SEC. 136. OBSTRUCTIONS OVER STREETS AND ALLEYS AND IN REQUIRED SETBACKS, YARDS, AND…

San Francisco County Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-25 · San Francisco County

(See Interpretations related to this Section.)

Streets SetYards Usable

and Alleys	backs		Open Space

Streets and Alleys	Set- backs	Yards	Usable Open Space
				(a) The following obstructions shall be permitted, in the manner specified, as indicated by the symbol "X" in the columns at the left, within the required open areas listed herein:
				(1) Projections from a building or structure extending over a Street or Alley as defined in Section 102 of this Code. Every portion of such projections over a Street or Alley shall provide a minimum of 7½ feet of vertical clearance from the sidewalk or other surface above which it is situated, or such greater vertical clearance as may be required by the San Francisco Building Code, unless the contrary is stated below. The permit under which any such projection over a Street or Alley is erected over public property shall not be construed to create any perpetual right but is a revocable license;
				(2) Obstructions within legislated setback lines and front setback areas, as required by Sections 131 and 132 of this Code;
				(3) Obstructions within side yards and rear yards, as required by Sections 133 and 134 of this Code;
				(4) Obstructions within usable open space, as required by Section 135 of this Code.
				(b) No obstruction shall be constructed, placed, or maintained in any such required open area except as specified in this Section 136.
				(c) The permitted obstructions shall be as follows:
x	x	x	x	(1) Projections of an architectural nature that leave at least 7½ feet of clearance and do not increase the floor area or the volume of space enclosed by the building, such as cornices, eaves, sills, belt courses, sunshades, fins, and brise soleils and not projecting more than1and not projecting more than four feet over streets and alleys or more than four feet into setbacks, yards, and usable open space.
x	x	x	x	(2) Bay (projecting) windows, balconies (other than balconies used for primary access to two or more dwelling units or two or more bedrooms in group housing), and similar features that increase either the floor area of the building or the volume of space enclosed by the building above grade, when limited as specified herein. With respect to obstructions within yards and usable open space, the bay windows and balconies specified in Paragraph (c)(3) below shall be permitted as an alternative to those specified in this Paragraph (c)(2).
				(A) The minimum headroom shall be 7½ feet.
				(B) Projection into the required open area shall be limited to three feet, provided that projection over streets and alleys shall be further limited to two feet where the sidewalk width is nine feet or less, and the projection shall in no case be closer than eight feet to the centerline of any alley.

				(C) The glass areas of each bay window, and the open portions of each balcony, shall be not less than 50 percent of the sum of the areas of the vertical surfaces of such bay window or balcony above the required open area. At least 1/3 of such required glass area of such bay window, and open portions of such balcony, shall be on one or more vertical surfaces situated at an angle of not less than 30 degrees to the line establishing the required open area. In addition, at least 1/3 of such required glass area or open portions shall be on the vertical surface parallel to, or most nearly parallel to, the line establishing each open area over which the bay window or balcony projects.
				(D) The maximum length of each bay window or balcony shall be 15 feet at the line establishing the required open area, and shall be reduced in proportion to the distance from such line by means of 45 degree angles drawn inward from the ends of such 15-foot dimension, reaching a maximum of nine feet along a line parallel to and at a distance of three feet from the line establishing the required open area.

				(E) Where a bay window and a balcony are located immediately adjacent to one another, and the floor of such balcony in its entirety has a minimum horizontal dimension of six feet, the limitations of Subparagraph (c)(2)(D) above shall be increased to a maximum length of 18 feet at the line establishing the required open area, and a maximum of 12 feet along a line parallel to and at a distance of three feet from the line establishing the required open area.

				(F) The minimum horizontal separation between bay windows, between balconies, and between bay windows and balconies (except where a bay window and a balcony are located immediately adjacent to one another, as provided for in Subparagraph (c)(2)(E) above), shall be two feet at the line establishing the required open area, and shall be increased in proportion to the distance from such line by means of 135- degree angles drawn outward from the ends of such two-foot dimension, reaching a minimum of eight feet along a line parallel to and at a distance of three feet from the line establishing the required open area.
				(G) Each bay window or balcony over a street or alley, setback or rear yard shall also be horizontally separated from interior lot lines (except where the wall of a building on the adjoining lot is flush to the interior lot line immediately adjacent to the projecting portions of such bay window or balcony) by not less than one foot at the line establishing the required open area, with such separation increased in proportion to the distance from such line by means of a 135-degree angle drawn outward from such one-foot dimension, reaching a minimum of four feet along a line parallel to and at a distance of three feet from the line establishing the required open area;

and Alleys	backs		Open Space
		x	x	(3) Bay (projecting) windows, balconies (other than balconies used for primary access to two or more dwelling units or two or more bedrooms in group housing), and similar features that increase either the floor area of the building or the volume of space enclosed by the building above grade, when limited as specified herein. With respect to obstructions within yards and usable open space, the bay windows and balconies specified in Paragraph (c)(2) above shall be permitted as an alternative to those specified in this Paragraph (c)(3).
				(A) The minimum headroom shall be 7½ feet.
				(B) Projection into the required open area shall be limited to three feet, or 1/6 of the required minimum dimension (when specified) of the open area, whichever is less.
				(C) In the case of bay windows, the maximum length of each bay window shall be 10 feet, and the minimum horizontal separation between bay windows shall be five feet, above all parts of the required open area.
				(D) The aggregate length of all bay windows and balconies projecting into the required open area shall be no more than 2/3 the buildable width of the lot along a rear building wall, 2/3 the buildable length of a street side building wall, or 1/3 the length of all open areas along the buildable length of an interior side lot line; in the case of yards, these limits on aggregate length shall apply to the aggregate of all bay windows, balconies, fire escapes and chimneys.

x	x	x	x	(4) Fire escapes, leaving at least 7½ feet of headroom exclusive of drop ladders to grade, and not projecting more than necessary for safety or in any case more than four feet six inches into the required open area. In the case of yards, the aggregate length of all bay windows, balconies, fire escapes and chimneys that extend into the required open area shall be no more than 2/3 the buildable width of the lot along a rear building wall, 2/3 the buildable length of a street side building wall, or 1/3 the buildable length of an interior side lot line;
			x	(5) Overhead horizontal projections other than those listed in Paragraphs (c)(1), (2), (3) and (4) above, leaving at least 7½ feet of headroom, where the depth of any such projection is no greater than the headroom it leaves, and in no case is greater than 10 feet; and provided that, in the case of common usable open space at ground level, the open space under the projection directly adjoins uncovered usable open space that is at least 10 feet in depth and 15 feet in width;

		x		(6) Chimneys not extending more than three feet into the required open area or 1/6 of the required minimum dimension (when specified) of the open area, whichever is less; provided, that the aggregate length of all bay windows, balconies, fire escapes and chimneys that extend into the required open area is no

				more than 2/3 the buildable width of the lot along a rear building wall, 2/3 the buildable length of a street side building wall, or 1/3 the buildable length of an interior side lot line;
x				(7) Temporary occupancy of street and alley areas during construction and alteration of buildings and structures, as regulated by the Building Code and other portions of the Municipal Code;
x				(8) Space below grade, as regulated by the Building Code and other portions of the Municipal Code;
x	x			(9) Building curbs and buffer blocks at ground level, not exceeding a height of nine inches above grade or extending more than nine inches into the required open area;
x	x			(10) Signs as regulated by Article 6 of this Code, at locations and to the extent permitted therein;
x	x			(11) Flagpoles for projecting flags permitted by Article 6 of this Code;
x	x			(12) Awnings, Canopies, and Marquees and for Limited Commercial Uses in Residential and RTO Districts, as defined in Section 102 and regulated by the Building Code, and as further limited in Section 136.1 and other provisions of this Code;
	x	x	x	(13) Retaining walls that are necessary to maintain approximately the grade existing at the time of construction of a building. Other retaining walls and the grade maintained by them shall be subject to the same regulations as decks (see Paragraphs (c)(24) and (c)(25) below);

	x	x	x	(14) Steps of any type not more than three feet above grade, and uncovered stairways and landings not extending higher than the floor level of the adjacent first floor of occupancy above the ground story, and, in the case of yards and usable open space, extending no more than six feet into the required open area for any portion that is more than three feet above grade, provided that all such stairways and landings shall occupy no more than 2/3 the buildable width of the lot along a front or rear building wall, 2/3 the buildable length of a street side building wall, or 1/3 the length of all open areas along the buildable length of an interior side lot line;
x	x	x	x	(15) Railings no more than three feet six inches in height above any permitted step, stairway, landing, fire escape, deck, porch or balcony, or above the surface of any other structure permitted in the required open area.
	x	x	x	(16) Decorative railings and decorative grille work, other than wire mesh, at least 75 percent open to perpendicular view and no more than six feet in height above grade;
	x	x	x	(17) Fences no more than three feet in height above grade;
		x	x	(18) Fences and wind screens no more than six feet in height above grade;
		x		(19) Fences and wind screens no more than 10 feet in height above grade;
		x	x	(20) Normal outdoor recreational and household features such as play equipment and drying lines;
	x	x	x	(21) Landscaping and garden furniture;

	Open Space
x	x	(22) Garden structures enclosed by walls on no more than 50 percent of their perimeter, such as gazebos and sunshades, if no more than eight feet in height above grade and covering no more than 60 square feet of land;
x		(23) One or more detached structures, which may not include sleeping quarters or full kitchens, but may include bathrooms and wetbars, if no more than 10 feet in height above grade, as measured to the top of the structure, and covering no more than a combined 120 square feet as measured at grade. An additional 1 foot of roof eave may be permitted beyond the 120 square feet maximum;
x		(24) Decks, whether attached to a building or not, at or below the adjacent first floor of occupancy, if developed as usable open space and meeting the following requirements:
		(A) Slope of 15 percent or less. The floor of the deck shall not exceed a height of three feet above grade at any point in the required open area, nor shall such floor penetrate a plane made by a vertical angle 45 degrees above horizontal with its vertex three feet above grade at any lot line bordering the required open area,

		(B) Slope of more than 15 percent and no more than 70 percent. The floor of the deck shall not exceed a height of three feet above grade at any point along any lot line bordering the required open area,

				nor shall such floor penetrate a plane made by a vertical angle 45 degrees above horizontal with its vertex three feet above grade at any lot line bordering the required open area, except that when two or more lots are developed with adjacent decks whose floor levels differ by not more than three feet, whether or not the lots will remain in the same ownership, each deck may come all the way to the lot line adjacent to the other deck. In addition, the vertical distance measured up from grade to the floor of the deck shall not exceed seven feet at any point in the required open area:

				(C) (C) Slope of more than 70%. Because in these cases the normal usability of the required open area is seriously impaired by the slope, a deck covering not more than 1/3 the area of the required open area may be built exceeding the heights specified above, provided that the privacy of adjacent lots is not seriously affected. Each such case shall be considered on its individual merits. However, the following points shall be considered guidelines in these cases:
				(i) The deck shall be designed to provide the minimum obstruction to privacy;
				(ii) The deck shall be at least two feet inside all side lot lines;
				(iii) On downhill slopes, a horizontal angle of 30 degrees drawn inward from each side lot line at each corner of the rear building line shall be maintained clear, and the deck shall be kept at least 10 feet inside the rear lot line;
		x		(25) Except in required side yards, decks, and enclosed and unenclosed extensions of buildings, when limited as specified herein:
				(A) The structure shall extend no more than 12 feet into the required open area; and shall not occupy any space within the rear 25 percent of the total depth of the lot, or within the rear 15 feet of the depth of the lot, whichever is greater,
				(B) Within all parts of the required open area, the structure shall be limited in height to either:
				(i) 10 feet above grade, or

	x			(ii) A height not exceeding the floor level of the second floor of occupancy, excluding the ground story, at the rear of the building on the subject property, in which case the structure shall be no closer than five feet to any interior side lot line,

				(C) Any fence or wind screen extending above the height specified in Subparagraph (c)(25)(B) shall be limited to six feet above such height; shall be no closer to any interior side lot line than one foot for each foot above such height; and shall have not less than 80 percent of its surfaces above such height composed of transparent or translucent materials;
		x		(26) Garages which are underground, or under decks conforming to the requirements of Paragraph (c) (24) or (c)(25) above, if their top surfaces are developed as usable open space, provided that no such garage shall occupy any area within the rear 15 feet of the depth of the lot;
	x			(27) Garages, where the average slope of the required open area ascends from the street lot line to the line at the setback and exceeds 50 percent, provided the height of the garage is limited to 10 feet above grade, or the floor level of the adjacent first floor of occupancy on the subject property, whichever height is less;

				Reserved.
		x		(29) Garages, where the subject property is a through lot having both its front and its rear lot line along streets, alleys, or a street and an alley, and both adjoining lots (or the one adjoining lot where the subject property is also a corner lot) contain a garage structure adjacent to the required rear yard on the subject property, provided the garage on the subject property does not exceed the average of the two adjacent garage structures (or the one adjacent garage structure where the subject property is a corner lot) in either height above grade or encroachment upon the required rear yard;

x	x	x		(30) Driveways and off-street parking thereon pursuant to Section 152.3;
		x	x	(31) In the Outer Clement Street Neighborhood Commercial District, outdoor activity area if used in connection with a commercial use on a contiguous lot and which existed in 1978 and has remained in said

				use since 1978.

and Alleys	backs		Open Space
		x		(32) Infill under decks and cantilevered rooms when adding an Accessory Dwelling Unit; provided, however, that such infill shall comply with Section 207.1 of this Code; and provided further that if the ADU is proposed for a single-family home under Section 207.1, the rear yard must be 25% of the lot depth but in no case less than 15 feet.
				(33) One detached Accessory Dwelling Unit that complies with the requirements of Planning Code subsection 207.1(c)(15).
				(34) An Accessory Dwelling Unit proposed for approval under Section 207.2 that is no greater than 800 square feet in Gross Floor Area with four-foot side and rear yard setbacks.
				(d) Notwithstanding the limitations of Subsection (c) of this Section, the following provisions shall apply in C-3 districts:
				(1)Decorative Architectural Features.Decorative architectural features not increasing the interior floor area or volume of the space enclosed by the building are permitted over streets and alleys and into setbacks within the maximum vertical and horizontal dimensions described as follows:
				(A) At roof level, decorative features such as cornices, eaves, and brackets may project four feet in districts other than C-3-O(SD) and 10 feet in the C-3-O(SD) district with a maximum vertical dimension no greater than six feet.
				(B) At all levels above the area of minimum vertical clearance required in Subsection (a)(1) above, decorative features, such as belt courses, entablatures, and bosses, may project two feet, with a maximum vertical dimension of four feet, except that in the C-3-O(SD) district at all levels above a minimum vertical clearance of 20 feet from sidewalk grade, decorative features may project half the width of the sidewalk up to a maximum projection of 10 feet.
				(C) At all levels above the area of minimum vertical clearance required by Subsection (a)(1) above, vertical decorative features, such as pilasters, columns, and window frames (including pediment and sills), with a cross-sectional area of not more than three square feet at midpoint, may project one foot horizontally.
				(2)Bay Windows.Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsections (c)(2)(D) and (F) of this Section, bay windows on nonresidential floors of a structure are permitted only if the width of the bay is at least two times its depth, the total width of all bays on a facade plane does not exceed ½ of the width of the facade plane, and the maximum horizontal (plan) dimensions of the bay fit within the dimensions set forth in the diagram below.

(Amended by Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85; Ord. 69-87, App. 3/13/87; Ord. 463-87, App. 11/19/87; Ord. 115-90, App. 4/6/90; Ord. 219-02, File No. 020493, App. 11/8/2002; Ord. 298-08, File No. 081153, App. 12/19/2008; Ord. 63-11, File No. 101053, App. 4/7/2011, Eff. 5/7/2011; Ord. 182-12 , File No. 120665, App. 8/8/2012, Eff. 9/7/2012; Ord. 56-13 , File No. 130062, App. 3/28/2013, Eff. 4/27/2013; Ord. 22-15, File No. 141253, App. 2/20/2015, Eff. 3/22/2015; Ord. 188-15 , File No. 150871, App. 11/4/2015, Eff. 12/4/2015; Ord. 195-18, File No. 180268, App. 8/10/2018, Eff. 9/10/2018; Ord. 432, File No. 190454, App. 3/20/2020, Eff. 4/20/2020; Ord. 136-21, File No. 210674, App. 8/4/2021, Eff. 9/4/2021; Ord. 5323, File No. 210585, App. 4/21/2023, Eff. 5/22/2023; Ord. 33-24, File No. 231144, App. 2/21/2024, Eff. 3/23/2024; Ord. 62-24, File No. 230310, App. 3/28/2024, Eff. 4/28/2024; Ord. 297-24, File No. 241055, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025; Ord. 146-25, File No. 250284, App. 8/5/2025, Eff. 9/5/2025; Ord. 10-26, File No. 250887, App. 2/13/2026, Eff. 3/16/2026)

AMENDMENT HISTORY

Division (c)(12) amended; former division (c)(28) deleted; Ord. 63-11, Eff. 5/7/2011. Divisions (d)(1)(A) and (B) amended; Ord. 182-12 , Eff. 9/7/2012. Division (c)(12) amended; Ord. 56-13 , Eff. 4/27/2013. Division (c)(12) amended; Ord. 22-15, Eff. 3/22/2015. Nonsubstantive change; Ord. 188-15 , Eff. 12/4/2015. Division (c)(32) added; Ord. 195-18, Eff. 9/10/2018. Divisions (a)(1), (b), and (c)(1) amended; divisions (c)(1)(A)-(C) deleted; Ord. 43-2, Eff. 4/20/2020. Division (a)(1) amended; Ord. 136-21, Eff. 9/4/2021. Division (c)(33) added; Ord. 53-23, Eff. 5/22/2023. Division (c)(24)

(B) amended; Ord. 33-24, Eff. 3/23/2024. Divisions (c)(32)-(33) amended; division (c)(34) added; Ord. 62-24, Eff. 4/28/2024. Divisions (c)(24)(C)-(c)(24)(C)(ii) amended; Ord. 297-24, Eff. 1/19/2025. Division (c)(23) amended; Ord. 146-25, Eff. 9/5/2025. Division (c)(30) amended; Ord. 10-26, Eff. 3/16/2026. CODIFICATION NOTE

So in Ord. 43-2.

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