Mendocino County · Zoning · GHMU
Mendocino County GHMU zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Mendocino County's GHMU zone, generally buildings can be up to 28 ft tall, the front setback is 50 ft and the minimum lot size is 6,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Mendocino County code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 28 ft
- Minimum front setback: 50 ft (Along Highway 1, measured from the centerline)
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft
- Minimum lot size: 6,000 sq ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 20%
- Maximum density: 15 units per acre (Visitor accommodation units; also limited to 20 units maximum)
GHMU (Gualala Highway Mixed Use District) is a zoning district in Mendocino County. Every value below was read from the Mendocino 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 GHMU
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 | 28 ft § 20.406.035 · code textStructures shall be limited to twenty-eight (28) feet in height. |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 50 ft Applies: Along Highway 1, measured from the centerline § 20.406.040 · code textMinimum building setbacks along Highway 1 of fifty (50) feet from the centerline are required. |
| Minimum rear setback | 10 ft § 20.406.040 · code textRear setbacks of ten (10) feet are required. |
| Minimum lot size | 6,000 sq ft § 20.406.020 · code textSix thousand (6,000) square feet. |
| Maximum lot coverage | 20% § 20.406.035 · code textThe maximum lot coverage for all uses shall be twenty percent (20%). |
| Maximum density | 15 units per acre Applies: Visitor accommodation units; also limited to 20 units maximum § 20.406.030 · code textDensity of visitor accommodation units shall not exceed fifteen (15) units per acre, not to exceed twenty (20) units. |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in GHMU:
- Minimum side setback: 10 ft — along any lot line shared with a property not in the GVMU, GHMU, GPD or GI districts § 20.406.040
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 30% — commercial uses; no limit for residential uses or mixed uses over half residential § 20.406.035
- Maximum density: 10 units per acre — Single family dwelling units § 20.406.025
- Maximum density: 25 units per acre — Multiple and two-family dwelling units § 20.406.025
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, side setback, FAR limit for GHMU in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Mendocino County Municipal Code.
Other Mendocino County zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Mendocino County's GHMU zone?
28 ft — Mendocino County Municipal Code § 20.406.035.
What is the minimum front setback in Mendocino County's GHMU zone?
50 ft (along Highway 1, measured from the centerline) — Mendocino County Municipal Code § 20.406.040.
What is the minimum rear setback in Mendocino County's GHMU zone?
10 ft — Mendocino County Municipal Code § 20.406.040.
What is the minimum lot size in Mendocino County's GHMU zone?
6,000 sq ft — Mendocino County Municipal Code § 20.406.020.
What is the maximum lot coverage in Mendocino County's GHMU zone?
20% — Mendocino County Municipal Code § 20.406.035.
General information, not legal advice.
Ask about a Mendocino County property in GHMU
Ask GoCodebook what you can build at a specific address and get an answer that cites the section.
Ask your question