Gilroy — Development Standards

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes the development standards in the Gilroy Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 30) that control setbacks, height, lot coverage, density, and FAR. It is Gilroy‑specific: I cite the controlling ordinance sections and the city’s site/building tables rather than model language. Expect district-by-district rules to be set by the residential and commercial site/building tables and by special‑district articles; confirm parcel‑specific numbers with the Planning Division. For related requirements you will also need to check off‑site parking, design review, overlay districts, and ADU rules early in project planning — see the linked resources for those topics inline below.

• The residential site and building standards are summarized in the Residential Site and Building Requirement Table (see § 30.11.20(c)) .
• The commercial site and building standards (including FAR for downtown districts) are set in § 30.19.20 .
• General yard measurement rules and exceptions are in § 30.32.20 .

(Links: "parking", "design review", "overlay districts", "ADUs", "California Building Standards Code", "signage", and "landscaping and screening" are linked at first natural mention to the city topic pages.)

District-by-district development standards (Gilroy Chapter 30)

Notes on reading this section: where the ordinance establishes “the table” as the controlling source I quote the table reference and the clear numeric standards the code text provides. For other numeric values the code either points you to the tables or to PUD/specific‑plan documents; where the table contains the number I cite it directly.

Residential districts (summary of purpose, typical permitted uses, and the ordinance references)

R1 — Single‑Family Residential

• Purpose / typical uses: Principal purpose is single‑family detached dwellings; accessory dwelling units (ADUs) permitted per Article LIV. See the Residential Use Table § 30.11.10 and the single‑family district article § 30.5.30 .
• Key dimensional standards: Minimum lot size generally 6,000 sq ft (or 6,660 sq ft under the street standards adopted in Feb 2006) per the residential table § 30.11.20(c) . Maximum building height generally 35 ft / 2 stories per § 30.11.20(c) . Setbacks are governed by the residential site/building table (front/side/rear — see § 30.11.20(c)) and by the general yard rules § 30.32.20 (measurement and minimums) .
• Where it applies: Established single‑family neighborhoods citywide; see zoning map.

R2 — Two‑Family (Duplex) Residential

• Purpose / uses: Duplexes and lower‑density multifamily as described in § 30.6.10; uses per the residential use table § 30.11.10 .
• Key standards: Minimum lot size 8,000 / 8,880 sq ft (old/new street standards) per § 30.11.20(c); height generally 35 ft / 2 stories; setbacks per table § 30.11.20(c) .
• Special notes: For new subdivisions with five or more lots the two side yards must total 12 ft (planning table footnote) — see § 30.11.20(c) .

R3 — Medium Density Residential

• Purpose / uses: Garden apartments, condominiums; average density intent 8–16 du/acre; uses per the residential table § 30.7.10 / § 30.11.10 .
• Key standards: Maximum density stated as 1 unit per 2,722 sq ft (i.e., approx. 16 du/ac) in § 30.7.40 . Residential heights in the table show ~45 ft / 3 stories as the district maximum for multi‑family (table, § 30.11.20(c)) .
• Site design: Multifamily design policies apply; see § 30.7.50 .

R4 — High Density Residential

• Purpose / uses: High density multifamily (20–30 du/acre typical) close to transit and services; see § 30.8.10 .
• Key standards: Minimum site area per unit ranges from 1,452 sq ft (min) to 2,178 sq ft (max) per § 30.8.40 (i.e., density range reflected in that site area rule) . The residential table shows higher multi‑family height limits such as ~75 ft / up to 6 stories where allowed by the table § 30.11.20(c) .
• Notes: Where an R3/R4 lot is developed with a single‑family house the code caps that dwelling at 35 ft / 2 stories (table footnote) — see § 30.11.20(c) .

RH — Residential Hillside

• Purpose / uses: Hillside conservation and context‑sensitive residential development; see § 30.9.10 .
• Key standards: Setbacks and most site standards are generally set through a PUD or the R1 minimums where PUD exemptions do not apply — see § 30.9.30(a) . Maximum height is 30 ft measured to ridge in most cases, with limited exceptions (some roof/peak conditions limited to 15 ft) — see § 30.9.30(b) . Slope and density formulas are in § 30.9.40 (the ordinance supplies a slope‑based acres/unit formula) .

ND — Neighborhood District

• Purpose / uses: Master‑planned neighborhood areas where the specific plan/master plan prescribes site/building requirements; see § 30.10.30 and the neighborhood density mix rules § 30.10.40 .
• Key standards: Lot, yard, and height are controlled by the adopted neighborhood master plan/specific plan (not by the generic residential table) — see § 30.10.30 .

Commercial and downtown districts

PO / C1 / C3 / HC / CM (Commercial categories)

• Purpose / uses: Range of neighborhood to highway commercial and commercial‑industrial uses; permitted uses are in the commercial use tables and each district’s article; see § 30.12.10 (PO) and § 30.19.20 for the commercial site/building table .
• Key standards (representative): Lot size minimums vary (e.g., PO shows 8,880 sq ft minimum for lots created after Sept 2005 in the table); typical maximum building height 35 ft / 2 stories for many commercial districts, with C3/HC allowing taller heights (up to 55 ft / 4 stories) per the commercial table § 30.19.20 .
• Setbacks and side/rear rules: commercial site and building table sets specific front/side/rear minimums (see § 30.19.20). Measure front setbacks from the face of curb per the yard rules § 30.32.20 .

Downtown / Specific Plan districts — DHD, DED, CCA, TD, CD (Cannery), GD

• Purpose / uses: Downtown historic, expansion, civic/cultural and other downtown subdistricts; the Downtown Specific Plan and the commercial table control building form and intensity — see § 30.19.20 and the downtown table entries (FAR and density rules) .
• Key standards (FAR/density): For the downtown table the ordinance provides FAR values and density rules for each downtown district. Representative values from the commercial table: DHD/DED: FAR 2.5 (Monterey St.–Church St. standard), CCA: FAR 1.5 / 1.0 (varies by block), TD: FAR 1.55, CD: FAR 2.05 (see § 30.19.20 table) . The Cannery District (CD) separately states commercial/mixed‑use projects may have a maximum FAR 2.0 and residential component minimum 20 du/ac, standalone residential 20–40 du/ac — see § 30.14.53 .
• Urban design: Downtown districts include additional facade, floor‑level, and railroad‑corridor standards in the table and footnotes § 30.19.20 .

Industrial districts

M1 / M2 / CI / CM (Industrial / Commercial‑Industrial)

• Purpose / uses: Light to heavier industrial and commercial‑industrial uses; see Article XX for M1 and the industrial use tables (e.g., § 30.20.10 and § 30.23.10) .
• Key standards: Typical maximum heights: many industrial districts allow 35 ft / 2 stories for CI and M1 while more intensive industrial (M2) can allow 75 ft / up to 6 stories per the industrial table (see the industrial district table and § 30.19.20 / industrial articles) .

Special districts and overlays

PUD — Planned Unit Development combining district

• Purpose / rules: A PUD allows customized relationships of buildings, open space, and height; PUD approvals set the site/building/landscaping standards for the PUD parcel — see § 30.26.10–30.26.30. The PUD must keep at least 75% of land in base‑zone permitted uses and may allow up to 25% other uses by the PUD approval § 30.26.20–30.26.30 .
• Practical effect: Yard, height, and lot coverage in a PUD are those approved in the PUD application, not the base table, unless the PUD approval states otherwise § 30.26.30(b) .

Glen Loma Ranch special use district

• Rules: Site, yard, height and other requirements are set by the Glen Loma Ranch Specific Plan’s Development Standards (referenced in § 30.30.30) — see § 30.30.30 .

PF — Park / Public Facilities

• Key standards: Maximum building coverage 30% and maximum height 30 ft; yard requirements default to the most restrictive abutting district § 30.25.30 .

Standards that apply citywide and measurement rules

• Yards, measurement, and minimums: The general yard rules (how setbacks are measured; minimum 3 ft side, minimum 10 ft rear at any point; front setback measured from face of curb on corner lots; paving limits in front yard — 50% max) are in § 30.32.20 and § 30.32.30 .
• FAR vs. density: The code explicitly directs use of FAR for commercial/mixed‑use project sizing and residential density for standalone residential projects in several districts — see commercial table notes in § 30.19.20 .
• Administrative height exceptions: The planning division manager may approve certain architectural features extending up to 10% above the height limit (table footnote) — see commercial table footnote in § 30.19.20 .

Table — decision‑relevant summary (representative selected districts)

Practical guidance: always pull the correct row in the Residential Site and Building Requirement Table (§ 30.11.20(c)) or the Commercial Site and Building Requirement Table (§ 30.19.20) for the subject parcel — those are the operative numeric sources for setbacks, heights, lot sizes and where FAR vs density applies .

Links to related Gilroy pages you will need during development review:

• Off‑street parking rules referenced in many district tables (see § 30.31.20) — check Gilroy’s parking page for local standards and exemptions (linked reference: parking) .
• If your project triggers architectural or site review, see the city design review page; RH and some PUDs require architectural/site review per their articles § 30.9.30 and § 30.26.30 .
• Overlay and combining district rules can modify setbacks/heights — check overlay districts and the overlay article language (various PUD and overlay combining district sections) .
• ADU rules are governed in Article LIV and are referenced by the residential use table; see the local ADUs page and the state ADU law for interplay (ADUs are permitted in residential zones per § 30.11.15(a)) .
• Site elements such as signage, landscaping and screening, and fence rules are called out in multiple tables and articles (see § 30.11.20(c), § 30.19.20 and the respective articles for signs and landscaping) .
• Building‑code compliance (structural, life‑safety) is outside the zoning ordinance and is governed by the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) — see the state building code link.

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy before building)

• Confirm the parcel’s zoning and the exact row in the Residential Site/Building Table (§ 30.11.20(c)) or Commercial Site/Building Table (§ 30.19.20) and extract numeric setbacks, heights, FAR/density .
• Verify whether the parcel is inside an overlay, PUD, ND master plan, or downtown specific plan that supersedes the base table (PUD rules in § 30.26.30, ND in § 30.10.30) .
• Confirm required parking for the proposed use under Article XXXI (§ 30.31.20–30.31.21) and whether any parking exemptions apply (e.g., ADU rules) .
• Check design review and architectural/site review triggers (RH, PUD, downtown districts) and schedule pre‑application/design review as needed (§ 30.9.30, PUD procedures § 30.26.30) .
• If proposing density or affordable housing incentives, check the state density‑bonus law as referenced in § 30.46.40 (the code defers to Gov. Code § 65915) .
• Confirm sign, landscaping, and fence requirements called out by the tables and their respective articles (signs § 30.37.x; landscaping Article XXXVIII) .
• For hillside or steep slope parcels, apply the RH slope/density formula and hillside guidelines per § 30.9.40–30.9.60 .
• For ADUs, confirm compliance with Article LIV and relevant state ADU law (local ADU references in § 30.11.15) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

If you own a lot in Gilroy, the basic “how big and how tall” rules for your project (setbacks, height, lot coverage, FAR, densities) live in the city’s two site/building tables: the Residential Site and Building Requirement Table (§ 30.11.20(c)) and the Commercial Site and Building Requirement Table (§ 30.19.20). Special districts (PUDs, hillside or neighborhood specific plans, downtown subdistricts) commonly replace those table numbers, so always check whether an overlay or specific plan applies to your parcel before relying on base‑zone numbers .

Source References

• Residential Site and Building Requirement Table: § 30.11.20(c)
• Residential use and district articles: § 30.11.10 (use table) and district articles § 30.5.30 (R1), § 30.6.10 (R2), § 30.7.10–30.7.50 (R3), § 30.8.10–30.8.50 (R4)
• Commercial Site and Building Requirement Table (lot coverage, FAR, setbacks for downtown/commercial districts): § 30.19.20 (includes downtown FAR entries)
• Cannery District development standards and FAR/density: § 30.14.50–30.14.54 (Cannery District; density/FAR rules)
• PUD combining district and site/building rule delegation: § 30.26.10–30.26.30
• Yards (measurement rules, minimum clearances, front/side/rear rules, paving in front yard): § 30.32.10–30.32.30
• RH Hillside district rules (height, slope, density formula): § 30.9.10–30.9.50
• Off‑street parking (applicable to most districts): Article XXXI, § 30.31.10–30.31.21
• Nonconforming uses and expansions (limits on enlarging nonconforming uses/buildings): Article XLVIII, § 30.48.10–30.48.20
• Gilroy Zoning Ordinance (short title and chapter): § 30.1.20 and related introductory text (Chapter 30)
• State building/ADU context (for where zoning interacts with Title 24 and state ADU law): California Building Standards Code (Title 24) — refer to state codes; local ADU references in § 30.11.15 and Article LIV (ADUs)

Internal city topic pages referenced inline (first occurrences):
parking: /us/california/gilroy/parking
design review: /us/california/gilroy/design-review
overlay districts: /us/california/gilroy/overlay-districts
ADUs: /us/california/gilroy/adu
California Building Standards Code: /us/california/building-codes
signage: /us/california/gilroy/signage
landscaping and screening: /us/california/gilroy/landscaping-and-screening

Retrieved passages

• Gilroy Zoning Code (section 30.50.50.) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (section 30.11.20) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (Article XXXI) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (section 30.19.20.) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (Article 07) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (Article 09) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (Article 26) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (section 30.11.20) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (section 30.11.20) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (Article 32) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (Article XIV) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (section 30.11.10) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (section 30.50.50.) High relevance show source text
• Gilroy Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Residential Site and Building Requirement Table: **§ 30.11.20(c)** (§ 30.11.20)
• Residential use and district articles: **§ 30.11.10** (use table) and district articles **§ 30.5.30** (R1), **§ 30.6.10** (R2), **§ 30.7.10–30.7.50** (R3), **§ 30.8.10–30.8.50** (R4) (§ 30.11.10)
• Commercial Site and Building Requirement Table (lot coverage, FAR, setbacks for downtown/commercial districts): **§ 30.19.20** (includes downtown FAR entries) (§ 30.19.20)
• Cannery District development standards and FAR/density: **§ 30.14.50–30.14.54** (Cannery District; density/FAR rules) (§ 30.14.50)
• PUD combining district and site/building rule delegation: **§ 30.26.10–30.26.30** (§ 30.26.10)
• Yards (measurement rules, minimum clearances, front/side/rear rules, paving in front yard): **§ 30.32.10–30.32.30** (§ 30.32.10)
• RH Hillside district rules (height, slope, density formula): **§ 30.9.10–30.9.50** (§ 30.9.10)
• Off‑street parking (applicable to most districts): Article XXXI, **§ 30.31.10–30.31.21** (Article XXXI)
• Nonconforming uses and expansions (limits on enlarging nonconforming uses/buildings): Article XLVIII, **§ 30.48.10–30.48.20** (Article XLVIII)
• Gilroy Zoning Ordinance (short title and chapter): **§ 30.1.20** and related introductory text (Chapter 30) (title and)
• State building/ADU context (for where zoning interacts with Title 24 and state ADU law): California Building Standards Code (Title 24) — refer to state codes; local ADU references in **§ 30.11.15** and Article LIV (ADUs) (Title 24)
• Gilroy_ZoningCode.md

• Official Gilroy code library