Calabasas Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

Calabasas organizes its land-use rules in a consolidated local code called Title 17 — the Land Use and Development Code (the "development code"), which implements the General Plan and is the primary local tool for zoning, subdivision, and site design regulation § 17.01.010 . The code is arranged into Articles (I–VII): Article II contains zoning districts and allowable uses, Article III contains citywide site planning and design standards (landscaping, parking, signs), Article IV is subdivisions, Article V is permits and processing, Article VI covers administration and nonconforming rules, and Article VII gives definitions § 17.01.020 . Because building-construction technical rules live in other titles of the municipal code (and the California building code), Title 17 focuses on land use rather than Title 24 building details § 17.01.020 .

How Calabasas's code is organized

• The development code uses an expandable decimal numbering system: chapters are 17.xx and sections 17.xx.xxx; the User's Guide and the Code explain how to read cross‑references and find the zoning map § 17.01.010–.040 . See the description of the Articles and how to use the code in the User’s Guide summary in Title 17 § 17.01.020 .
• To determine rules for a parcel you (1) check the zoning map, (2) consult the Table 2‑2 Land Use Table for allowed uses and required permits, and (3) read applicable district standards in Chapters 17.13–17.17 plus cross‑references to Article III (site standards). The code explicitly instructs this lookup order and points users to Table 2‑2 and the referenced chapters § 17.10.040; § 17.11.010; § 17.13–17.17 .

Zoning district families

Calabasas splits zones into base district groups in Article II (and tables for district development standards):

• Residential districts: RS (residential, single‑family), RM (multifamily residential), RR (rural residential), RC (rural community), RMH (residential, mobile home) — with the RS default minimum lot area, setbacks, site coverage and height standards stated in the Residential District table (example: front setback 20 ft, side 10 ft, height 35 ft in RS) § 17.13.020 .
• Commercial/mixed‑use districts: CL (Commercial Local), CR (Commercial Retail), CO (Commercial Office), CMU (Commercial Mixed Use), CB (Commercial Business Park), CT (Commercial, Old Town) — commercial district tables establish FAR, site coverage and setbacks (for example, CT/Old Town has special Old Town/CT rules) § 17.14.020 .
• Special‑purpose districts: PD (Planned Development), HM (Hillside/Mountainous), OS (Open Space), OS‑DR (Open Space—Drainage/Resource), PF (Public Facilities), REC (Recreation) — these are governed by their own Table 2‑7 standards (lot sizes, setbacks, heights) and special procedures § 17.16.010 .
• Overlay zones: several overlays supplement base zones (for example -DP Development Plan overlay, -CH Calabasas Highlands, Old Topanga, Scenic Corridor, and other overlays that add or alter standards) § 17.18.030; § 17.18.020 .

(When you read a zoning map parcel, you’ll often see the base zone followed by a suffix indicating overlays or numeric suffixes for lot‑size/FAR limits — e.g., CMU‑0.95 meaning a 0.95 FAR cap) § 17.13.020; § 17.13.B.2 .

Citywide development standards

Calabasas separates district‑specific numeric limits (Chapter 17.13–17.17 tables) from code‑wide technical rules in Article III.

• Basic district numeric controls (examples drawn from the Residential and Commercial tables): minimum lot area, FAR caps, site coverage percentages, setbacks (front/side/rear), and height (typical 35 ft cap in many zones; Calabasas Highlands has a lower pitched‑roof cap 27 ft) — see the Residential table and Commercial table for the exact per‑zone numbers § 17.13.020; § 17.14.020; § 17.18.030 .
• Citywide technical chapters: landscaping (see Chapter 17.26), parking and loading (Chapter 17.28), and signs (Chapter 17.30). The district tables repeatedly direct users to these citywide chapters for standards and calculations § 17.13.020; § 17.14.020 . (See the local parking rules in Chapter 17.28 as the controlling parking reference.)
• Setback measurement, encroachments, and height measurement rules are consolidated into Article III measurement rules (for example, rules referenced at § 17.20.140 for height measurement and § 17.20.180 for setback measurement and exceptions) § 17.13.020 notes; § 17.14.020 notes .
• For projects in sensitive terrain the code requires hillside/ridgeline standards; see Hillside Development rules § 17.20.150 .

Link: the code’s consolidated development‑standards chapters are summarized on the city’s Calabasas Development Standards page.

Design standards and discretionary review

• Calabasas uses multiple review tracks:
  • Ministerial approvals and director‑level actions for routine, code‑compliant items;
  • Discretionary reviews such as site plan review and conditional use permits processed under Chapter 17.62; and
  • Development plan approval for projects within -DP, PD, and other identified situations § 17.62.020; § 17.62.070 .
• Site plan review is the main discretionary design review for new development, multifamily projects, large additions, and development in overlay areas (the code lists thresholds and exceptions) § 17.62.020 . The city also provides a pre‑application conference requirement to clarify submittal needs § 17.66.020 .
• The city adopted a limited ministerial design‑review path for small accessory and infill residential units (ADU‑type ministerial review), including explicit design and development standards (unit size 800 sq ft cap; side/rear setbacks 4 ft minimum; 1 covered parking space unless exempt by proximity to transit), with references to state ADU law where applicable § 17.84.050; § 17.84.060 . See the local design review overview for how ministerial and discretionary design review interact locally.

Specific plans & overlays

• Calabasas implements area‑level rules through specific plans and overlays. Specific plans are governed by Chapter 17.66 and are used where the General Plan or the code requires systematic implementation of plan‑level provisions § 17.66.010 .
• Overlays: the code explicitly describes overlay mechanics (application by rezoning to a suffix, how overlays modify standards, and how parcels partially covered by overlays are treated) and provides examples: -DP (Development Plan) overlay intended to allow flexible site planning § 17.18.030 ; -CH / Calabasas Highlands overlay with its own FAR and maximum house‑size limits (e.g., FAR 0.45, max 3,500 sq ft on a lot, and special setback/height rules) § 17.18.030; Table 2‑9 .
• Other overlays and master plans (Old Town/CT rules, scenic corridors, Oak Tree protections) appear throughout the code; the zoning map and Chapter 17.18 listings show where overlays apply and what additional approvals may be required § 17.10.040; § 17.18.030 . The Code instructs you to check the map and the right‑hand column of Table 2‑2 for overlay‑linked special standards § 17.11.010 . See the overlay districts page for a quick index.

Building permits & review (the permit path)

• Permit types are centralized in Article V / Chapter 17.62. Typical paths:
  • Minor/ministerial: zoning clearance, building permit (ministerial where fully code‑compliant) § 17.01.040; § 17.62 (permits) .
  • Discretionary: conditional use permits, site plan review, development plans, and oak tree permits require public notice/hearings and findings spelled out in Chapter 17.62 and the processing rules in Chapter 17.60 § 17.62.020; § 17.62.070; § 17.12.XXX .
• The code requires pre‑application meetings for development plans and specific plans; submission checklists include technical studies (geology, drainage, biology) when applicable § 17.66.020; § 17.62.070; planning submittal checklists .
• The Building Permit itself is still issued under the city’s building code authority and Title 24 (state code) processes; Title 17 frequently cross‑references building and grading permits in other Municipal Code Titles and to the California Building Standards. For technical construction compliance see the California Building Standards Code and the city’s building permit office — Title 17 explicitly notes that additional building rules appear in other titles § 17.01.020 .

State housing law in Calabasas

• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs): Calabasas has a ministerial design pathway tailored to small residential units; local ADU standards in Title 17 set a maximum unit size 800 sq ft, minimum side/rear setbacks 4 ft, and require one covered off‑street parking space unless exempt by proximity to transit — the ministerial design review chapter cross‑references state ADU laws and Government Code provisions for ministerial ADU approvals § 17.84.050; § 17.84.060 . See the city’s ADUs page for user‑facing guidance.
• Density bonus: Calabasas recognizes state density bonus incentives and expressly provides procedures for density bonuses and incentives (see the local density‑bonus/chapter references, including § 17.12.180 which affirms density‑bonus availability and points to § 17.22.030) § 17.12.180; § 17.22.030 .
• SB 9 (two‑unit/lot‑split state law) and other recent state parcels laws: the printed Title 17 excerpts retrieved do not contain an explicit SB 9 implementing section or express local ministerial SB 9 procedures. If you are pursuing SB 9 actions you should confirm with the Community Development Department because the code references state law compliance generally but does not show a specific local SB 9 chapter in the materials retrieved (Not found in retrieved materials) (verify with city).
• Local rent control / tenant protections: Title 17 (land use) text retrieved does not contain municipal rent‑control rules; such rules, if present, typically appear in other municipal code titles and were not found in the Title 17 excerpts provided (Not found in retrieved materials). Verify with city clerk or municipal code index for non‑Title 17 rent regulations.

Practical orientation — how to use this in practice

1. Find a property's zone on the zoning map (the zoning map and instructions are on file with the city clerk) § 17.10.040 .
2. Check Table 2‑2 (Article II) for whether the proposed use is Allowed/Conditional/Prohibited and which code section contains special rules § 17.11.010 .
3. Read the district’s table (Chapters 17.13–17.17) for numeric limits (lot size, FAR, site coverage, setbacks, height) — those tables also point to Article III chapters for landscaping, parking, and signage § 17.13.020; § 17.14.020 .
4. Determine the permit track: ministerial (zoning clearance/building permit), site plan review or discretionary (CUP/dev plan). Use the pre‑application meeting opportunity to confirm required technical studies § 17.66.020; § 17.62.020 .
5. For small residential infill or ADUs, consult the ministerial ADU/design review chapter (unit size, setbacks, parking exemptions) § 17.84.050 .

Information gaps and verification

• The search results provided are excerpts from the Title 17 export. They show the major chapters and many specific sections, but I did not find an explicit local implementing chapter for SB 9 or a municipal rent‑control ordinance in the Title 17 excerpts (Not found in retrieved materials). Verify recent council ordinances or the city code index for any post‑2022 changes or housing‑law implementations.
• For the exact, parcel‑specific numerical limits, always read the full table row for that specific base zone and any numeric suffix (e.g., RS‑12, CMU‑1.0) and the zoning map legend — those specifics are provided in Chapters 17.13–17.17 and the zoning map records § 17.13.020; § 17.14.020; § 17.16.010; § 17.10.040 .

Source References

• Calabasas Municipal Code, Title 17 — Land Use and Development Code (Title and User’s Guide; organization of Articles I–VII) § 17.01.010–.040 .
• Article II zoning tables and use/permit directions (Table 2‑2; instructions for using the land use table) § 17.11.010; § 17.10.040 .
• Residential district general development standards (Table 2‑5 — setbacks, site coverage, height, minimum lot sizes) § 17.13.020 .
• Commercial district general development standards (Table 2‑6 — FAR, setbacks, site coverage) § 17.14.020 .
• Special purpose districts and overlays, including the -DP overlay and Calabasas Highlands standards (Table 2‑9) § 17.18.030; § 17.18.020; Table 2‑9 .
• Permit procedures and discretionary review (site plan review, conditional use permit, development plan) § 17.62.020; § 17.62.070; § 17.60 .
• Ministerial design review / ADU standards (unit size 800 sq ft, parking, setbacks) § 17.84.050; § 17.84.060 .
• Development plan and specific plan procedures (Chapter 17.66) § 17.66.010–.020 .