Sonoma County · Zoning · LIA CC
Sonoma County LIA CC zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Sonoma County's LIA CC zone, generally buildings can be up to 16 ft tall, the front setback is 10% of lot depth, max 75 ft and the minimum lot size is 640 acres, with the conditions listed below (Sonoma County code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 16 ft (residential; west of Highway 1)
- Minimum front setback: 10% of lot depth, max 75 ft
- Minimum side setback: 10% of lot width, max 20 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 20 ft
- Minimum lot size: 640 acres (creation of new parcels; a B combining district may set a different area)
- Maximum lot coverage: 20% (parcels of two acres in size or less)
- Maximum density: 1 unit per 20 to 100 acres (the code sets a range: at least 20, at most 100 acres per unit; the General Plan or a B combining district picks the figure)
LIA CC (Land Intensive Agriculture Coastal District) is a zoning district in Sonoma County. Every value below was read from the Sonoma County 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 LIA CC
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 | 16 ft Applies: residential; west of Highway 1 § 26C-23 · code textWest of Highway 1: Residential height limits are sixteen feet (16'). |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 10% of lot depth, max 75 ft § 26C-23 · code textFront yard: Ten percent (10%) of the depth of the lot, but not more than seventy-five feet (75'). |
| Minimum side setback | 10% of lot width, max 20 ft § 26C-23 · code textSide yard: Ten percent (10%) of the width of the lot, but not more than twenty feet (20'). |
| Minimum rear setback | 20 ft § 26C-23 · code textRear yard: Twenty feet (20'). |
| Minimum lot size | 640 acres Applies: creation of new parcels; a B combining district may set a different area § 26C-23 · code textThe minimum lot size for creation of new parcels shall be six hundred forty ( 640) acres, unless a different area is permitted by any B combining district, provided that it shall also meet the criteria of General Plan Policy AR-8c. |
| Maximum lot coverage | 20% Applies: parcels of two acres in size or less § 26C-23 · code textOn parcels of two acres in size or less: twenty percent (20%); |
| Maximum density | 1 unit per 20 to 100 acres Applies: the code sets a range: at least 20, at most 100 acres per unit; the General Plan or a B combining district picks the figure § 26C-23 · code textResidential density shall be between twenty (20) and one hundred (100) acres per dwelling unit as shown in the General Plan land use element or permitted by a B combining district, whichever is more restrictive. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in LIA CC:
- Maximum building height: 24 ft — commercial; west of Highway 1 § 26C-23
- Maximum building height: 24 ft — residential and commercial; east of Highway 1 and visible from designated scenic roads § 26C-23
- Minimum front setback: up to 50% less than the standard setback — agricultural buildings and structures, when necessary for efficient farming operation § 26C-23
- Minimum front setback: average of front yards of improved lots — Where 25% or more of the lots on a block in the same zoning district have buildings; subject to the limits in Section 26C-22(f)(5) § 26C-23
- Minimum side setback: up to 50% less than the standard setback — agricultural buildings and structures, when necessary for efficient farming operation § 26C-23
- Maximum lot coverage: 18,000 sq ft or 15%, whichever is greater — parcels greater than two acres up to and including five acres in size § 26C-23
- Maximum lot coverage: 30,000 sq ft or 10%, whichever is greater — parcels greater than five acres up to and including 20 acres in size § 26C-23
- Maximum lot coverage: 85,000 sq ft or 5%, whichever is greater — parcels greater than 20 acres in size § 26C-23
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, FAR limit for LIA CC in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Sonoma County Municipal Code.
Other Sonoma County zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Sonoma County's LIA CC zone?
16 ft (residential; west of Highway 1) — Sonoma County Municipal Code § 26C-23.
What is the minimum front setback in Sonoma County's LIA CC zone?
10% of lot depth, max 75 ft — Sonoma County Municipal Code § 26C-23.
What is the minimum side setback in Sonoma County's LIA CC zone?
10% of lot width, max 20 ft — Sonoma County Municipal Code § 26C-23.
What is the minimum rear setback in Sonoma County's LIA CC zone?
20 ft — Sonoma County Municipal Code § 26C-23.
What is the minimum lot size in Sonoma County's LIA CC zone?
640 acres (creation of new parcels; a B combining district may set a different area) — Sonoma County Municipal Code § 26C-23.
General information, not legal advice.
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