Imperial County · Zoning · R-2
Imperial County R-2 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Imperial County's R-2 zone, generally buildings can be up to 40 ft (3 stories) tall, the front setback is 25 ft and the minimum lot size is 6,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Imperial County code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 40 ft (Primary residential buildings; maximum is whichever is less of three stories or forty feet.)
- Maximum number of stories: 3 stories (Primary residential buildings.)
- Minimum front setback: 25 ft (At a minimum two off-street parking spaces per unit plus one visitor parking space for every two units is provided, which must be behind the setback line.)
- Minimum side setback: 5 ft
- Minimum lot size: 6,000 sq ft (Basic lot minimum, for the first dwelling unit)
- Maximum density: 10 units per net acre
R-2 is a zoning district in Imperial County. Every value below was read from the Imperial County Municipal Code and links to its section (read October 2026). State laws such as the ADU and SB 9 rules can allow more on a residential lot. General information, not legal advice — read the code text and check with the city before you build.
Development standards in R-2
The general rule for a typical lot in this zone. Zoning tables often attach notes, such as rules for corner lots, lots next to a residential zone, or new subdivisions only. Open “code text” under a value to see the table cell or sentence it was read from.
| Maximum building height | 40 ft Applies: Primary residential buildings; maximum is whichever is less of three stories or forty feet. § 90503.07 · code textPrimary residential buildings shall not exceed three stories in height, or forty (40) feet whichever is less. |
|---|---|
| Maximum number of stories | 3 stories Applies: Primary residential buildings. § 90503.07 · code textPrimary residential buildings shall not exceed three stories in height, or forty (40) feet whichever is less. |
| Minimum front setback | 25 ft Applies: At a minimum two off-street parking spaces per unit plus one visitor parking space for every two units is provided, which must be behind the setback line. § 90503.06 · code textTwenty-five (25) feet minimum if at a minimum two off-street parking spaces per unit plus one visitor parking space for every two units is provided, which must be behind the setback line. |
| Minimum side setback | 5 ft § 90503.06 · code textThere shall be a minimum side yard of five feet on each side of the building, except as follows: |
| Minimum lot size | 6,000 sq ft Applies: Basic lot minimum, for the first dwelling unit § 90503.05 · code textExcept as otherwise provided within this title there shall be a minimum of three thousand (3,000) square feet of lot area per dwelling unit in the R-2 zone, provided however that the basic lot minimum is six thousand (6,000) square feet, for the first unit. |
| Maximum density | 10 units per net acre § 90503.15 · code textThe R-2 zone allows for a maximum of ten (10) dwelling units per (net) acre. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-2:
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft — At a minimum two off-street parking spaces per unit plus one visitor parking space for every two units is provided and all said parking except visitor parking is within an enclosed garage. § 90503.06
- Minimum side setback: 15 ft — Corner lot; side yard facing the street. § 90503.06
- Minimum side setback: 0 ft — Designated zero lot line construction, on one side; the opposite side must be a minimum of ten feet, except corner lots, and applicable fire protection requirements must be met. § 90503.06
- Minimum side setback: 10 ft — Designated zero lot line construction; opposite side from the zero-lot-line side, except corner lots. § 90503.06
- Minimum rear setback: 25 ft — Primary structures on lots that do not have an alley. § 90503.06
- Minimum rear setback: 20 ft — Primary structures on lots that do not have an alley, when a patio open on at least two sides is incorporated into the primary structure's building footprint, does not encroach into the rear yard setback, and is at least ten feet by ten feet. § 90503.06
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft — Primary structures on lots that have a minimum width alley of twenty feet, when a patio open on at least two sides is incorporated into the primary structure's building footprint, does not encroach into the rear yard setback, and is at least ten feet by ten feet. § 90503.06
Not on this page
We did not find a general rear setback, lot coverage, FAR limit for R-2 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Imperial County Municipal Code.
Other Imperial County zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Imperial County's R-2 zone?
40 ft (primary residential buildings; maximum is whichever is less of three stories or forty feet) — Imperial County Municipal Code § 90503.07.
What is the maximum number of stories in Imperial County's R-2 zone?
3 stories (primary residential buildings) — Imperial County Municipal Code § 90503.07.
What is the minimum front setback in Imperial County's R-2 zone?
25 ft (at a minimum two off-street parking spaces per unit plus one visitor parking space for every two units is provided, which must be behind the setback line) — Imperial County Municipal Code § 90503.06.
What is the minimum side setback in Imperial County's R-2 zone?
5 ft — Imperial County Municipal Code § 90503.06.
What is the minimum lot size in Imperial County's R-2 zone?
6,000 sq ft (basic lot minimum, for the first dwelling unit) — Imperial County Municipal Code § 90503.05.
General information, not legal advice.
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