Cathedral City · Zoning · RE
Cathedral City RE zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Cathedral City's RE zone, generally buildings can be up to 26 ft tall, the front setback is 30 ft and the minimum lot size is 40,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Cathedral City code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 26 ft
- Minimum front setback: 30 ft (newly-developed lots)
- Minimum side setback: 15 ft (each side yard for newly-developed lots)
- Minimum rear setback: 50 ft (newly-developed lots)
- Minimum lot size: 40,000 sq ft (newly-created lots)
- Maximum lot coverage: 25%
- Maximum density: 1 lot per gross acre
RE (Residential Estate District) is a zoning district in Cathedral City. Every value below was read from the Cathedral City 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 RE
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 | 26 ft § 9.12.080 · code textBuilding heights shall not exceed twenty-six feet. |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 30 ft Applies: newly-developed lots § 9.12.070 · code textFront yard: thirty feet. However, garages can be placed in the front yard up to ten feet from the property line with side access or twenty feet with perpendicular access if the planning commission finds that such design is necessary to reduce grading on the lot. |
| Minimum side setback | 15 ft Applies: each side yard for newly-developed lots § 9.12.070 · code textSide yards: fifteen feet each. |
| Minimum rear setback | 50 ft Applies: newly-developed lots § 9.12.070 · code textRear yard: fifty feet. |
| Minimum lot size | 40,000 sq ft Applies: newly-created lots § 9.12.060 · code textArea: forty thousand square feet; |
| Maximum lot coverage | 25% § 9.12.080 · code textMaximum building coverage shall be twenty-five percent of net lot area; |
| Maximum density | 1 lot per gross acre § 9.12.050 · code textThe density in any subdivision of land shall not exceed one lot per each gross acre of land in the project. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in RE:
- Minimum front setback: 10 ft — garages with side access, when the planning commission finds the design necessary to reduce grading § 9.12.070
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft — garages with perpendicular access, when the planning commission finds the design necessary to reduce grading § 9.12.070
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, FAR limit for RE in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Cathedral City Municipal Code.
Other Cathedral City zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Cathedral City's RE zone?
26 ft — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.12.080.
What is the minimum front setback in Cathedral City's RE zone?
30 ft (newly-developed lots) — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.12.070.
What is the minimum side setback in Cathedral City's RE zone?
15 ft (each side yard for newly-developed lots) — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.12.070.
What is the minimum rear setback in Cathedral City's RE zone?
50 ft (newly-developed lots) — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.12.070.
What is the minimum lot size in Cathedral City's RE zone?
40,000 sq ft (newly-created lots) — Cathedral City Municipal Code § 9.12.060.
General information, not legal advice.
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