including retaining walls next to it, may average at most 20 feet high. Applies: Montecito Hillside overlay zone; measured every 5 feet from finished ground. § 35.428.070 · code text No elevation, including retaining walls adjacent to the structure, shall exceed an average height of 20 feet as measured at five-foot intervals from finished grade to the average height of the highest gable roof or to the top of the parapet of a flat roof. No point of a building may be more than 28 feet high. Applies: Montecito Hillside overlay zone. § 35.428.070 · code text At no point shall the structure exceed 28 feet in height from any finished grade or existing grade, whichever is lower, to the highest gable, except for architectural features. Accessory buildings may be at most 16 feet tall. Applies: All except barns and stables, in the Montecito Hillside overlay zone. § 35.428.070 · code text Accessory structures except barns and stables shall not exceed 16 feet in height. Buildings should be no more than 25 feet tall. Applies: Urban areas with a 16-foot drop in elevation within 100 feet; a design review guideline. § 35.62.040 · code text The height of a structure should not exceed 25 feet wherever there is a 16-foot drop in elevation within 100 feet of the proposed structure's location. Buildings should be no more than 16 feet tall. Applies: Rural, Inner Rural and Existing Developed Rural areas with a 16-foot drop within 100 feet; a design review guideline. § 35.62.040 · code text The height of any structure should not exceed 16 feet wherever there is a 16-foot drop in elevation within 100 feet of the location of the proposed structure's location. Buildings should be no more than 16 feet tall. Applies: Montecito rural areas with a 16-foot drop in elevation within 100 feet; a design review guideline. § 35.452.040 · code text The height of any structure should not exceed 16 feet wherever there is a 16-foot drop in elevation within 100 feet of the proposed structure's location. Buildings should be no more than 25 feet tall. Applies: Coastal urban areas with a 16-foot drop in elevation within 100 feet; a design review guideline. § 35-144 · code text The height of any structure should not exceed 25 feet wherever there is a 16 foot drop in elevation within 100 feet of the proposed structure's location. Buildings should be no more than 16 feet tall. Applies: Coastal Rural and Inner Rural areas with a 16-foot drop in elevation within 100 feet; a design review guideline. § 35-144 · code text The height of any structure should not exceed 16 feet wherever there is a 16 foot drop in elevation within 100 feet of the proposed structural location.

Building on a hillside in Santa Barbara County

What Santa Barbara County's code says

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

Ask about a specific Santa Barbara County property

More on building on your lot in Santa Barbara County