Redwood City Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Redwood City's land use rules are codified in the city's Zoning Ordinance (short title: "Zoning Ordinance" / "Zoning Code") and organized as articles and numbered sections that implement the General Plan and govern uses, development standards, and permit procedures § 1.2; § 1.1 . This city-specific code divides the city into zoning districts (base districts and combining/overlay districts), contains citywide supplementary standards (setbacks, height, FAR, pervious-area and stormwater requirements, and parking), and sets the review/permit paths (ministerial vs. discretionary) through a common procedures article § 1.3; § 25.1; § 30 (parking); § 32.12 (stormwater); § 41.1—41.4 . For quick navigation, the Zoning Ordinance indexes permit types, district chapters, and procedures in the front matter (see the ZONES / ZONING MAP / ZONING ORDINANCE index) (index entries for "ZONES", "ZONING MAP", "ZONING ORDINANCE") .

How Redwood City's code is organized

• The ordinance is published as the city's Zoning Ordinance (short title) and sets the basic purpose and effect of the rules § 1.2; § 1.1 .
• Procedural and administrative rules (how to apply, timelines, review authorities, appeals) sit in the Common Procedures / Administration articles: Article 41 (Common Procedures) — §§ 41.1—41.4 (application filing, completeness, time to decision, review hierarchy) .
• Decision- and permit-specific articles are grouped by permit type (for example, Use Permits in Article 42 — §§ 42.1—42.6; Variances in Article 43 — § 43.4; Planned Development/Planned Community in Articles 46–47) and are cross-referenced to the review authority rules in Article 41 § 42.1; § 43.4; § 46.4; § 47.1; § 41.4 .
• District-specific rules live in their Article (e.g., Article 13 — CN (Neighborhood Commercial); Article 14 — CB (Central Business); Article 17 — IR (Industrial—Restricted); Article 24 — MH (Mobile Home); Article 54 — MUN (Mixed‑Use Neighborhood); Article 57 — MUW (Mixed‑Use Waterfront)). Each article contains the permitted uses, accessory/conditional use lists, and the local development standards (height, setbacks, FAR, lot coverage) (see § 13.1; § 14.1; § 17.1; § 24.1; § 54.1; § 57.4) .
• Supplementary and cross‑cutting standards (off‑street parking and loading, FAR bonus rules, stormwater/pervious area, accessory dwelling units) are in dedicated articles (for example, Article 30 — Off‑Street Parking & Loading; Article 32 — Supplementary Provisions / FAR bonus and stormwater references; Article 37 — Accessory Dwelling Units) and are tied into district tables (see § 30.*, § 32.4; § 32.12; § 37.1—37.6) .

Note: for readers who want one‑click topic pages, consult the city's topic pages: zoning, land-use, and permit topics such as zoning, land use, and development standards /us/california/redwood-city/zoning /us/california/redwood-city/land-use /us/california/redwood-city/development-standards.

Zoning district families (what the city actually uses)

Redwood City’s code groups districts into recognizable families; examples and where to read the rules:

• Residential family — base residential requirements, open‑space and pervious‑area rules appear in the R‑district articles and the open‑space article (see Article 32 Open Space requirements § 32.9; specific R district articles referenced throughout the code) .
• Commercial family — examples include CN (Neighborhood Commercial) and CB (Central Business); each commercial district article lists permitted uses and local yard/height rules § 13.1; § 14.1 .
• Mixed‑use family — city uses specific mixed‑use districts such as MUN (Mixed‑Use Neighborhood), MUC (Mixed‑Use Corridor) sub‑districts, MULW / MUW (Mixed‑Use Live/Work, Mixed‑Use Waterfront); these articles contain tailored design rules, ground‑floor activation and FAR/density tables § 54.1; § 53.2; § 57.5; Table 54‑3 / Table 57‑4 .
• Industrial family — including IR (Industrial—Restricted), GI (General Industrial) and special incubator districts; industrial articles set different lot coverage, noise screening and buffering rules for adjacent residential areas § 17.1; § 17.10 .
• Special districts & combining/overlay districts — Redwood City uses Combining Districts (Article 25) to add site‑ or use‑specific overlays (for example: T (Transient), O (Office), V (Vehicular), W (Water), R (Residential) combining districts) § 25.1—25.8 .
• Planned/Precise plan areas — large parcels and P districts are handled through Planned Development and Planned Community processes (Articles 46–47) and specific plan/precise plan provisions (examples: Downtown Precise Plan references in mixed‑use corridor articles) § 46.4; § 47.1; § 53.2 (Downtown references) .

(If you want the district list in a single table, start with the index entries for district articles in the ordinance’s table of contents; see the front matter index for "ZONES" and district article numbers) .

Citywide development standards — the essentials (how buildable area is controlled)

• Heights: Many base district articles set absolute heights (for example, the PF district sets a 35‑foot cap § 23.5); mixed‑use and downtown districts typically have higher caps expressed in feet/stories and require stepbacks where adjacent to lower‑scale neighborhoods § 23.5; § 54.7 (Table 54‑3) .
• Setbacks / lot coverage: Each district article lists required front/side/rear yards and lot coverage limits (examples: CB and other commercial district yard rules in Article 14; MH mobile home lot coverage rules in Article 24) § 14.9; § 24.8 .
• Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and FAR bonuses: The code uses FAR limits in district tables and provides an FAR bonus program (see Article 32.4: Floor Area Ratio (FAR) Bonus and district FAR tables such as Table 54‑3 and Table 57‑4) (Article 32.4; Table 54‑3; Table 57‑4) .
• Pervious area & stormwater: The ordinance requires minimum pervious area percentages (district‑specific: e.g., 10%, 20%, 40%, 80% appear by district) and ties projects to the city's stormwater program (Municipal Code Chapter 27A) § 17.11; § 23.11; § 24.11; § 32.12 .
• Parking: Off‑street parking and loading are governed primarily by Article 30 (Off‑Street Parking & Loading); district articles reference Article 30 for required parking calculations and site layout (see Mixed‑Use and Downtown rules referencing Article 30) § 30.*; § 53.6; § 54.6 .
• Design & façade rules: District articles (particularly mixed‑use and waterfront) contain explicit design regulations — ground‑floor activation, window percentages, entrance spacing and mechanical screening—often in a "Design Regulations" article inside the district (for example, § 53.5 Design Regulations and § 54.6 Façade Composition for MUN/MUC) § 53.5; § 54.6 .

For a focused page on site rules, use the city's development standards and for technical rules about stormwater and building code review see the California Building Standards Code reference.

Specific plans & overlays that matter

• The code implements area‑specific rules in stand‑alone articles or in Precise Plans tied to P (Planned Community) districts and Precise/Specific Plans; Planned Community developments require a Planned Community Permit § 47.1—47.3 .
• Waterfront and downtown are treated with their own articles: Article 57 — MUW (Mixed‑Use Waterfront) contains specialized waterfront setbacks, open space and managed‑retreat language (sea‑level rise and waterfront setbacks appear in § 57.10 and Table 57.4) § 57.10; Table 57‑4 .
• The city deploys Combining Districts (Article 25) as overlays to tailor rules for individual parcels or corridors (for example, W (Water), R (Residential combining), T (Transient)) § 25.1—25.7 .
• Mixed‑use corridors and downtown sub‑districts are implemented via Article 53 (Mixed‑Use Corridor) and Article 54 (MUN) with their own design and parking rules § 53.2; § 54.2 .

For overview pages on overlays and historic resources, see the city's Overlay Districts and Historic Preservation landing pages.

Building permits & review (how a project gets approved)

• Where to file and timeline: Applications are filed with the Planning Division; completeness is determined within 30 days and the application can expire if required materials aren't provided § 41.2; § 41.3 .
• Review hierarchy and concurrency: When multiple permits are required they are reviewed together at the highest applicable authority; the hierarchy runs from Zoning Administrator (no hearing) → Zoning Administrator (hearing) → Planning Commission → City Council; certain projects (e.g., new construction over three stories or >35 ft) trigger Planning Commission review § 41.4 .
• Typical permit types & where to find findings:
  • Zoning/Architectural permits (Article 45) for compliance-level design review (architectural permits have thresholds that determine the review body) § 45.1 et seq.; § 41.4.B(4) .
  • Use Permits (Article 42) required for conditional uses; findings include consistency with the General Plan and compatibility § 42.1—42.4 .
  • Planned Development / Planned Community Permits (Articles 46–47) for projects needing modified development standards or precise plan implementation § 46.4; § 47.1 .
  • Variances (Article 43) have distinct findings and are typically decided at a public hearing § 43.4—43.5 .
• Administrative roles: The Community Development Director administers the ordinance, the Zoning Administrator issues certain permits and public‑hearing decisions, and the Planning Commission/City Council hear appeals and major projects § 40.2; § 40.3; § 40.4 .

For site‑level questions about design review and architectural permitting, consult the city's design review and [Design Regulations] sections.

State housing law in Redwood City — how statewide housing rules intersect the local code

Summary: Redwood City’s Zoning Ordinance incorporates state housing statutes through local implementing sections, while also maintaining local standards that must align with state law. Below are key interactions and the controlling local sections.

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs / JADUs)
  • Redwood City has a dedicated ADU article (Article 37 — §§ 37.1—37.6) that sets purpose, definitions and local development standards while acknowledging the state exemption/requirements § 37.1—37.6 . The ordinance also references the state's ADU authority and the city's adjustments required by state law (see the ordinance change log and ADU-specific amendments). For practical local ADU guidance see the city’s ADU page and the state ADU law guidance: ADUs and California ADU law.
  • The local code was amended to be consistent with statewide ADU limits (e.g., size and setbacks that must permit at least an 800 sq ft ADU under state rules are referenced in the city's updates) (code amendments referencing Article 37 and state law) .
• SB 9 (urban lot splits / two‑unit ministerial projects)
  • The City has a local SB 9 implementation clause in the zoning code (example: SB 9 Projects are addressed in local code Section 5.10 with standards for unit counts and objective standards) — see § 5.10 for the local SB 9 implementation language and objective standard requirements § 5.10 .
• Density bonus and affordable housing
  • Affordable housing incentives and density bonus references are in the code (index points to Article 32 / § 32.19 and a full Affordable Housing Requirements article Article 29 — §§ 29.1—29.11; the code provides alternatives, waivers, and the housing impact fee framework) § 29.1—29.11; § 32.19 .
• Streamlined state housing processes
  • The ordinance identifies the Zoning Administrator as the review authority for ministerial State processes such as SB 35 (streamlined affordable housing) and cross‑references Government Code timelines § 41.4.D; § 41.3.C .
• Rent regulation / rent control
  • No explicit rent‑control ordinance text was found in the retrieved zoning ordinance excerpts; rent regulation (if any) would typically appear in a separate municipal chapter (not located in these zoning articles). Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the City Clerk or municipal code online for any rent regulation chapter.

For the state's plumbing/electrical/structural standards that apply to building permits, projects must comply with the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) — the Zoning Ordinance cross‑references building permit and code compliance as part of the permit process (Zoning procedural articles and building‑permit references) .

Practical orientation — “How I read this as a developer or homeowner”

• Start at the district article that applies to your property to confirm permitted uses and the district's numeric standards (height/setbacks/FAR/coverage) — each district article has a table and subsections with those numbers (e.g., Article 54: MUN — Table 54‑3 for height, density, FAR § 54.7; Table 54‑3 ) .
• Cross‑check the district numbers with the Supplementary Provisions (Article 32) and the Off‑Street Parking article (Article 30) for site design, pervious area and parking requirements § 32.9; § 30.*; § 32.12 .
• Determine whether your proposal is ministerial (e.g., some ADUs, SB9 lot splits when objective standards are met) or discretionary (Use Permit, Variance, Planned Development). Use Article 41 to identify the likely review authority and timelines § 37.4; § 5.10; § 41.4 .
• Expect design regulations if you're in mixed‑use, waterfront or downtown areas — ground‑floor activation rules and mechanical screening are codified in those district articles (e.g., § 53.5; § 54.6; § 57.5) .

Source References

• Redwood City Zoning Ordinance (Zoning Code) — Intro / Short Title / Purpose § 1.1—§ 1.5
• Common procedures and permit processing — Article 41 — §§ 41.1—41.4; § 41.3 (completeness/time to decision)
• Zoning Administration (Director, Zoning Administrator, Planning Commission) — Article 40 — § 40.2—40.3
• Use Permits and Findings — Article 42 — § 42.1—42.4
• Variances — Article 43 — § 43.4—43.5
• Combining/Overlay Districts — Article 25 — § 25.1—25.7
• ADUs — Article 37 — §§ 37.1—37.6 (ADU article and the city’s ADU amendments)
• SB 9 local implementation — § 5.10 (SB 9 Projects)
• Mixed‑use districts & Downtown/MUC/MUN rules — Article 53 (MUC) § 53.2—53.6; Article 54 (MUN) § 54.1—54.7
• Waterfront / MUW district rules and Table 57.4 (development standards and waterfront setbacks) — Article 57 § 57.5—57.10; Table 57‑4
• FAR, FAR bonus, and supplementary provisions — Article 32; Article 48 (FAR for single‑family where noted); Article 32.4 (FAR Bonus)
• Parking & Off‑Street rules — Article 30 and district cross‑references (e.g., § 53.6; § 54.6)
• Pervious area & stormwater — District §§ (examples: § 17.11; § 23.11; § 24.11; § 32.12) and Municipal Code Chapter 27A (Stormwater Treatment Measures)