Barstow Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 4, 2026

Overview

Barstow’s land-use rules are codified primarily in a zoning title organized around Chapters 19.* (the city’s zoning code). The code defines the city’s district structure (residential, commercial, industrial, mixed/diverse-use, public/open space and SP specific-plan districts), a citywide site-plan and design-review process, and district-level development standards for setbacks, height, coverage and parking. For project applicants the most important chapters are the district rules (e.g., DU, C, I), the site-plan review chapter, the design guidelines, and the specific-plan chapter that can override base rules — see the code map below for the exact sections to check. The code text cited here is from the Barstow municipal zoning code (Title 19) as retrieved from the city’s ordinance files. (§ 19.04.010; § 19.05.; § 19.08.; § 19.22.*)

How Barstow's code is organized

• The code establishes zoning districts in Chapter 19.04 (the district list and official zoning map) — see § 19.04.010 for the complete district family and map rule.
• District-specific regulations (per-district permitted uses, setbacks, height, coverage, FAR, parking references) are organized into chapter ranges (for example DU: Chapter 19.12; C (Commercial): Chapter 19.16; I (Industrial): Chapter 19.18). See the district headers and their lot-by-lot standards in each chapter (e.g., § 19.12.040–070, § 19.16.050–070, § 19.18.110–170).
• Citywide processes are in discrete chapters:
  • Site plan review / application process — Chapter 19.05, including application, pre-application conferences and which projects require review (§ 19.05.020–030).
  • Design guidelines / design review thresholds — Chapter 19.08, which explains applicability, administrative vs. planning-commission review, and when design review is required (§ 19.08.020–040).
  • Specific plans (SP) — Chapter 19.22, which explains how a specific plan is adopted, what it must contain and that its standards replace (or supplement) the base zoning where adopted (§ 19.22.020–030).

If you are navigating the ordinance, start by locating the district chapter for your parcel (map + § 19.04.020) and then read the lot development standards and use lists in that district chapter before moving to site-plan and design-review chapters.

Zoning district families

Barstow’s code explicitly establishes these district "families" in § 19.04.010; the code lists the district short-codes and their intents — the district names are bolded here to match the code language: ER, LDR, SFR, MDR, DU, HS, C, I, O, MZ, PF, and SP. Each is implemented in its own chapter with permitted uses and standards. § 19.04.010

Highlights from the district chapters (examples — always check the chapter that applies to your parcel):

• DU (Diverse Use) — mixed residential/commercial district; explicit setbacks: front 15 ft, interior side 5 ft, rear 5 ft; FAR: 1.5 (150%) for mixed residential (capped at 10,000 sq ft per structure); lot coverage up to 50% for mixed use (§ 19.12.040–070).
• C (Commercial) — front/rear yard rules when abutting residential (e.g., 15 ft front/rear when adjacent to residential) and building-height limits that step down where adjacent to single-family residential (see § 19.16.050–070).
• I (Industrial) — includes specific landscape/setback rules (e.g., 10 ft building setback from local streets, 50 ft setback from arterials), maximum lot coverage 50%, and height caps: 35 ft adjacent to residential, 55 ft in other contexts (§ 19.18.110–140, § 19.18.160).
• O (Open Space) and PF (Public Facilities) chapters define allowed public uses and restrictions appropriate to parks, flood control, institutional uses (see § 19.20.010 and PF-specific rules).

(When you look up a parcel, open the specific district chapter for precise numeric standards — the summaries above are excerpts from the district sections identified.)

Citywide development standards

• Setbacks and yards: many districts spell out specific front, side and rear-yard minima (examples: DU front/street side 15 ft, DU interior side 5 ft, C front/rear 15 ft when abutting residential, I front local street 10 ft / arterial 50 ft) — see § 19.12.040, § 19.16.060–070, § 19.18.110–130.
• Height: districts set maximum building heights with context-sensitive caps (for example I: 35 ft adjacent to residential, 55 ft elsewhere at § 19.18.160; commercial/DU use chapters similarly step height near single-family zones).
• Lot coverage & FAR: mixed-use districts commonly cap lot coverage at 45–50% and state FAR rules (e.g., DU FAR 150% for mixed use at § 19.12.060; see § 19.12.050–060 and parallel rules in HS § 19.14.050–060).
• Parking: the code centralizes parking rules; district chapters repeatedly cross-reference the parking chapter (see cross-references to § 19.06.050 in district sections), so consult the parking chapter for vehicle parking counts, loading and landscaping around parking (§ 19.06.050; § 19.06.080 referenced). (For a practical quick link to the municipality’s parking rules, see Barstow Parking.) Barstow Parking

Note on landscaping and screening: street-adjacent landscape setbacks must be landscaped and maintained, and parking areas are subject to landscape rules — see § 19.18.150 and the parking/landscaping cross-references.

Design standards & discretionary review

• Design Guidelines chapter (Chapter 19.08) is titled the "City of Barstow Design Guidelines Ordinance" and is applicable to all new residential, commercial and industrial projects requiring permits; it explains when administrative review is allowed and when Planning Commission design review is required (e.g., projects expanding more than 50% of built area require planning-commission review) — § 19.08.020–040. (See more on Barstow Design Review.) Barstow Design Review
• Site-plan review (Chapter 19.05) clarifies the purpose, which projects must go through site-plan review, and the application flow (pre-application conference, submittal, completeness review and DRC or commission hearing) — see § 19.05.010–030 and the list of project types in § 19.05.020–060.

If a use is not expressly allowed in a district, the code points applicants to the conditional-use/permit chapters (e.g., chapter 19.30 is repeatedly referenced for permits). For specific-plan areas, the SP rules can replace base-zone discretionary pathways (see § 19.22.030).

Specific plans & overlays

• Specific plans: Chapter 19.22 defines the SP Specific Plan district and requires that a specific plan contain text and diagrams addressing uses, infrastructure, standards and financing; a specific plan’s development standards "replace and supplement" the base title standards where adopted; adoption/amendment follows Government Code § 65450 et seq. — § 19.22.020–030.
• Overlays / special districts: the code uses overlay-type mechanisms via specific plans and other chapters (e.g., cannabis overlay and location restrictions are implemented in Chapter 19.27, which restricts cannabis to designated subsets of base zones and includes spacing rules) — see § 19.27.060–090 and location/spacing rules § 19.27.080.

For information on locally adopted overlays or historic preservation overlays, consult the overlay chapter and the city's overlay map; Barstow maintains rules for location-based overlays and programmatic overlay adoption through resolutions and specific plan mapping. (See Barstow Overlay Districts.) Barstow Overlay Districts

Building permits & review: the practical path

1. Verify the parcel’s zone on the official zoning map and read the district chapter for permitted uses and development standards (§ 19.04.020; district chapter e.g., § 19.12.040–070).
2. Pre-application conference (optional or required per § 19.05.030(a)) — the code encourages a pre-app to identify referrals and submittal requirements.
3. Determine whether your project is eligible for administrative review or requires Planning Commission review under the design guidelines and site-plan review rules (e.g., administrative review for residential remodels under 50% expansion; planning commission for projects requiring CUP or multi-unit >4 units) — § 19.08.040 and § 19.05.020.
4. Submit a complete site-plan application with fees and required studies; the planning department will determine completeness and circulation (see § 19.05.030(b) and related application rules).
5. If discretionary approvals (CUP, variances, specific-plan amendment) are required, anticipate public hearings, environmental review and possible conditions — the code cross-references conditional permit rules in chapter 19.30 and specific-plan adoption rules in § 19.22.020.

For building code compliance and technical permits, the city enforces the California Building Standards Code — applicants must satisfy Title 24 requirements and local building department permit processes. (See California Building Standards Code.) California Building Standards Code

State housing law in Barstow

Summary and how it interacts with Barstow’s code:

• ADUs / JADUs: I did not find a Barstow-specific ADU chapter in the retrieved zoning code excerpts. The city's code excerpts we have do not show a local ADU/JADU ordinance text; therefore local ADU provisions were Not found in retrieved materials. Applicants should check with planning staff and the city’s ADU administrative handouts. Where local ADU rules are silent or inconsistent, statewide ADU law applies — California ADU law sets permit timing and maximum objective standards (for example, permitting timelines and baseline setbacks/size rules), and those state provisions affect how Barstow must process ADU/JADU applications (see the California ADU handbook summary for state requirements). Barstow ADUs California ADU law
• SB 9 / lot splits / ministerial duplexs: I did not find local text addressing SB 9-specific ministerial lot splits or two-unit development in the retrieved code snippets. If Barstow has adopted objective SB 9 implementation rules they are not present in the retrieved excerpts — verify with the city. Not found in retrieved materials. (Check the planning department or the city’s ADU / land-use webpages for any local SB 9 implementation summaries.) Barstow Land Use
• Density bonus / housing incentives: I did not find a local density-bonus chapter or explicit references to state density-bonus law in the retrieved text. Developers should consult planning staff and the municipal code chapters not included in the excerpts; state density-bonus rights may still apply where Barstow lacks a conflicting local rule. Not found in retrieved materials. California housing laws

If a specific local housing-law topic is critical (ADUs, SB 9, density bonus, rent control), ask planning staff for the city’s current implementing ordinances and check the full municipal code; the excerpts used here do not show Barstow adopting local rent-control (no such provision found in the retrieved materials). Not found in retrieved materials.

Practical orientation — where to look first for your project

• Start at § 19.04.010 (district list & map rule) and then open the district chapter that governs the parcel (e.g., § 19.12 for DU, § 19.16 for C, § 19.18 for I).
• Check the site-plan review rules in § 19.05.020–060 to see whether the project will be administrative or commission reviewed and what studies are required.
• Read the design guidelines chapter § 19.08.020–040 for design-review triggers and administrative thresholds.
• If your site is inside a specific plan, the specific plan replaces or supplements base code standards — see § 19.22.030.

Use the city’s parking, signage, landscaping and screening chapters (the district chapters frequently cross-reference § 19.06 and related sections) for the technical checklist: Barstow Development Standards • Barstow Parking • Barstow Landscaping and Screening

Information Gaps / Items to verify with the city

• Local ADU/JADU ordinance language was not present in the retrieved excerpts; confirm whether Barstow has adopted a local ADU chapter or if applications are processed strictly under state ADU statute. Not found in retrieved materials.
• SB 9 implementation, local density-bonus implementing language, and any local rent-control provisions were not present in the retrieved materials; verify with planning staff or the full municipal code. Not found in retrieved materials.

Source References

• Districts established; district list and map rule — § 19.04.010
• Site Plan Review (purpose, which projects, application steps) — § 19.05.010–030
• Design Guidelines; administrative vs. planning commission review; 50% expansion threshold — § 19.08.020–040
• DU (Diverse Use) district standards — setbacks, height, lot area, coverage, FAR — § 19.12.040–070
• C (Commercial) district setbacks and height-step rules — § 19.16.050–070
• I (Industrial) district setbacks, height, coverage, landscaping — § 19.18.110–170 (including § 19.18.140, § 19.18.160)
• Specific Plans (SP) requirements and rule that SP standards replace/supplement base title standards — § 19.22.020–030
• Cannabis business rules, permitted types, spacing and permit procedures — Chapter 19.27 (e.g., § 19.27.060–090, § 19.27.080)
• State-level ADU law summary referenced for baseline ADU rules where local text was not found — California ADU handbook (state law summary)