Santa Maria · Zoning · RSL-1
Santa Maria RSL-1 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Santa Maria's RSL-1 zone, buildings can be up to 25 ft tall and the front setback is 20 ft (Santa Maria code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 25 ft
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft
- Minimum side setback: 0 ft (Interior lots: one side yard)
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft (Single-story structure)
RSL-1 (SINGLE-FAMILY SMALL LOT RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT) is a zoning district in Santa Maria. Every value below was read from the Santa Maria 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 RSL-1
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 | 25 ft § 12-6A.08 · code textMaximum, allowable building height is twenty-five feet (25′). |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft § 12-6A.09 · code textFront yards shall be no less than 20 feet deep, except as follows: |
| Minimum side setback | 0 ft Applies: Interior lots: one side yard § 12-6A.09 · code textOn interior lots, one side yard shall be a zero side yard except that a three to five foot easement may be provided to meet building Code requirements, and the other not less than 15 feet. |
| Minimum rear setback | 10 ft Applies: Single-story structure § 12-6A.09 · code textFor a single-story structure, the setback shall be 10 feet for two story structures; the rear yard shall be not less than 15 feet. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in RSL-1:
- Minimum front setback: 15 ft — Garages with side entry, provided the lot width is 48 feet or greater to allow for adequate turning radius § 12-6A.09
- Minimum front setback: 18 ft — Garages with front entry and roll-up doors § 12-6A.09
- Minimum front setback: 18 ft — Corner-lot front-entry garages with roll-up doors § 12-6A.09
- Minimum side setback: 15 ft — Interior lots: the other side yard § 12-6A.09
- Minimum side setback: 15 ft — Corner lots: side property line adjoining the street § 12-6A.09
- Minimum rear setback: 15 ft — Two-story structures § 12-6A.09
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, lot size, lot coverage, FAR, density limit for RSL-1 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Santa Maria Municipal Code.
Other Santa Maria zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Santa Maria's RSL-1 zone?
25 ft — Santa Maria Municipal Code § 12-6A.08.
What is the minimum front setback in Santa Maria's RSL-1 zone?
20 ft — Santa Maria Municipal Code § 12-6A.09.
What is the minimum side setback in Santa Maria's RSL-1 zone?
0 ft (interior lots: one side yard) — Santa Maria Municipal Code § 12-6A.09.
What is the minimum rear setback in Santa Maria's RSL-1 zone?
10 ft (single-story structure) — Santa Maria Municipal Code § 12-6A.09.
General information, not legal advice.
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