Daly City Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Daly City’s land‑use rules are codified in Title 17 (Zoning) of the Municipal Code and are organized as a conventional zoning title with district chapters, procedural chapters (permitting, appeals, variances), and topic chapters (design review, parking, ADUs, density bonus, overlays and specific plans). The city uses a mix of traditional residential, commercial, industrial and BART‑area districts plus combining/overlay districts and several Specific Plans (notably the BART Station Area Specific Plan and the Sullivan Corridor Specific Plan) to shape transit‑oriented and corridor redevelopment. For practical next steps the code points applicants to (1) establish the property’s zoning on the zoning map, (2) confirm applicable specific plans/combining districts, (3) follow Chapter 17 development standards and objective design standards, and (4) submit building permit paperwork after any required design/conformity review or discretionary approvals (see § 17.06.010; § 17.29.010; § 17.58.110; § 17.45.030) .

(Useful quick links: see the Daly City zoning menu and the development standards page for permit forms and checklists.)

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How Daly City's code is organized

• Title: the local zoning law is in Title 17 (Zoning) of the Daly City Municipal Code; the city lists districts and topic chapters under this Title (see § 17.06.010) .
• District chapters: each zoning district family has its own chapter (for example Chapter 17.15 — BC BART Commercial District, Chapter 17.29 — -B BART Station Area Combining District, Chapter 17.58 — C‑MU Commercial Mixed‑Use District) where permitted uses and numeric controls are stated (see § 17.15.010; § 17.29.010; § 17.58.010) .
• Procedural chapters: permitting and appeals live in discrete chapters — design review in Chapter 17.45, administrative use permits and their findings/appeals in Chapter 17.49, variances and appeals in Chapter 17.32, amendments in Chapter 17.48, and enforcement in Chapter 17.50 (§ 17.45.030; § 17.49.070; § 17.32.230; § 17.48.030; § 17.50.020) .
• Topic chapters: the code includes stand‑alone chapters for parking (Chapter 17.34 — see cross‑references), landscaping (Chapter 17.41), signs, telecommunications, ADUs (within Chapter 17.40), and density bonus (Chapter 17.52) — see the relevant cross‑references in district chapters (see § 17.58.090; § 17.40.110; § 17.52.010) .

Navigation tip: start at § 17.06.020 (zoning map/boundaries) to confirm a parcel’s zone, then read that district chapter for permitted uses and refer to the cross‑referenced topic chapters (design review, parking, landscaping) for standards and application requirements (§ 17.06.020) .

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Zoning district families

The code explicitly lists the city’s districts (the authoritative list you should use when checking a parcel):

• Residential families: MHP (Mobilehome Park), R‑1 (Single‑family), R‑1/A (Single‑family/duplex), R‑2 (Two‑family), R‑2/A, R‑3 (Multiple‑family), BRM (BART multiple‑family), R‑4 (Multiple‑family & professional) (all listed in § 17.06.010) .
• Commercial / Office / Industrial: BC (BART Commercial), C‑O (Office Commercial), BOC (BART Office Commercial), C‑1 (Light Commercial), C‑2 (Heavy Commercial), M (Industrial), C‑MU (Commercial Mixed‑Use) (see § 17.06.010; § 17.58.010 for the C‑MU intent) .
• Planned / special: P‑D (Planned Development), Pre‑PD, I‑D (Interim), S‑1 (Design Review Combining District) and combining overlays such as -B (BART Station Area Combining District) (see § 17.06.010; § 17.29.020) .
• Open space / other: OS (Open Space), CEM (Cemetery) (see § 17.23.010; § 17.06.010) .

Example numeric rules called out in the district chapters: the BC district sets a maximum height of 35 ft, minimum lot area 5,000 sq ft, and lot coverage 35–60% in its table of standards (see § 17.15.010) . The newer C‑MU district is expressly oriented toward higher‑density, vertically mixed projects and includes objective design standards and a cross‑reference to parking rules (§ 17.58.010; § 17.58.090; § 17.58.110) .

(If you need a quick map lookup, begin with the district list at § 17.06.010 and then review the referenced chapter for that district) .

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Citywide development standards

Daly City structures its citywide standards across district tables and dedicated chapters. Important control points and where to find them:

• Setbacks / lot standards / heights / lot coverage / FAR — stated in each district chapter’s table and in plan‑specific tables (for example BC table: 35 ft max height; Sullivan Corridor Specific Plan table includes FAR references) (§ 17.15.010; § 17.21.030) .
• Parking — off‑street parking standards live in Chapter 17.34 (Off‑Street Parking and Loading) and district chapters repeatedly cross‑refer to Chapter 17.34 (C‑MU requires compliance with Chapter 17.34 unless superseded by state law; see § 17.58.090) — consult the city’s parking page and § 17.58.090 for how parking is applied to new construction (§ 17.34; § 17.58.090) .
• Landscaping & screening — landscape plan submittal and standards are in Chapter 17.41 and design review submittals must comply with it (see § 17.45.060; § 17.41 referenced in design review findings) .
• Objective design standards (ODS) — the C‑MU district requires projects to conform to Council‑adopted ODS and establishes a formal conformity review process with timelines (applicants must request conformity review at least 180 days prior to building permit submittal; planning staff returns findings within 45 days; resubmittals within 30 days) (§ 17.58.110) .
• Signs/lighting/maintenance — sign rules and sign‑variance procedures are found in the sign chapter and in district sign subsections (see Chapter 17.32 for sign variances and application procedures) (§ 17.32.230) .

For practical checklists, use the district chapter (numeric table) plus the development standards page and the landscaping and screening guidance when you prepare plans.

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Specific plans & overlays

The city uses Specific Plans and combining districts to adjust or supersede base zone rules:

• BART Station Area Specific Plan / -B Combining District — implemented through Chapter 17.29, the -B combining district modifies underlying districts to encourage dense, mixed‑use, transit‑oriented development and requires design review for all new construction in the -B area (§ 17.29.010; § 17.29.060) . See the Daly City overlay districts menu for maps and guidance.
• Sullivan Corridor Specific Plan — implemented through a dedicated district chapter; the chapter instructs that the specific plan’s regulations prevail and must be used alongside the zoning chapter (see § 17.21.020; § 17.21.030) .
• S‑1 Design Review Combining District and other overlays are identified in the district list and applied where extra design controls apply (see § 17.06.010) .

When a specific plan or combining district conflicts with the underlying zoning rules, the specific plan/combining district provisions prevail (see § 17.29.020) .

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Building permits & review — the practical path

1. Confirm zoning and overlays: read § 17.06.010 and § 17.06.020 to place the parcel on the zoning map and identify overlays/specific plans affecting the site (§ 17.06.010; § 17.06.020) .
2. Check district standards: read the applicable district chapter for permitted uses, height, lot coverage, FAR, and what types of permits are required (e.g., use permit, administrative use permit) (see typical district tables such as § 17.15.010; § 17.58.030) .
3. Design review / site plan / conformity review: where design review or objective design standard conformity is required, applicants must submit the required plans and materials and receive approval before building permit issuance (see Chapter 17.45 — applications, required data, findings; and § 17.58.110 for the C‑MU conformity review timelines) (§ 17.45.050; § 17.45.070; § 17.58.110) . For design review procedures and required submittals see the Daly City design review guidance.
4. Permits and administrative use permits: administrative use permits follow findings and timelines in Chapter 17.49 (findings required prior to approval; permits expire after one year unless renewed; city may revoke for noncompliance) (§ 17.49.070; § 17.49.100; § 17.49.110) .
5. Appeals and variances: appeals of planner decisions go to the planning commission and city council per Chapter 17.32 and 17.49; variances are available under the ordinance’s procedures when strict application would cause hardship (see § 17.32.230; § 17.32.240) .
6. Final inspections and certificates: projects must meet the building, fire and other safety codes prior to final inspection; ADU projects must file a certificate of registration per § 17.40.110 (see § 17.40.110) .

If objective design standards apply (for example in C‑MU), the city requires a pre‑building‑permit conformity review with specific timelines; failure to address planning staff recommendations can block building permit release (§ 17.58.110) .

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State housing law in Daly City

California state housing laws affect local implementation; Daly City’s Title 17 shows explicit local implementation points and some local standards that can be subject to state preemption.

• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs & JADUs): Daly City’s ADU rules are codified in Chapter 17.40. The code requires owner occupancy and a recorded deed restriction via the certificate of registration procedure (§ 17.40.110) and lists development standards and parking exceptions in Chapter 17.40 (see Chapter 17.40 generally; § 17.40.110 for the certificate/owner‑occupancy requirement) . See the Daly City ADUs menu for permit steps. Note: statewide ADU statutes impose limits on local ADU restrictions — see the summary in the uploaded California ADU handbook and the statewide guidance at California ADU law for where state law may supersede local rules (compare Chapter 17.40 to state provisions) .
• Density bonus: Daly City implements state density bonus law through Chapter 17.52, explicitly stating the chapter’s role to comply with Government Code § 65915 and to implement the General Plan (see § 17.52.010; § 17.52.020) . Applicants for five or more units should consult § 17.52.020 for applicability and the state statute for precise bonus calculations.
• SB 9 / lot splits / ministerial approval: no explicit SB 9 implementation language was identified in the retrieved Title 17 materials. The code has procedures for amendments and boundary changes (Chapter 17.48) and for duplex/multifamily zones, but specific SB 9 ministerial lot split/duplex implementation language was not found in the retrieved excerpts; verify with the planning division or updated online code for the city’s adopted SB 9 procedures (Not found in retrieved materials; verify with jurisdiction) .
• Rent control / eviction rules: Daly City’s Title 17 focuses on land use; the retrieved zoning materials do not show local rent‑control regulations. If you’re looking for tenant protections or rent ordinances check the municipal code beyond Title 17 or contact the city clerk (Not found in retrieved materials; verify with jurisdiction).

For state code cross‑reference on construction standards, the city requires compliance with Title 24 (the California Building Standards Code) at building permit review (see design review/building permit cross‑references and the city’s requirement that projects meet building and fire codes) .

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Information gaps / verification notes

• No explicit SB 9 implementation text was found in the retrieved Title 17 excerpts — confirm with the city for current ministerial SB 9 rules (Not found in retrieved materials) .
• Some ADU development standard list items appear in Chapter 17.40 but specific section numbers for each listed standard were not available in the search snippets; see Chapter 17.40 and § 17.40.110 for registration/owner‑occupancy and the full set of ADU standards in the municipal code (see Chapter 17.40) .

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Source References

• Daly City Zoning Code (Title 17) — chapters and sections cited above (see § 17.06.010; § 17.06.020; Chapter 17.15; Chapter 17.21; Chapter 17.23; Chapter 17.29; Chapter 17.32; Chapter 17.34 cross‑references; Chapter 17.40; Chapter 17.41; Chapter 17.45; Chapter 17.48; Chapter 17.49; Chapter 17.50; Chapter 17.52; Chapter 17.58) .
• California ADU law summary (uploaded handbook) — for statewide constraints and how they can limit local ADU rules; compare with Chapter 17.40 (see uploaded 2025 California ADU handbook) .
• City internal guidance pages (use these in parallel with Title 17): Daly City zoning; land use; development standards; parking; design review; overlay districts; ADUs; California Building Standards Code; California housing laws; California ADU law.