Garden Grove · Land use · Single-family home
Where is a single-family home allowed in Garden Grove?
In Garden Grove, a single-family home is allowed in 3 base zones (R-1, R-2 and R-3) and not allowed in 8 (Garden Grove use tables, read October 2026).
Key points
- Allowed: R-1, R-2 and R-3
- Not allowed: GGMU-1, GGMU-2, GGMU-3, CC-2, CC-3, CC-OS, NMU and AR
Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the Garden Grove Municipal Code use tables (read October 2026). Base zones only. General information, not legal advice — check with the city before you apply.
Zones where a single-family home can go
Garden Grove's code calls this use “Single-Family Dwelling”. Each row links to the use table it comes from. A zone marked “see note” has a condition in the code, for example upper floors only or a larger lot.
| Zone | Status | Code |
|---|---|---|
| R-1 Single-Family Residential | Allowed | § 9.08.020 |
| R-2 Limited Multiple Residential | Allowed | § 9.12.020 |
| R-3 Multiple-Family Residential | Allowed | § 9.12.020 |
Zones where it is not allowed
What else applies
- Standards for this use: Table comment (S5): See Section 9.18.110.040 (Existing Nonconforming Single-Family Dwellings).
- R-1 row is printed "Single-Family Dwelling 1" but footnote 1 is about transitional/supportive housing, so no note is attached. CC-1 "P" (S5) is left out: the table comment points to Section 9.18.110.040, which only makes single-family dwellings EXISTING as of October 27, 2011 a permitted use, so it is not a general "allowed" for new homes.
- State law: State law lets most single-family lots add an ADU and a JADU (California ADU law) and a second home or a lot split under SB 9 (Gov. Code § 65852.21).
- Not covered here: PUD (planned unit development) zones and specific plans (Chapter 9.28: each specific plan has its own use list); Overlay zones (Emergency Shelter Overlay Zone) and any other zone whose use table is not in the packet; R-1 use table covers R-1 only; commercial/industrial table has no residential rows. Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.
Other uses in Garden Grove
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a single-family home in the GGMU-1 zone in Garden Grove?
No. Garden Grove's use table does not allow it in GGMU-1 (Garden Grove Boulevard Mixed Use 1) (Chapter 9.18 — MIXED USE REGULATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS).
Can I have a single-family home in the R-1 zone in Garden Grove?
Yes. Garden Grove's use table lists it as allowed in R-1 (Single-Family Residential) (§ 9.08.020).
General information, not legal advice.
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