Menlo Park · Zoning · R-E-S
Menlo Park R-E-S zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Menlo Park's R-E-S zone, generally buildings can be up to 28 ft tall, the front setback is 20 ft and the minimum lot size is 15,000 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 square feet of area.)
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft
- Minimum side setback: 10 ft (At least 10 ft on any one side; 25 ft total for both sides.)
- Minimum rear setback: 20 ft
- Minimum lot size: 15,000 sq ft (Lots down to 11,000 sq ft are allowed in an approved subdivision whose average lot is at least 15,000 sq ft.)
- Maximum lot coverage: 30% (Development of two or more stories.)
- Maximum density: 1 unit per 15,000 sq ft
R-E-S (R-E-S Residential Estate Suburban 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-E-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 square feet of area. § 16.12.030 · code text(A) Lots with less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of area: twenty-eight feet (28'), |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft § 16.12.030 · code text(A) Twenty feet (20') front, |
| Minimum side setback | 10 ft Applies: At least 10 ft on any one side; 25 ft total for both sides. § 16.12.030 · code text(C) Twenty-five feet (25') total with a minimum of ten feet (10') on any one (1) side, except street sides of corner lots which shall be a minimum of fifteen feet (15'); |
| Minimum rear setback | 20 ft § 16.12.030 · code text(B) Twenty feet (20') rear, |
| Minimum lot size | 15,000 sq ft Applies: Lots down to 11,000 sq ft are allowed in an approved subdivision whose average lot is at least 15,000 sq ft. § 16.12.030 · code text(1) Minimum lot area: fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet; provided, however, that lots of less than fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet may be permitted, but only in an approved subdivision with the following conditions: |
| Maximum lot coverage | 30% Applies: Development of two or more stories. § 16.12.030 · code text(B) Development of two (2) or more stories: thirty percent (30%); |
| Maximum density | 1 unit per 15,000 sq ft § 16.12.030 · code text(2) Minimum land area per dwelling unit: fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet; |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-E-S:
- Maximum building height: 30 ft — Lots with 20,000 or more square feet of area. § 16.12.030
- Minimum side setback: 15 ft — Street sides of corner lots. § 16.12.030
- Minimum lot size: 11,000 sq ft — Lots under 15,000 square feet may be permitted only in an approved subdivision; no lot may be less than 11,000 square feet. § 16.12.030
- Maximum lot coverage: 35% — Single-story development; lots with an area greater than 10,500 square feet. § 16.12.030
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, FAR limit for R-E-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-E-S zone?
28 ft (lots with less than 20,000 square feet of area) — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.12.030.
What is the minimum front setback in Menlo Park's R-E-S zone?
20 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.12.030.
What is the minimum side setback in Menlo Park's R-E-S zone?
10 ft (at least 10 ft on any one side; 25 ft total for both sides) — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.12.030.
What is the minimum rear setback in Menlo Park's R-E-S zone?
20 ft — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.12.030.
What is the minimum lot size in Menlo Park's R-E-S zone?
15,000 sq ft (lots down to 11,000 sq ft are allowed in an approved subdivision whose average lot is at least 15,000 sq ft) — Menlo Park Municipal Code § 16.12.030.
General information, not legal advice.
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