Parlier Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Parlier’s zoning is codified as Title 18 - ZONING of the municipal code; the Title organizes the city into ten district families and a set of citywide “general conditions” that apply across zones (§ 18.02.020, § 18.06.010, § 18.32.010) . The local code treats site plan review, conditional uses, and other discretionary approvals as the main project review paths (see § 18.40.010 and § 18.38.070) . For housing, Parlier retains older “second dwelling” rules in the single-family chapter while the state’s ADU reforms apply statewide — see the local standard § 18.14.168 alongside the state ADU law summary in the California ADU handbook .

How Parlier's code is organized

• The zoning ordinance is published as Title 18 - ZONING; the Title opens with purpose and scope (§ 18.02.010–.020) and a definitions chapter used throughout the Title (§ 18.04.002) .
• Districts are grouped in Chapter 18.06 (the district table) and mapped on the official zone map on file with the City Clerk (§ 18.06.010, § 18.08.010) .
• City‑wide standards (setbacks, height, parking, lot coverage, fences, loading, signage) live in the “general conditions” chapter (Chapter 18.32) and then each zone chapter calls out its own property development standards (for example, R‑1’s standards appear in Chapter 18.14) .
• Procedure and discretionary review rules are in separate procedural chapters: site plan review (Chapter 18.40), conditional use permits (Chapter 18.38), uses subject to commission review (Chapter 18.36 referenced by the districts), and nonconforming uses (Chapter 18.44) .

Zoning district families

Parlier’s ordinance divides the city into ten district families (the table is in § 18.06.010). Key district labels you will see in the code are:

• O — Open conservation district (see § 18.12.070 for lot area minimums) .
• R‑1 — Single family residential district (uses and development standards collected in Chapter 18.14; second‑dwelling rules in § 18.14.168) .
• R‑2 — Low density multiple family residential district (Chapter 18.16) and R‑3 — Medium density multiple family (Chapter 18.18) each reference the general conditions and have their own lot/space rules (§ 18.16.060, § 18.18.060) .
• T‑P — Trailer park residential district (Chapter 18.20) and the mobilehome-specific rules are scattered in the R chapters (see § 18.14.165) .
• C‑P — Administrative/professional office (Chapter 18.22), C‑4 — Central trade district (Chapter 18.24) and C‑5 — General commercial district (Chapter 18.26) list permitted retail/service uses and attach property standards in their respective chapters (§ 18.24.020, § 18.26.140) .
• M‑1 — Light manufacturing district is defined in Chapter 18.28 (wide list of industrial uses; max heights and lot dimensions in that chapter, e.g. § 18.28.100) .
• P — Off‑street parking district (special parking standards appear in Chapter 18.30) including structure heights and required buffers to residential zones (§ 18.30.100–.110) .

(First mention of related topic links: parking — see the city’s Parlier Parking page; development standards — see Parlier Development Standards; overlays — see Parlier Overlay Districts.)

Citywide development standards (where the rules live and what to expect)

• The general, cross‑cutting rules — setbacks, lot coverage, building height, space between buildings, fences, signage, loading and access — are collected in Chapter 18.32 (see § 18.32.010, § 18.32.090, § 18.32.100, § 18.32.140) and individual zone chapters add or modify those basics for the district in question .
• Examples of numeric/local standards found in the code (district-level):
  • R‑1 lot coverage: base maximum 30% (city administrator may allow up to 40% in individual cases) § 18.14.120 .
  • R‑1 parking: typically two covered garage spaces per dwelling (§ 18.14.140) and access rules in § 18.14.150 .
  • R‑2 residential parking: as written the code requires at least one covered space and one‑half open space per unit for R‑2 (§ 18.16.150) .
  • M‑1 height: manufacturing district includes a high maximum (up to 75 feet) for industrial structures (§ 18.28.100) .
  • Parking district (P): parking structures limited to three stories or 40 feet and a 10‑ft buffer to residential zones (§ 18.30.100, § 18.30.110) .
• Off‑street parking rules and special counts for use types (places of assembly, restaurants, bowling alleys, parks, schools) are in § 18.32.140–.170; maintenance and surfacing standards are in § 18.32.170 .
• Landscaping, fencing and screening standards are handled partly in Chapter 18.32 and then by district-specific sections (see, for example, fencing and pool setbacks in § 18.14.130) .
  (First natural mention: design review — see Parlier Design Review.)

Design review & discretionary approvals (how projects are reviewed)

• Site plan review is a formal pre‑permit step where the Planning Commission (or City Council if no commission is appointed) finds conformance with the Title; see the requirements to submit scaled site plans and the Commission’s 40‑day action timeline in § 18.40.030–.040 and applicability in § 18.40.010 .
• Conditional use permits (when a use is allowed only with a CUP) follow the procedures and findings in Chapter 18.38; the Commission and City Council may attach conditions, time limits and revocation authority (§ 18.38.070, § 18.38.090, § 18.38.120) .
• Uses “subject to commission review and approval” are handled under the procedure cross‑references in § 18.32.030 and related procedural chapters (§ 18.32.030, referencing Chapter 18.36) .
• The code also sets time limits for development and requires mapping of CUPs onto the zone map after approval (§ 18.38.100, § 18.38.130) .

Specific plans, overlays & special chapters

• Parlier uses overlay chapters for targeted rules — a concrete example is the R‑1, RS‑10 (rear setback 10) overlay which reduces the rear yard requirement from 20' to 10' for parcels shown on the official zoning map (§ 18.15.010–.020, § 18.15.040–.050) . (See the city’s Parlier Overlay Districts page for context.)
• The code contains topic‑specific chapters that act like overlays or special regulatory regimes — for example, commercial cannabis and dispensary rules are collected in Chapter 18.55 and reference regulatory permits and site plan review (§ 18.55.050) .
• There are no printed “parlier‑wide specific plans” shown in the retrieved materials; special rules are embedded in the Title and in overlay chapters such as Chapter 18.15 and Chapter 18.55 (see above) .

(First natural mention: overlays — see Parlier Overlay Districts; historic preservation references appear on the city menu Parlier Historic Preservation.)

Building permits & the typical permit path

• The standard building‑permit path begins with checking permitted uses in the zone chapter, submitting required site plans where mandated, and completing site plan review or obtaining any needed CUPs or commission approvals (§ 18.32.020, § 18.40.030, § 18.38.070) .
• Before issuing a building permit the city requires confirmation that the building conforms to the approved site plan and that required dedications, improvements or bonds are in place (§ 18.40.120, § 18.40.110) .
• Common sub‑steps enforced by the code: parking and access compliance (district and Chapter 18.32 standards), landscaping and sign approvals in commercial zones, and utility confirmations (see the checklist items in § 18.40.030 and issuance prerequisites in § 18.40.120) .

(First natural mention: signage and screening — see Parlier Signage and Parlier Landscaping and Screening.)

State housing law in Parlier — ADUs, SB 9, density bonus and how they interact

• Parlier’s code contains an older, explicit “second dwelling” (pre‑ADU era) framework in the single‑family chapter that requires separate entrance/kitchen/bath, minimum 3 off‑street parking spaces where a second dwelling exists, and a size cap where post‑1983 second units “shall not exceed 75% of the floor area of the primary dwelling” (§ 18.14.168) .
• At the same time, state ADU law restricts local limits that would effectively preclude ADU construction: state rules (summarized in the California ADU handbook) forbid local rules that prevent at least an 800‑sq ft ADU with 4‑ft side/rear setbacks, limit ADU parking requirements in many circumstances, and set height rules for detached ADUs (Gov. Code references summarized in the handbook) — see the California ADU handbook for the state law summary and requirements . (First natural mention: ADUs — see the city’s Parlier ADUs page and California law summary at California ADU law.)
• What that means for applicants in Parlier: you must check both the local second‑dwelling rules § 18.14.168 and state ADU statutes (as summarized in the ADU handbook) — when state law preempts a conflicting local rule, the state standard controls; where the city code is silent or less restrictive, the local rules continue to apply (for example, R‑1 parking and compatibility rules in § 18.14.140, § 18.14.168) .
• SB 9 (lot splits/ministerial duplex approvals) and the State Density Bonus law are not explicitly implemented or cross‑referenced in the retrieved Title 18 excerpts; specific local implementing provisions for SB 9 or the local handling of density bonuses were Not found in retrieved materials — verify with City planning staff for current, post‑state‑law updates (the municipal code’s ADU/second‑dwelling text remains a relevant local starting point § 18.14.168) .

(First natural mention: the California Building Standards Code — see California Building Standards Code.)

Information Gaps / Practical next steps

• The retrieved print export includes the full Title 18 zoning text but does not show an explicit consolidated ADU ordinance updating § 18.14.168 to current Gov. Code language; for practical permit work you should confirm with City planning whether a newer ADU checklist or local implementing ordinance exists (city files or staff). Not found in retrieved materials: explicit SB 9 implementation language and a local density‑bonus chapter; confirm with City planning.
• For fees, local design‑guidelines, modern sign program maps, or an online permitting checklist the municipal code references but does not reproduce those administrative materials; contact Parlier planning or the City Clerk for current forms.

Source References

• Parlier, California — Title 18 ZONING (print export). Key chapters cited: § 18.02.010, § 18.02.020, § 18.04.002, § 18.06.010, § 18.08.010, § 18.14.168, § 18.14.120, § 18.14.140, § 18.16.150, § 18.28.100, § 18.30.100, § 18.30.110, Chapter 18.32, Chapter 18.38, Chapter 18.40, Chapter 18.55, Chapter 18.15. Source file export and snippets: .
• California ADU handbook (state law summary and recent changes that affect ADU/JADU rules and local limits): .