Menlo Park · Zoning · R-1-S
Menlo Park R-1-S zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Menlo Park's R-1-S zone, generally buildings can be up to 28 ft tall, the front setback is 20 ft and the minimum lot size is 10,000 sq ft, with the conditions listed below (Menlo Park code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 28 ft (lots with less than 20,000 sq ft of area)
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft
- Minimum side setback: 10 ft (street sides of corner lots: at least 12 ft)
- Minimum rear setback: 20 ft
- Minimum lot size: 10,000 sq ft
- Maximum lot coverage: 35% (development of two or more stories)
- Maximum density: 1 unit per 10,000 sq ft
R-1-S (SINGLE-FAMILY SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT) is a zoning district in Menlo Park. Every value below was read from the Menlo Park 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-1-S
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 Applies: lots with less than 20,000 sq ft of area § 16.14.030 · code textLots with less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of area: twenty-eight feet (28'), |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft § 16.14.030 · code textTwenty feet (20') front, |
| Minimum side setback | 10 ft Applies: street sides of corner lots: at least 12 ft § 16.14.030 · code textTen feet (10') side, except street sides of corner lots which shall be a minimum of twelve feet (12'); |
| Minimum rear setback | 20 ft § 16.14.030 · code textTwenty feet (20') rear, |
| Minimum lot size | 10,000 sq ft § 16.14.030 · code textMinimum lot area: ten thousand (10,000) square feet; |
| Maximum lot coverage | 35% Applies: development of two or more stories § 16.14.030 · code textDevelopment of two (2) or more stories: thirty-five percent (35%); |
| Maximum density | 1 unit per 10,000 sq ft § 16.14.030 · code textMinimum land area per dwelling unit: ten thousand (10,000) square feet; |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-1-S:
- Maximum building height: 30 ft — lots with 20,000 sq ft or more of area § 16.14.030
- Minimum side setback: 12 ft — street side of a corner lot § 16.14.030
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, FAR limit for R-1-S in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Menlo Park Municipal Code.
Other Menlo Park zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Menlo Park's R-1-S zone?
28 ft (lots with less than 20,000 sq ft of area) — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.14.030.
What is the minimum front setback in Menlo Park's R-1-S zone?
20 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.14.030.
What is the minimum side setback in Menlo Park's R-1-S zone?
10 ft (street sides of corner lots: at least 12 ft) — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.14.030.
What is the minimum rear setback in Menlo Park's R-1-S zone?
20 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.14.030.
What is the minimum lot size in Menlo Park's R-1-S zone?
10,000 sq ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.14.030.
General information, not legal advice.
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