Brisbane R-1 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size

R-1 (R-1 Residential District) is a zoning district in Brisbane. Every value below was read from the Brisbane 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-1

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	28 ft Applies: lots having a slope of less than 20 percent § 17.06.040 · code text Twenty-eight (28) feet, for lots having a slope of less than twenty percent (20%); or
Minimum front setback	15 ft § 17.06.040 · code text Front setback: Fifteen (15) feet, with the following exceptions:
Minimum side setback	5 ft Applies: a lot under 50 ft wide may reduce it to 10% of lot width, not below 3 ft or the Building Code minimum § 17.06.040 · code text Side setback: Five (5) feet, with the exception that a lot having a width of less than fifty (50) feet may have a side setback reduced to ten percent (10%) of the lot width, but in no event less than three (3) feet or the minimum setback required by the Uniform Building Code, whichever is greater.
Minimum rear setback	10 ft § 17.06.040 · code text Rear setback: Ten (10) feet.
Minimum lot size	5,000 sq ft § 17.06.040 · code text The minimum area of any lot shall be five thousand (5,000) square feet.
Maximum lot coverage	40% § 17.06.040 · code text The maximum coverage by all structures on any lot shall be forty percent (40%).
Maximum floor area ratio (FAR)	0.72 § 17.06.040 · code text The maximum floor area ratio for all buildings on a lot shall be 0.72.
Maximum density	1 unit per lot Applies: single-family dwelling § 17.06.040 · code text Not more than one single-family dwelling shall be located on each lot in the R-1 district.

When a different number applies

The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-1:

Maximum building height: 30 ft — lots having a slope of 20 percent or more § 17.06.040
Minimum front setback: 10 ft — lot has a slope of 15 percent or greater § 17.06.040
Minimum front setback: average distance of front outside wall from front lot line — 50 percent or more of the lots of record in a block have been improved with single-family dwellings, and the average is less than 15 feet § 17.06.040
Minimum front setback: 10 ft — Garages or carports; a lesser distance applies where the city engineer finds it safe § 17.06.040
Minimum side setback: 10% of lot width, min 3 ft or Uniform Building Code minimum, whichever is greater — lot width is less than 50 feet § 17.06.040
Minimum side setback: 10 ft — garages or carports accessed from a street or alley along that side of the lot § 17.06.040

Not on this page

We did not find a general stories limit for R-1 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Brisbane Municipal Code.

Other Brisbane zoning districts

Who this affects

HomeownersArchitects and designersDevelopersReal estate agents

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum building height in Brisbane's R-1 zone?

28 ft (lots having a slope of less than 20 percent) — Brisbane Municipal Code § 17.06.040.

What is the minimum front setback in Brisbane's R-1 zone?

15 ft — Brisbane Municipal Code § 17.06.040.

What is the minimum side setback in Brisbane's R-1 zone?

5 ft (a lot under 50 ft wide may reduce it to 10% of lot width, not below 3 ft or the Building Code minimum) — Brisbane Municipal Code § 17.06.040.

What is the minimum rear setback in Brisbane's R-1 zone?

10 ft — Brisbane Municipal Code § 17.06.040.

What is the minimum lot size in Brisbane's R-1 zone?

5,000 sq ft — Brisbane Municipal Code § 17.06.040.

General information, not legal advice.