Walnut Creek · Zoning · R-8.5
Walnut Creek R-8.5 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Walnut Creek's R-8.5 zone, the front setback is 20 feet and the minimum lot size is 8,500 sq ft (Walnut Creek code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Minimum front setback: 20 feet
- Minimum side setback: 5 ft (total of both sides at least 15 ft; second-story side setback 10 ft; Design Review may allow exceptions)
- Minimum rear setback: 15 feet
- Minimum lot size: 8,500 sq ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 40%
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 0.42 (threshold FAR counting the garage and all other buildings; Design Review may allow exceptions)
R-8.5 (Single Family Residential) is a zoning district in Walnut Creek. Every value below was read from the Walnut Creek 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 R-8.5
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.
| Minimum front setback | 20 feet § 10-2.2.103 · code textTable row “a. R-8, R-8.5, R-10, R-12, R-15, R-20”, column “DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS”: 20 feet |
|---|---|
| Minimum side setback | 5 ft Applies: total of both sides at least 15 ft; second-story side setback 10 ft; Design Review may allow exceptions § 10-2.2.103 · code textTable row “a. R-8, R-8.5, R-10”, column “DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS”: 5', aggregate 15'/second story 10' |
| Minimum rear setback | 15 feet § 10-2.2.103 · code textTable row “a. R-8, R-8.5, R-10, R-12, R-15”, column “DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS”: 15 feet |
| Minimum lot size | 8,500 sq ft § 10-2.2.103 · code textTable row “2. R-8.5”, column “DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS”: 8,500 sq ft |
| Maximum lot coverage | 40% § 10-2.2.103 · code textTable row “1. R-8, R-8.5”, column “DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS”: 40% |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 0.42 Applies: threshold FAR counting the garage and all other buildings; Design Review may allow exceptions § 10-2.2.103 · code textTable row “1. R-8, R-8.5, R-10”, column “DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS”: .42 |
Not on this page
We did not find a general height, stories, density limit for R-8.5 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Walnut Creek Municipal Code.
Other Walnut Creek zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum front setback in Walnut Creek's R-8.5 zone?
20 feet — Walnut Creek Municipal Code § 10-2.2.103.
What is the minimum side setback in Walnut Creek's R-8.5 zone?
5 ft (total of both sides at least 15 ft; second-story side setback 10 ft; Design Review may allow exceptions) — Walnut Creek Municipal Code § 10-2.2.103.
What is the minimum rear setback in Walnut Creek's R-8.5 zone?
15 feet — Walnut Creek Municipal Code § 10-2.2.103.
What is the minimum lot size in Walnut Creek's R-8.5 zone?
8,500 sq ft — Walnut Creek Municipal Code § 10-2.2.103.
What is the maximum lot coverage in Walnut Creek's R-8.5 zone?
40% — Walnut Creek Municipal Code § 10-2.2.103.
General information, not legal advice.
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