Brentwood Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

Brentwood regulates land use through its municipal zoning ordinance in Title 17 of the Brentwood Municipal Code, which organizes base districts, planned development districts, specific plan districts, and citywide standards for uses, design, and procedures. The code blends traditional base zoning (for example, residential and commercial) with extensive site-specific Planned Development (PD) districts that carry their own custom standards. Citywide rules for uses, design review, parking, signage, and other development standards live in dedicated chapters that PDs and base zones repeatedly cross-reference. Where a land use area is governed by a specific plan (e.g., Downtown or Brentwood Boulevard), the plan’s regulations replace or supplement zoning for that area.

How Brentwood’s code is organized

• Title 17 (“Zoning”) contains the base zones (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial), several specific plan zones, and many site-specific PD chapters, plus citywide standards and procedures. For example:
  • Base residential: R-1 Single-Family Residential (Chapter 17.130) sets the purpose and baseline density of 3.5 du/ac and recognizes ADUs and JADUs by reference to Chapter 17.715.
  • Base commercial: C-3 includes height and setback rules and relies on commercial development/performance standards in Sections 17.200.003 and 17.200.004.
  • Specific plan zones: DT (Downtown) and BB (Brentwood Boulevard) implement their adopted specific plans; the specific plan document controls where conflicts exist.
  • Employment/mixed-use: IC (Industrial-Commercial) and PEC (Planned Employment Center) rely on industrial standards (Section 17.300.003/.004) and require an adopted specific plan for PEC.
  • Civic/open space: PF (Public Facility), SPF (Semipublic Facility), and OS (Open Space) include design review references and cross-refer to commercial or residential standards for setbacks and height.
  • Planned Development framework: Chapter 17.450 sets purpose, applicability, and rules for creating PD zones and notes that deviations occur only via a zoning text amendment or a grant of variance. PDs may also implement specific plans and can include ADUs/JADUs where residential is allowed.
• Citywide functional chapters (cross-referenced by base zones and PDs) include development standards for parking (Chapter 17.620, including boats/trailers in Section 17.620.016), landscaping and screening (Chapter 17.630), signage (Chapter 17.640, often via master sign programs), accessory structures (Chapter 17.660), and design review (Chapter 17.820).
• Procedures commonly referenced include conditional use permits (Chapter 17.830), home occupations (Chapter 17.840), temporary use permits (Chapter 17.850), rezoning (Chapter 17.870), and appeals (Chapter 17.880).

Zoning district families

Brentwood uses both base districts and extensive PD districts. Key families and emblematic rules include:

• Residential
  • R-1 (Single-Family Residential): purpose is low-density neighborhoods; allows ADUs/JADUs per Chapter 17.715. Density up to 3.5 du/ac.
  • R-1-E (Single-Family Residential Estate): typical standards include a 20 ft front setback, 10 ft side setbacks with 25 ft combined, 30 ft rear setback, and 30 ft/2 stories height; cul-de-sac and corner-lot exceptions apply.
  • R-2 (Medium Density) and R-3 (High Density): appear throughout PDs by reference (e.g., PD-68 uses Chapter 17.140 R-2 standards and permits up to medium densities in subareas; some PDs reference R-3 for higher densities). Verify applicable base chapters when outside a PD.
• Commercial and special commercial
  • C-3: maximum height 3 stories/40 ft by right (taller by CUP) with residential-adjacency setbacks; relies on 17.200.003/.004 for development and performance standards.
  • DT (Downtown): governed by the Downtown Specific Plan; its policies supersede zoning in the specific plan area.
  • BB (Brentwood Boulevard): implements the Brentwood Boulevard Specific Plan, transitioning the corridor to front-facing, walkable buildings.
• Industrial and employment
  • IC (Industrial-Commercial): uses follow 17.300.003 development and 17.300.004 performance standards; all industrial facilities require design review.
  • PEC (Planned Employment Center): a mixed-use employment district that requires an adopted specific plan and allows up to 49% of the specific-plan area for residential (ratio scales with acreage) while maintaining a majority employment function.
• Public, semipublic, and open space
  • PF and SPF: public and semipublic facilities; subject to design review and follow commercial or high-density residential standards by reference.
  • OS (Open Space): subject to design review; setbacks/height/parking are set at project review or by applicable resolutions.
• Planned Development (PD) districts
  • PDs adopt custom use lists, maps, subareas, and development standards and are created under Chapter 17.450. They often reference citywide chapters for parking, signage, accessory structures, and design review. Example site standards appear throughout: front setbacks from 10–20 ft, side setbacks from 4–10 ft, rears from 5–30 ft, and lot coverage typically 40–60%, depending on the PD and subarea.

Citywide development standards

• Setbacks, height, lot coverage, and design
  • Base residential examples: the R-1-E estate standard is 20 ft front, 10 ft sides (combined 25 ft), 30 ft rear, and 30 ft/2 stories height.
  • Commercial examples: C-3 allows up to 3 stories/40 ft by right and sets residential buffering setbacks.
  • Many PDs tailor standards (e.g., front 10–20 ft, side 4–10 ft, rear 5–30 ft, coverage 40–60%) and require design review. See PD examples such as PD‑47/PD‑60/PD‑62/PD‑69 for specific subarea rules.
• Parking
  • Citywide off-street parking standards are in Chapter 17.620; a dedicated section regulates the storage of boats, trailers, and similar equipment (17.620.016). Some districts/PDs add use-specific ratios (e.g., restaurants or subareas) by text.
• Landscaping and screening
  • Chapter 17.630 applies where referenced (common in PDs and commercial/industrial uses).
• Signage
  • Chapter 17.640 governs signs; many projects implement a master sign program as a condition of approval.
• Accessory structures, encroachments
  • Accessory buildings/structures are controlled by Chapter 17.660, and several PDs address allowable projections into required yards by cross-reference.
• Nonconforming
  • Nonconforming uses/structures are addressed in Chapter 17.610 (cited by specific plans as controlling for nonconformities).

Specific plans & overlays

• Downtown Specific Plan: The DT zone states the downtown specific plan “replaces” prior zoning for the area; where conflicts arise with other planning documents, the downtown specific plan controls.
• Brentwood Boulevard Specific Plan: The BB zone implements corridor reinvestment with front-facing, pedestrian-scaled buildings per the BBSP.
• Planned Employment Center: PEC requires an adopted specific plan; the plan functions as the regulatory framework for uses, performance standards, and design standards, with defined residential share limits by acreage.
• Area-specific PDs implementing plans: Examples include PD‑17 (Garin Ranch Specific Plan), PD‑26 (Special Planning Area L), and numerous neighborhood PDs that embed subarea standards and require design review.
• Overlays in practice: Brentwood’s PD mechanism works like a site-specific overlay—adopting custom text, maps, and standards tied to a development plan under Chapter 17.450—and is the primary “overlay” tool noted in the code. See overlay districts for conceptual orientation.

Building permits & review

• Zoning and design review
  • Most residential development in base zones and PDs triggers design review under Chapter 17.820 and Sections 17.100.003 and 17.100.004(H) (frequently cited throughout PD chapters).
  • Conditional uses require a CUP under Chapter 17.830; temporary activities use a TUP under Chapter 17.850.
  • Rezoning to a PD requires text adoption and follows Chapter 17.870; deviations from adopted PD standards occur only via zoning text amendment or the grant of a variance. See variances and exceptions for process orientation.
• Construction permits
  • Building permits are issued under state-adopted building codes. PD/specific plan text confirms that development must comply with the city’s adopted building and related codes (historically referencing the UBC and related mechanical/electrical/plumbing/fire codes). See the California Building Standards Code for the current statewide code set Brentwood enforces.

State housing law in Brentwood

• ADUs and California ADU law
  • The R-1 base zone lists ADUs and JADUs as permitted subject to Chapter 17.715, and Chapter 17.450 confirms ADUs/JADUs are permitted within PDs where single-family or multifamily residential is allowed.
• California housing laws beyond ADUs
  • Density bonus and SB 9 (two-unit development/urban lot splits): Not found in retrieved materials; verify with the jurisdiction or the city’s latest Title 17 updates.
  • Local rent stabilization/just‑cause rules: Not found in retrieved materials; verify with the jurisdiction.

Information Gaps

• Base chapter text for R-2 and R-3 (beyond PD references), any C-1/C-2 commercial zones, explicit density bonus/SB 9 implementation, FAR controls for commercial zones, and local rent regulations were not found in the retrieved excerpts. Verify with the city or the current online code.

Source References

• Title 17 base residential: R‑1 (Chapter 17.130), ADUs/JADUs allowed per Chapter 17.715 reference; R‑1‑E standards excerpted.
• Base commercial and specific plan zones: C‑3 standards; DT and BB specific plan governance.
• Industrial and employment: IC and PEC (specific plan required, residential share limits).
• Public/open space: PF, SPF, OS and their reliance on design review/other standards.
• PD framework and examples: Chapter 17.450; various PD chapters with custom setbacks/coverage and citywide cross-references to parking, signage, accessory structures, and design review.
• Citywide functional chapters: parking (17.620 incl. 17.620.016), landscaping and screening (17.630), signage (17.640), accessory (17.660), design review (17.820), nonconforming (17.610).
• Building codes reference: project compliance with adopted building/related codes noted in specific plan text.