Concord Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

Concord’s land-use regulations are codified as the Concord Development Code (commonly “Title 18”) and are intended to implement the General Plan by classifying uses and regulating development across the city (§ 18.10.010) . The code is organized into divisions that set allowable uses by district, citywide development standards, specific-use standards, overlay districts, and permit procedures (Divisions II–VII) (§ 18.25.030; § 18.400.020) . This page orients you to where to find the rules that matter in Concord: the district map and tables, the general development standards (setbacks, height, FAR, coverage and parking), design and discretionary review, overlays and specific plans, and how state housing law commonly interacts with the local code.

How Concord’s code is organized

• The code is published as the Concord Development Code and begins with purpose, applicability, and rules for interpretation (§ 18.10.010–.030) .
• Zoning districts, permitted uses, and the permit type for each use are collected in the district chapters and use tables (Division II) — see the “Allowable land uses and permit requirements” framework (§ 18.25.030) .
• Citywide technical and design rules are in Division IV (General Development Standards) and Division V (Standards for Specific Uses), including the chapters referenced in many district tables (e.g., § 18.150.100; § 18.150.180) .
• The permit, review and appeal procedures are in Division VII; the review-authority matrix (who decides what) is codified at § 18.400.020 .
• For practical navigation: consult the district use tables (Chapters 18.30–18.60), then the General Development Standards (Chapter 18.150), then the permits (Chapters 18.400–18.510) to identify required clearances, administrative permits, use permits, design review, or appeals (§ 18.25.030; § 18.150; § 18.400.020) .

(If you want the city’s site-level menu first: see the Concord Zoning page for links to district maps and tables.)

Zoning district families

Concord groups its districts into logical families; the code’s district chapters describe purpose, allowed uses, and baseline development standards:

• Downtown / mixed-use: DP (Downtown Pedestrian), DMX (Downtown Mixed-Use), and WMX (West Concord Mixed‑Use) are downtown and mixed-use districts that encourage vertical mixed‑use, specify minimum FAR/density ranges and pedestrian-oriented ground-floor uses — described at § 18.45.010 .
  • Example: DP targets a minimum 1.0 FAR up to 4.0 FAR and high residential densities (33–100 du/acre) in the core downtown (§ 18.45.010) .
• Office and commercial districts: CO, CMX, NC, RC, SC with a consolidated development standards table (Table 18.40.030) that lists FAR caps, setbacks, and heights for these districts (Table 18.40.030 / § 18.40.030) .
  • That table shows, for example, maximum FAR values (e.g., 1.0 for CO/CMX; 0.35 for NC) and building height ranges tied to residential vs. nonresidential uses (Table 18.40.030) .
• Neighborhood/residential families: a set of residential districts (RR, RS, RL, RM, RH and the North Todos Santos (NTS) special residential district) with zone-specific lot-area, setback, height, coverage and density rules in the Chapter 18.30 and 18.35 tables (see Tables 18.30.030/18.30.040 and 18.35.030) .
  • For example, the NTS district contains a graduated maximum FAR by parcel size and explicit maximum building height of 30 ft or three stories for residential (Tables 18.35.030(A/B)) .
• Planned and special districts: the code retains a Planned District (PD) label for legacy residential developments but generally disallows new PD zoning; when PD records are missing the code instructs application of the closest residential table to determine standards (§ 18.25.040) .
• Overlays & specialty districts (examples below): Affordable Housing Overlay (§ 18.115), Commercial Cannabis Overlay (§ 18.110), Airport Overlay (Chapter 18.100) and environmental overlays like Creek/Riparian protection (§ 18.305) — each overlay prescribes additional or overriding rules and procedures (§ 18.115; § 18.110; § 18.305) .

For map-driven decisions, consult the city’s zoning map and the district use tables for the parcel in question (the zoning map controls applicability per § 18.10.030) .

Citywide development standards (what to look for)

Concord separates district-level entitlement rules (what uses and what basic dimensions) from citywide standards that apply across districts:

• Setbacks, lot coverage, open space, height, FAR and transitional requirements are enforced through the General Development Standards (Chapter 18.150) and the per-district development standard tables (e.g., Tables 18.30.030 / 18.35.030 / 18.40.030) (§ 18.150.100; Table 18.40.030; Table 18.35.030) .
  • Example specifics: front setbacks in the office/commercial table appear as 10 ft (CO) and 5 ft (CMX/NC) as baseline numbers in Table 18.40.030 (Table 18.40.030 / § 18.40.030) .
  • For transitional conditions where a commercial or mixed-use building abuts residential, see the transitional requirements cross-referenced at § 18.150.180 (§ 18.150.180) .
• Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and density caps shown in each district’s table are the primary intensity controls; projects outside those ranges may be allowed only with discretionary approval (Table 18.40.030; § 18.35.030) .
• Parking rules are maintained in the city’s parking chapter (Chapter 18.160 — see the “Parking, Loading, and Access” references) and district tables frequently cross‑reference that chapter for precise counts and structure treatment (§ 18.160; Table 18.40.030) . (For the city’s parking policy and ratios, consult the Concord Parking page.)
• Accessory structures and accessory-dwelling‑unit–relevant controls live in the accessory structures and residential standards (Chapter 18.200 and Table 18.200.030 for accessory‑structure size, setbacks and height) — important for garages, ADUs and JADUs (Table 18.200.030; § 18.200.030) .

(First-time readers: start with the district table for the parcel, then pull the cross‑references to Chapter 18.150, Chapter 18.160 for parking, and Chapter 18.200 for accessory structures.)

Design standards, review and discretionary procedures

• Objective design standards and site-development criteria are in Chapter 18.415 (Design and Site Review); major projects and Planned Development Use Permit (PDUP) applications are reviewed under this chapter and its design criteria (§ 18.415; § 18.440.060) . See the Concord Design Review page for the local process and submittal expectations.
• Small changes and tenant swaps may be allowed with a Zoning Clearance when the replacement use is the same or similar; the code defines Zoning Clearance, Administrative Permit, Minor Use Permit, and Use Permit and maps them to uses in the district tables (see the permit types listed in § 18.25.030 and the permit authority table § 18.400.020) .
• The Design Review Board and the Planning Commission each have prescribed roles: PDUPs and significant site design applications are reviewed by the Design Review Board and/or Planning Commission per the review-authority matrix (§ 18.440.030; § 18.400.020) .
• Appeals of administrative or commission decisions follow the appeals chapter (Division VIII / § 18.510 cross‑references) and the code provides post‑decision procedures and time limits (§ 18.420.060; § 18.510.010) .

(If your project is objective-design-compliant you may avoid discretionary review; otherwise expect design review and the procedures in the permit chapters.)

Specific plans & overlay districts

• Concord uses both specific plans and overlay districts where location‑specific rules are needed. The code describes procedures for general plan, specific plan, and development-code amendments at § 18.455.010–.030 .
• Notable overlays in the code include: the Affordable Housing Overlay (AH) with by‑right provisions for qualifying housing projects and affordability obligations (Chapter 18.115) ; a Commercial Cannabis Overlay that layers city cannabis licensing and locational controls over the base zones (Chapter 18.110) ; and environmental overlays like Creek and Riparian Habitat Protection (Chapter 18.305) . See the Concord Overlay Districts page for the mapping and the overlay text.
• Where overlay requirements conflict with the base code, Concord’s rules generally apply the more restrictive standard (see the conflict rule in the cannabis overlay example) (§ 18.110.080) .

Building permits & the review path — practical steps

1. Pre‑application / initial meeting: the code encourages an early meeting with staff for major housing projects and overlay applicants (§ 18.115.050(A)) .
2. Determine allowed use & permit type: consult the district use table (the “Allowable land uses and permit requirements” tables) to see whether a use is ZC (zoning clearance), AP (administrative permit), MP (minor use permit) or UP (use permit) (§ 18.25.030(B)) .
3. Design/site standards & parking: confirm compliance with Chapter 18.150 (development standards) and Chapter 18.160 (parking); if the proposal does not comply with objective standards, design/site review or discretionary permits will be required (§ 18.150; § 18.160; § 18.415) .
4. Submit to Planning for review authority indicated by Table 18.400.020; administrative permits are processed by staff while use permits go to the Planning Commission or higher (Table 18.400.020 / § 18.400.020) .
5. Building permit: following planning approval, a building permit (and any public‑works/encroachment permits) is required; the code makes clear that planning permits must be obtained prior to building permits (§ 18.25.020(B)) .

For small tenant changes, the code explicitly allows zoning clearances where a new tenant replaces a same/similar use in an existing multi‑tenant building (§ 18.40.030; § 18.25.030) .

State housing law in Concord — ADUs, SB 9, density bonus, rent rules

• Accessory structures standards (size, setback, height) are spelled out in the accessory-structure rules and Table 18.200.030; accessory dwellings will be subject to these constraints as well as state ADU law — see the local accessory rules (Table 18.200.030; § 18.200.030) . For state ADU mechanics and the statewide preemptions and baseline standards, consult the California ADU law resources and the state building code (see California ADU law and the California Building Standards Code links).
• Concord has an Affordable Housing chapter (18.185) that implements inclusionary requirements, density bonuses and affordable housing incentives; it explicitly implements state density-bonus mechanics and local inclusionary rules for projects of five or more units (Chapter 18.185; §§ 18.185.020–.060) .
• The city’s Affordable Housing Overlay (Chapter 18.115) establishes streamlined regulations for qualifying projects and cross‑references density bonus and objective design standards — it also requires a minimum affordable unit percentage for by‑right overlay projects (Chapter 18.115; §§ 18.115.040–.070) .
• SB 9 / lot‑split and two‑unit laws and other state statutes can alter local procedural expectations; Concord’s code contains amendment and rezoning procedures (Chapter 18.455) and specific references where state law is implemented (for example, density-bonus cross‑references in § 18.185) — applicants should plan for concurrent review of local entitlements and state-mandated ministerial approvals (§ 18.455; § 18.185.070) .
• Rent control / tenant protections: no local rent‑control chapter appears in the retrieved development-code materials; housing affordability tools in the code are focused on inclusionary requirements and affordability covenants (see Chapter 18.185) (Chapter 18.185) .

Note: For ADU-specific procedural checklists and any local objective ADU standards, consult the city’s planning counter or the Concord ADUs page; statewide ADU preemptions apply and are summarized in California ADU law guidance.

Information gaps (what I could not confirm in the retrieved materials)

• A stand‑alone, clearly‑labelled local ADU chapter (e.g., a dedicated “Accessory Dwelling Units” article) was not found in the search results; accessory‑structure rules exist (Chapter 18.200) but an explicit, dedicated ADU section text was not retrieved — verify local ADU submittal checklists with the Planning Division (Table 18.200.030; § 18.200.030) .
• Exact parking ratios, in‑lieu fee schedules, the current zoning map image, and full text of district use tables beyond the excerpted rows should be consulted on the official Code Publishing or the city website; the code repeatedly cross‑references Chapter 18.160 for parking and Table 18.400.020 for review authority — those chapters must be read in full for project-level work (§ 18.160; § 18.400.020) .
• Local procedural details (fee amounts, application checklists, and submittal templates) are adopted outside Title 18 (fees and checklists are maintained by the Planning Division) — consult the planning counter.

Source References

• Concord Development Code, Title 18: purpose and applicability § 18.10.010–.030
• Allowable uses, permit types & general permit framework § 18.25.030; exemptions from planning permits § 18.25.050
• Office and commercial district standards: Table 18.40.030 / § 18.40.030 (development standards table)
• Downtown districts (DP, DMX, WMX): § 18.45.010 and associated tables (Chapter 18.45)
• North Todos Santos district tables (FAR & development standards): Tables 18.35.030(A/B) (Chapter 18.35)
• Planned District (PD) rules and use of fallback standards: § 18.25.040
• General development standards / transitional requirements: § 18.150.100; § 18.150.180
• Accessory structures (size, setbacks, height): Table 18.200.030; § 18.200.030
• Parking reference (Chapter 18.160 – Parking, Loading, and Access): § 18.160
• Design & site review / PDUP: § 18.415; § 18.440.010–.030; § 18.440.060
• Permits, review authority & permit matrix: § 18.400.020; Table 18.400.020
• Affordable housing / inclusionary & density bonus: Chapter 18.185 (including § 18.185.020–.060)
• Affordable Housing Overlay: Chapter 18.115 (AH Overlay) (§ 18.115.030–.070)
• Commercial cannabis overlay and conflict rule: Chapter 18.110 (esp. § 18.110.060–.080)
• Creek & riparian protection overlay: Chapter 18.305