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Morro Bay · Building on your lot

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures in Morro Bay

City rule: detached guesthouses are limited to 640 sq ft of habitable floor area and 30% of the main home's floor area.

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Key points

  • Guesthouses: City rule: detached guesthouses are limited to 640 sq ft of habitable floor area and 30% of the main home's floor area.

Each rule below links to the section of the Morro Bay Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Morro Bay's code says

Morro Bay code What Morro Bay's code adds
Size or lot coverage
  • No more than 640 square feet of habitable floor area.
    Applies: Detached guesthouses in the agriculture district and residential districts.
    § 17.23.020 · code text
    A guesthouse shall not contain more than six hundred forty square feet of habitable floor area, nor shall it exceed thirty percent of the floor area of the primary single-unit dwelling.
  • No more than 30% of the floor area of the main single-unit home.
    Applies: Detached guesthouses in the agriculture district and residential districts.
    § 17.23.020 · code text
    A guesthouse shall not contain more than six hundred forty square feet of habitable floor area, nor shall it exceed thirty percent of the floor area of the primary single-unit dwelling.
Distance from the house
  • At least 6 feet from any home, existing or being built, on the same or an adjacent lot.
    Applies: Roofed accessory structures 8 feet tall or more, or 120 square feet or larger.
    § 17.23.020 · code text
    Roofed accessory structures eight feet in height or more or one hundred twenty square feet or greater in size shall be at least six feet from any dwelling existing or under construction, either on the same lot or an adjacent lot.

Who this affects

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Frequently asked questions

How big can a shed or accessory building be in Morro Bay?

City rule: detached guesthouses are limited to 640 sq ft of habitable floor area and 30% of the main home's floor area.

General information, not legal advice.

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Morro Bay Municipal Code — full text