Burbank Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 4, 2026

Overview

Burbank’s zoning and land-use rules are codified in the Burbank Municipal Code under the ordinance series that uses section numbers beginning with 10‑1‑… (the city’s zoning and land‑use provisions are organized as Articles and Divisions under that numbering). The code sets an underlying zone structure (traditional R, C, M families), several city area-specific overlay and master‑plan articles (notably the Burbank Center Overlay, Media District Overlay, and the Rancho Master Plan), and a Development Review/permit path that must be satisfied before building permits are issued. For quick navigation use the city’s use table and the Development Review article as the starting points (§ 10‑1‑501; § 10‑1‑719).

How Burbank's code is organized

• Zoning provisions appear as numbered sections beginning 10‑1‑…: the Use Table and general use rules are at § 10‑1‑501 and § 10‑1‑502 (the place to confirm permitted, conditional and prohibited uses).
• Residential regulations are grouped under the Residential Uses & Standards article (example: § 10‑1‑601 et seq. for R‑1 single‑family rules).
• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) rules are collected in a dedicated ADU article (§ 10‑1‑620.1 et seq.), which contains local design and application processes for ADUs and JADUs.
• Development standards (open space, landscaping, parking, building scale) referenced throughout the code are collected in development‑standards articles (for example § 10‑1‑920 is repeatedly cited as the development‑standards anchor).
• Area‑specific plans and overlays are their own Articles (see the Burbank Center Overlay, Media District Overlay, and Rancho Master Plan Articles) and, where they apply, their rules take precedence. See § 10‑1‑2501 (Burbank Center), § 10‑1‑2101 (Media District), and § 10‑1‑2401 (Rancho Master Plan).

(For the city’s online guide pages use the city-specific landing pages for navigation: Burbank Zoning, Burbank Land Use and the central Burbank Development Standards.)

Zoning district families (what they are, where to read them)

Burbank breaks the city into classic families plus several special overlay/master‑plan families. Key district families and where they live in the code:

• Single‑family: R‑1, R‑1‑H — basic single‑family districts and hillside variants; development standards and permitted uses in § 10‑1‑601–§ 10‑1‑606.
• Multiple‑family: R‑3, R‑4 (and MDR‑3 / MDR‑4 within the Media District overlay) — see the Multiple Family Residential divisions and related property standards (§ 10‑1‑626 et seq.; MDR cross‑references in the Media District Article).
• Neighborhood/Commercial/Office: NB, GO, C‑1, C‑2, C‑3, C‑4 — commercial zone purposes and property standards appear in each zone’s section (example: C‑2 property standards in § 10‑1‑712; C‑4 purpose and consistency at § 10‑1‑720/ § 10‑1‑720.5).
• Industrial / Business Park / Production: M‑1, M‑2, RBP, MPC series — industrial restrictions and buffers (e.g., M‑1 restricted‑industry buffer rule) are in the industrial divisions (see § 10‑1‑2526 for M‑1 buffer rules).
• City overlay / master‑plan families (take precedence where mapped): the Burbank Center Overlay (BCC‑1, BCC‑2, BCC‑3, BCCM) § 10‑1‑2501 et seq.; the Media District Overlay (MDC/MPC zones) § 10‑1‑2101 et seq.; and the Rancho Master Plan Article § 10‑1‑2401 et seq.

All zones reference a General Plan consistency table that ties allowable FAR and maximum residential densities to General Plan land‑use designations (the table is invoked in many zone sections — for example § 10‑1‑2514.5 for BCC‑3 and similar sections in the C‑zones).

Citywide development standards (what to expect)

Burbank’s code applies base property development standards zone‑by‑zone and then layers overlay or plan standards when applicable.

• Density / FAR: Each zone ties allowable intensity to the General Plan consistency tables (see multiple references in zone subsections such as § 10‑1‑2514.5 and § 10‑1‑720.5). Where a city overlay or the 2021–2029 Housing Element Opportunity Sites Overlay applies, the overlay/specific plan may supersede density/FAR for those parcels.
• Height: Height rules are zone‑specific and often measured relative to proximity to residential property (examples: C‑2 height is distance‑based in § 10‑1‑712(A); the Burbank Center Plan implements a stair‑step height regime and allows limited exceptions near transit via the planned‑development path — see § 10‑1‑2530).
  • Notable numeric example in the Burbank Center: stair‑step limits and an exception allowing projects within 1/4 mile of a regional intermodal transit center to exceed the standard 12‑story (164 ft) limit up to 15 stories (205 ft) through planned development (see § 10‑1‑2530).
• Setbacks & landscape: Area overlays and zone sections set setbacks and require landscaped setback maintenance (see § 10‑1‑2531 and § 10‑1‑2532 for Burbank Center setback and landscape maintenance rules).
• Parking: Parking is regulated by city development standards and by overlay rules (see the code’s development‑standards cross‑references and the parking design rules in the Burbank Center: § 10‑1‑920 and § 10‑1‑2531(C)). For parking policy details consult the city’s parking rules and the Burbank Parking page.
• Special performance and open‑space standards: The code embeds site design, building‑scale, open‑space and landscaping requirements in development‑standards subsections such as § 10‑1‑920 and area plan divisions (see the Burbank Center property development standards within Article 7 Div. 7).

(For consolidated reading of citywide rules consult the Burbank Development Standards landing page, and the Burbank Landscaping and Screening and Burbank Signage pages for the discipline‑specific rules.)

Specific plans & overlays (where special rules live)

Burbank maintains multiple mapped overlay/specific‑plan articles. Overlays explicitly state they “augment” and, where mapped, “take precedence” over the underlying zone. Key ones in the code:

• Burbank Center Overlay (Article 25) — purpose and definitions at § 10‑1‑2501; includes subzones BCC‑1, BCC‑2, BCC‑3, BCCM with their own use lists and property development standards (see § 10‑1‑2503 et seq.). The Overlay includes TDM requirements and parking/landscape sign rules tailored to downtown redevelopment.
• Media District Overlay (Article 21) — purpose and definitions at § 10‑1‑2101; contains MDC/MPC mapped zones, special development capacity tools (Development Opportunity Reserve/DOR), and heightened noticing and design requirements for larger projects.
• Rancho Master Plan Zones (Article 24) — creates a master plan framework for East/West Rancho with locally tailored rules for horsekeeping, architecture, setbacks and open space — see § 10‑1‑2401.

When an overlay does not address a topic it defers to the underlying zone and the citywide development standards (the overlay articles state this precedence explicitly — see e.g., § 10‑1‑2501).

(See the Burbank Overlay Districts landing page for the mapped overlays and plan boundaries.)

Building permits & review (the practical path)

• Pre‑permit discretionary review: Many zones require an approved Development Review before building or site permits are issued. The code prohibits issuance of permits for new structures in C‑3 and many overlay zones until Development Review approval by the Director; see § 10‑1‑719 (C‑3) and § 10‑1‑2533 (Burbank Center Development Review referencing Division 2, Article 19).
• Typical path (city‑level summary condensed from the code): check the use at § 10‑1‑501/502 → check the applicable zone and overlay standards (zone property standards; overlay article if mapped) → submit Development Review/site‑plan to City Planner/Director where required (see the Development Review Division and zone‑specific “Development Review” clauses) → obtain Development Review approval and any required conditional use/variance/planned‑development approvals → Building Department issues construction permits consistent with the City’s building code and the California Building Standards Code (California Building Standards Code). See § 10‑1‑719 and the overlay development‑review triggers (e.g., § 10‑1‑2533).
• Project notices and hearings: area overlays (Media District, larger Burbank Center projects) add mailed‑notice requirements and conditional‑use/notice thresholds for larger projects — see the Media District notice rules at § 10‑1‑2101 and related divisions.

For design procedures and submittal content consult the city’s Development Review and Burbank Design Review pages; the code’s Development Review Division is the operative reference (see the various “Development Review” subsections within each zone article).

State housing law in Burbank — how it interacts with local rules

Burbank’s local code incorporates and references multiple state housing rules and has discrete local implementing sections:

• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs / JADUs): Burbank’s ADU article (§ 10‑1‑620.1 – § 10‑1‑620.7) contains the local ADU design, application and review rules; the code implements state ADU preemptions and standards (local ADU provisions are in that article; also compare with state ADU guidance — California ADU law).
• SB 9 (two‑unit and lot split ministerial rules): Burbank has two explicit SB 9 sub‑sections — § 10‑1‑608.1 (Second Single‑Family Dwellings) and § 10‑1‑608.2 (Urban Lot Splits) — showing the city has an SB 9 implementation path in its single‑family article.
• Density bonus / affordable incentives: Burbank’s Affordable Housing Incentives article (Division 5, § 10‑1‑633 et seq.) sets density bonus purpose and calculation procedures (§ 10‑1‑634, § 10‑1‑635). These sections implement local procedures consistent with state density‑bonus law and list allowable concessions and incentives.
• What the code says about state preemption and conflicts: the ADU and other sections explicitly reference state law limits (e.g., ADU subsections describe compliance with state authority in their captions) — see § 10‑1‑620.1 et seq. for the local ADU authority and implementation.

Practical notes:

• ADUs: Use the local ADU article (§ 10‑1‑620.1 et seq.) as the starting point; state ADU rules (such as maximum ministerial sizing and parking limits) continue to apply where they preempt local standards — consult both the city ADU article and state guidance.
• SB 9: Burbank’s code contains explicit SB 9 subsections (§ 10‑1‑608.1 and § 10‑1‑608.2) so the city has local procedures for ministerial two‑unit and lot‑split approvals; review those sections for submittal and objective‑standards detail.

(For plain‑English summaries of state/local ADU interactions see California ADU law and the statewide Building Code references at California Building Standards Code.)

Source References

• Burbank Municipal Code — Use table, residential and ADU articles (e.g., § 10‑1‑501, § 10‑1‑602, § 10‑1‑620.1, § 10‑1‑608.1, § 10‑1‑608.2)
• Burbank Center Overlay and property standards (Article/Divisions and Development Review references) — § 10‑1‑2501, § 10‑1‑2503, § 10‑1‑2524, § 10‑1‑2525–§ 10‑1‑2533 (development review, setbacks, height rules)
• Zone property development standards and C‑zone height rules — § 10‑1‑712 (C‑2 standards) and § 10‑1‑720 (C‑4)
• Media District Overlay (purpose/definitions/DOR) — § 10‑1‑2101 and related divisions
• Rancho Master Plan Article — § 10‑1‑2401 and definitions (architectural and development guidance)
• Development standards cross‑references (open space, parking, landscaping) — § 10‑1‑920 and parking/lot design references (used across mixed‑use/overlay rules)
• California ADU handbook / state ADU guidance (for interaction context) — local file summary and statewide guidance (ADU handbook excerpt)

Information Gaps / Practical verification items

• The code excerpts retrieved here show the structure and many operative § citations but do not include every numeric setback or parking table cell for every zone (for example numeric front‑yard setbacks and side/rear setback tables for R‑1 and other specific zones are not visible in the snippets shown). For exact numeric setbacks, lot‑coverage percentages, per‑bedroom parking numbers and condominium conversion rules, consult the full text of the specific zone subsections (e.g., § 10‑1‑603 for R‑1 property development standards) or contact the City Planning counter.
• For up‑to‑date mapping of overlays (which parcels are in the Burbank Center, Media District, or the 2021–2029 HEOS‑OZ), check the city’s mapping/GIS or planning staff: overlay rules explicitly apply only where mapped in the code preamble for each overlay (see § 10‑1‑2501 and § 10‑1‑2101).