Half Moon Bay Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Half Moon Bay’s municipal zoning is codified in Title 18 — Zoning; the code organizes district rules, use tables, development standards, and procedural chapters that implement the City’s General Plan and Local Coastal Program (§ 18.01.010 ). This page orients you to where the rules live, the city’s district families (residential, commercial, open space, PUD), the main citywide standards (setbacks, height, FAR, lot coverage, parking), how design and discretionary review work, the downtown specific plan / overlays that change rules in places, the typical building‑permit path, and how state housing laws (ADUs, density bonus) are folded into Half Moon Bay’s code.

How Half Moon Bay's code is organized

• Title 18 is the Zoning title; the ordinance opens with intent, district designations and a table of contents listing chapters and sections (for example § 18.01.010 and the chapter index under Title 18). See the zoning intent and district list at § 18.01.010 and § 18.01.015 and the Title 18 table of contents listing relevant chapters (residential, commercial, ADUs, PUD, coastal, etc.) § 18.06.080 and Title entries .
• Major topic locations:
  • Use classifications and definitions: Chapter 18.02 and Chapter 18.03 (definitions and use tables) § 18.02.040; § 18.03.010 .
  • Residential district rules: Chapter 18.06 (R‑1 / R‑2 / R‑3) § 18.06.030–.050 .
  • Commercial downtown / residential: Chapter 18.07 (C‑D, C‑R) § 18.07.015–.060 .
  • Visitor‑serving / general commercial: Chapter 18.08 (C‑VS, C‑G) § 18.08.015–.030 .
  • Planned Unit Development / Specific Plans: Chapter 18.15 (PUD / specific plans) § 18.15.015–.045 .
  • Accessory Dwelling Units: Chapter 18.33 § 18.33.010–.090 (streamlined ADU path and standards) .
  • Coastal and resource overlays: Chapters 18.20 (Local Coastal Program references) and 18.37/18.38 scenic, viewshed and bluff/coastal standards § 18.37.025–.040; § 18.38.070 .
  • Parking standards live in Chapter 18.36 (referenced in district chapters) and local parking rules are repeated in district sections § 18.07.045 .

(If you want the quick navigation: the code’s table of contents shows the chapter headings and section numbers so you can jump to the single chapter that controls each topic § 18.01.010 .)

Zoning district families

Half Moon Bay’s code establishes the following main district families (names and where the rules live):

• Residential districts: R‑1, R‑2, R‑3 — rules and development standards in Chapter 18.06 (see the R‑district development tables and specific standards) § 18.06.030–.040 .
• Commercial districts:
  • C‑D (Commercial‑Downtown) — downtown/historic main‑street rules and special frontage policies § 18.07.015; § 18.07.040 .
  • C‑R (Commercial‑Residential) — lower‑intensity commercial/residential transition rules § 18.07.035 .
  • C‑VS (Commercial‑Visitor Serving) and C‑G (Commercial‑General) — visitor serving and general commercial districts described in Chapter 18.08 § 18.08.015 .
• Open space and reserves: OS‑A, OS‑P, OS‑C, and OS‑R / U‑R reserve districts are handled in Chapters 18.12 and 18.11 (open space, open space reserve, urban reserve) § 18.12.010; § 18.11.010 .
• Planned Unit Development / Specific Plans: PUD designation and PUD procedures are in Chapter 18.15; PUDs are the vehicle for specific plans and the chapter states PUDs and specific plans are synonymous for Title 18 purposes § 18.15.015; § 18.15.045 .
• Historic / downtown overlay: the downtown specific plan and “old downtown” design controls (visual resources, continuity of Main Street, demolition limits) are applied via Chapter 18.37 and the commercial downtown chapter § 18.37.040; § 18.07.010 .

Citywide development standards

This is the high‑level picture (citations give the controlling sections):

• Where standards live and apply:

  • District‑specific standards (setback, height, lot size, coverage, FAR) are in each district chapter — e.g., residential development standards and tables in § 18.06.030–.050 (R districts) ; commercial district standards in § 18.07.035–.040 and § 18.08.030 (C‑D, C‑R, C‑VS, C‑G) .
  • Citywide “general development standards” (landscaping, noise limits, parking plan requirement, coastal resource compliance, architectural/site design review) are collected in § 18.07.030 and related district general sections § 18.07.030; § 18.08.030 .

• Typical numeric rules you’ll see in the code (district examples; confirm against the exact parcel zoning):

  • Single‑family R district baseline: front setback 18 ft, side setbacks 5 ft, rear setback 20 ft, typical max height 30 ft for the residential subdivision standard in the relevant chapter (§ 18.16.035; these R‑district thresholds and building envelope rules are laid out in the residential chapters) § 18.16.035 .
  • R‑2/R‑3 tables: multi‑story site coverage commonly 35%, single‑story 50%, FAR often 0.5:1 for R‑1/R‑2 (see Table C for R‑2/R‑3) § 18.06.040 .
  • C‑D downtown: minimum lot 5,000 sq ft, encouraged zero front setback on Main Street with exceptions, maximum height 36 ft / 3 stories, parking location limits on Main Street (no parking facing Main) § 18.07.040 .
  • C‑R: front setback 20 ft, max height 28 ft, landscaping minimum 25% for commercial site area § 18.07.035 .
  • Substandard/severely substandard lot rules and special envelopes are spelled out in Chapter 18.06 Tables E/F (smaller building envelopes, specified parking minimums) § 18.06.050 .
  • Parking: multifamily standards — 1 space per studio/1‑BR, 1.5 spaces per 2+ BR, plus 1 guest per 4 units; mixed‑use rules and reductions (shared‑use up to 20% reduction, guest parking waivers on Heritage Main Street under conditions) are in the district parking rules and Chapter 18.36 references § 18.07.045 . See the city’s parking page for how the code treats visitor vs. residential parking.

• Design, landscaping, trash and screening: landscaping plans are required with new construction or extensive remodels (§ 18.07.030(E)); parking lots require interior/perimeter landscaping and tree counts (§ 18.08.035); refuse enclosure and screening standards are called out in the district chapters § 18.08.035 .

• Coastal, scenic and habitat overlays: coastal resource conservation standards and more restrictive overlay standards apply where coastal or ESHA (environmentally sensitive habitat areas) issues exist; the code says “the more restrictive standard applies” § 18.12.030 and scenic/viewshed protections are in Chapter 18.37 § 18.37.025–.040 .

(For a parcel‑level determination always confirm the parcel’s zoning and applicable overlays on the city zoning map and the Local Coastal Program map — those maps are adopted and incorporated by reference into Title 18 § 18.01.025 .)

Specific plans & overlays

• Downtown specific plan / historic resources: the code ties the downtown area to the downtown specific plan and historic resources ordinance; downtown additions and demolitions are regulated by § 18.37.040 and commercial downtown chapters, which require scale, continuity of Main Street, and compliance with the downtown specific plan § 18.37.040; § 18.07.010 .
• Scenic corridors, bluff/Beach viewshed and upland slopes are covered in Chapter 18.37 / 18.38: the code requires bluff setbacks and design to avoid view loss and minimize visual impacts (e.g., beach viewshed standards, minimum bluff setbacks) § 18.37.025; § 18.38.070 .
• Planned Unit Development / Specific Plans are implemented through Chapter 18.15; PUDs may be used to adopt specific plans and PUD plans must meet the findings and conditions laid out in § 18.15.040–.045 .

(See the city’s overlay districts and historic preservation pages when you’re mapping overlays that modify base district rules.)

Building permits & review — the typical path

Practical step sequence and where the rules live:

1. Confirm zoning, overlays and allowable uses (use tables and district chapters: § 18.01.015; § 18.03.010; § 18.06.020 ) .
2. Check development standards for the district (setbacks/height/FAR/coverage) — consult the district chapter (e.g., R chapters § 18.06.030–.050; C‑D/C‑R § 18.07.035–.040) .
3. Confirm whether design review/architectural review or a use permit is required — the code requires architectural/site design review where specified and prior to building permits when design review is required § 18.07.030(P); § 18.06.080(C) .
4. Prepare required plans: parking plan (Chapter 18.36 and district parking rules) — see parking and § 18.07.045 for parking calculations and shared‑parking allowances .
5. Coastal development permit: projects in the coastal zone must follow Chapter 18.20 and the code states CDP requirements apply where relevant § 18.07.030(Q); § 18.33.020 (ADU CDP treatment) .
6. Building permit issuance: building permits are required for new construction, additions, remodels (with limited exceptions); see the building permit rules in residential and commercial permit sections § 18.06.080; § 18.07.060 .
7. Appeals / variances / exceptions: variances/ exceptions and PUD/use permit processes are handled under Chapters 18.22 (procedures), 18.23 (variances/ exceptions) and 18.15 (PUD), with findings and timelines specified § 18.15.040–.045 .

Design review: the code requires architectural/site and design review procedures before permit issuance when required by the chapter and provides standards for review; see the design‑review callouts in § 18.07.030(P) and the permits/plan review requirements in § 18.06.080 and § 18.07.060 . For implementation guidance see the city’s design review page.

State housing law in Half Moon Bay

Summary of how key California housing laws are implemented in Title 18:

• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs/JADUs)
  • ADUs are expressly permitted and regulated in Chapter 18.33; the city provides a streamlined ADU path with ministerial/administrative standards and a sixty‑day timeline for decisions where applicable § 18.33.010–.030 . Specific provisions include: allowed zones, minimum setbacks, detached ADU height limits in the code (e.g., detached ADU height limit 16 ft in some standards), parking replacement rules when a garage is removed, and CDP rules for coastal parcels § 18.33.030–.060 . See the city’s ADUs page for the local ADU chapter overview.
• Density bonus and incentives
  • The city has a local density bonus/incentive chapter that implements state density bonus law and provides local incentives; density bonus calculation and concessions are in Chapter 18.42 § 18.42.040–.050 (density bonus calculation, rounding, and incentives) .
• SB 9 (ministerial lot splits / duplexes)
  • SB 9–specific ministerial duplex/lot‑split language is not explicitly found in the retrieved Title 18 excerpts provided here; I could not locate an explicit SB 9 implementation section in the retrieved materials (Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the city / planning counter or updated ordinance). Confirm with the Community Development Department or the city’s online code updates.
• Rent control / tenant protections
  • Title 18 (the zoning code) does not appear to contain local rent control regulations; no rent‑control chapter or rent limits are present in the Title 18 excerpts we reviewed (Not found in retrieved materials). Verify at city clerk or municipal code search for municipal rent ordinances.
• Interaction with state building code / Title 24
  • Building code compliance and permit conditions refer applicants to the California Building Standards Code; ADU and building permits explicitly require compliance with building code standards § 18.06.070; § 18.33.030 . See the state California Building Standards Code link for the statewide technical code that local building permits enforce.

If you need a parcel‑level determination about SB 9 or other recent state mandates, I recommend asking the Community Development Director or checking the city’s ordinance updates; I could not find SB 9‑specific implementing text in the provided Title 18 materials (verify with the jurisdiction).

Practical takeaways for landowners, developers, and neighbors

• Start at the zoning district: the base rules (setbacks/height/coverage/FAR) for a property are in that district’s chapter — e.g., R‑1/R‑2 tables in Chapter 18.06 (§ 18.06.040) and C‑D/C‑R rules in Chapter 18.07 (§ 18.07.035–.040) .
• Expect the following packs of required plans when proposing new construction or intensification: a site/architectural plan (for design review as required § 18.07.030(P)), a parking plan (Chapter 18.36 and district parking sections § 18.07.045), a landscaping plan, and coastal/biological/geotechnical reports where bluff/coastal or riparian overlays apply § 18.07.030(E); § 18.37.025; § 18.38.070 .
• ADU applicants: use the streamlined ADU chapter (Chapter 18.33) where possible — the code lists when ADUs are ministerial, the setbacks, parking replacement rules, CDP requirements, and ministerial timelines § 18.33.020–.060 .
• Downtown/Main Street projects must meet downtown specific plan/historic standards (scale, continuity of building lines, preservation rules in § 18.37.040 and commercial downtown chapter § 18.07.010–.040) .

Source References

• Half Moon Bay Municipal Code, Title 18 — Zoning (table of contents and chapter list), including § 18.01.010 and district designations § 18.01.015 (code download page) — https://ecode360.com/HA4470
• Chapter 18.06 Residential Land Use (R‑1 / R‑2 / R‑3), development tables and exceptions § 18.06.030–.050 — https://ecode360.com/HA4470
• Chapter 18.07 Commercial Land Use (C‑D, C‑R) and district development standards § 18.07.015; § 18.07.035; § 18.07.040; § 18.07.060 — https://ecode360.com/HA4470
• Chapter 18.08 Commercial Visitor‑Serving / General (C‑VS, C‑G), uses and general standards § 18.08.015; § 18.08.030 — https://ecode360.com/HA4470
• Chapter 18.33 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU/JADU) — streamlined ADU rules, setbacks, CDP interactions § 18.33.010–.090 — https://ecode360.com/HA4470
• Chapter 18.15 Planned Unit Development / Specific Plans (PUD) — how specific plans and PUDs are processed § 18.15.015; § 18.15.045 — https://ecode360.com/HA4470
• Chapter 18.37 scenic, upland slopes, and old downtown/downtown specific plan standards § 18.37.025; § 18.37.035; § 18.37.040 — https://ecode360.com/HA4470
• Parking and parking reductions / mixed‑use rules (district parking standards referencing Chapter 18.36), including mixed‑use shared‑parking and guest space rules § 18.07.045 — https://ecode360.com/HA4470
• Density bonus and incentives chapter (implementation of state density bonus law) § 18.42.040–.050 — https://ecode360.com/HA4470