Local zoning · San Bernardino

San Bernardino — Zoning

Q: What can I build on an R-1 lot in San Bernardino?

San Bernardino uses residential zone names such as RS (Residential Suburban) rather than a generic “R‑1” label; permitted single‑family uses and accessory dwellings in low‑density residential zones are controlled by the residential chapter and Table 04.02. Check the parcel’s exact base zone on the Official Zoning Map and confirm Table 04.02 for setbacks and lot standards in § 19.04.030 .

Q: Can I build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in San Bernardino?

ADUs are regulated within the residential chapter (see § 19.04.030 and its ADU subparts) but also constrained by state ADU law. The Code references local ADU rules tied to Table 04.02; because state law places limits on local ADU restrictions, verify the local ADU section and cross‑check with state ADU statutes/guidance. See the City ADU page and § 19.04.030 .

Zoning under the San Bernardino local zoning and planning code, with the controlling citations.

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Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

San Bernardino regulates land use through the City Development Code (often referenced as the local "zoning ordinance"). The Code establishes a set of base zones (residential, commercial, industrial, public/open-space, and special-purpose) and a suite of overlay districts, ties zoning to the General Plan, and places the Official Zoning Map on file with the City Clerk. Legal authority and the list of zones are in § 19.02.010 and § 19.02.060.

Before you read further: when this page mentions standards like setbacks, parking, design review, overlays, ADUs, or building code obligations it links you to the City pages where those specific procedural or standards topics live: Development Standards, Parking, Design Review, Overlay Districts, Historic Preservation, ADUs, and the statewide California Building Standards Code (Title 24). Use those pages for the focused, procedural topics this summary intentionally does not reprint. (Each of these links is used at its first natural mention.)

Core rules and legal basis

The Development Code is the City's primary zoning instrument and must implement the General Plan; see § 19.02.010 and § 19.02.030.
The City establishes and names specific zoning districts; the list of districts is set out in § 19.02.060.
The Official Zoning Map (the map that locates those districts on parcels) is on file with the City Clerk and is consistent with the adopted General Plan Land Use Map; amendments use the Zoning Map Amendment process in Chapter 19.74. See § 19.02.060 (adoption/interpretation rules).

District-by-district breakdown

Below each heading the ordinance’s stated purpose is summarized, typical permitted uses called out, major dimensional/development control pointers, and where the district is used or applied (as described in the Development Code). Each district name and the controlling references are bolded.

Notes on how to read this: the Code contains use tables and separate development-standard tables (for example, residential standards are enforced via Table 04.02 and commercial/industrial via the tables in Chapters 19.06 and 19.08). Where I summarize numeric standards I cite the specific Code provision that contains those tables; if a numeric value is not present in the retrieved materials I note that as "Not found in retrieved materials" in the Information Gaps section below.

RE (Residential Estate)

Purpose: preserve very low-density, estate-type residential lots and open space buffers. (Purpose: § 19.02.060).
Typical permitted uses: single-family dwellings and accessory uses; some accessory/agricultural uses where compatible. (See § 19.04 provisions for residential permitted uses and standards).
Key standards: residential development standards are governed by Table 04.02 and § 19.04.030 (density, setbacks, coverage). (See § 19.04.030 / Table 04.02).
Where it applies: low-density areas consistent with the General Plan (see Official Zoning Map on file). (See § 19.02.060).

RL (Residential Low)

Purpose: traditional low-density single-family neighborhoods. (§ 19.02.060).
Uses: single-family homes, accessory dwellings (subject to ADU rules and state law), limited home occupations. (See § 19.04 and ADU rules referenced in § 19.04.030(2)(P)).
Standards: governed by Table 04.02 (lot area, setbacks, height limits). (§ 19.04.030 / Table 04.02).

RS (Residential Suburban)

Purpose: suburban single-family development; acts as the baseline development standard for several other residential districts. (§ 19.02.060; § 19.04.030).
Uses & standards: single-family dwellings with accessory uses; see Table 04.02 for setbacks, lot coverage and height. (§ 19.04.030).

RU (Residential Urban)

Purpose: allow infill and slightly higher intensity single-family development near urban services. (§ 19.02.060; § 19.04.030).

RM (Residential Medium)

Purpose: multifamily and medium-density housing. (§ 19.02.060; § 19.04.030).

RMH (Residential Medium-High) and RH (Residential High)

Purpose: higher-density multifamily and apartment development; codes reference density caps and minimum open space (Table 04.02). (§ 19.02.060; § 19.04.030).

RSH (Residential Student Housing)

Purpose: limited student housing near California State University, San Bernardino; the Code restricts this district’s geography (e.g., within 500 feet of CSUSB and a specific 8.28-acre site described in the Code). (See § 19.04 and the Student Housing Complex rules).

CO (Commercial Office)

Purpose: administrative/professional offices; supports hospitals and related uses; allows senior congregate care up to a specified density. (§ 19.06 purposes for CO zone).

CG-1, CG-2, CG-3 (Commercial General series)

Purpose: retail, personal services, entertainment and mixed/commercial uses that serve corridors and neighborhoods; CG-2/CG-3 accommodate varied densities and, in specified locations, multi-story development. (§ 19.06).
Notable dimensional cap: CG-2 and CG-3 maximum structure height noted as four stories (not exceeding 56 ft) in certain contexts. (See § 19.06; see Table references in Chapter 19.06).

CR-1 through CR-4 (Commercial Regional variants) and CH (Commercial Heavy)

Purpose: region-serving retail (malls), downtown/regional centers, and heavy commercial/auto-oriented districts. Specific permitted/prohibited use lists are in Chapter 19.06. (§ 19.06).

CCS-1 / CCS-2 (Central City South series)

Purpose: specific central-city districts with tailored standards in Chapter 19.06 and special plans. (§ 19.06).

OIP (Office Industrial Park), IL (Industrial Light), IH (Industrial Heavy), IE (Industrial Extractive)

Purpose: industrial/manufacturing/warehouse and park-like industrial employment centers. The Code provides detailed permitted-use matrices and numeric property-development standards. (See Chapters 19.08 – Industrial Zones).
Key numeric excerpt (industrial development-standards table): a sample from the industrial standards table (Table 08.02) shows the following baseline controls for OIP / IL / IH / IE: lot area (Net Lot Area: 10,000 / 20,000 / 40,000 / N/A sq ft), front setback (20 / 10 / 20 / N/A ft — with notes for arterial streets), side/rear setbacks (10 ft typical), lot coverage (Max 50% / 75% / 75% / N/A), and structure height (Max 42 ft / 2 stories (50 ft) / none / N/A for IH with exceptions). These values are in the industrial development standards table. (See § 19.08.030 and Table 08.02).

District(s)	Key numerical standards (excerpt)	Typical permitted uses	Code Reference
OIP / IL / IH / IE	Net lot area 10,000 / 20,000 / 40,000 / N/A; front setback 20 / 10 / 20 / N/A; lot coverage 50% / 75% / 75% / N/A; height 42 ft / 2 stories (50 ft) / none	Office parks, light manufacturing, heavy industry (IH has broader uses subject to conditions)	§ 19.08.030; Table 08.02.

OS (Open Space), PCR (Public/Commercial Recreation), PF (Public Facility), PFC (Public Flood Control), PP (Public Park)

Purpose: public lands, parks, flood control corridors and recreation. Development is limited to public-purpose uses and subject to special standards in the Code. (§ 19.02.060 and relevant chapters).

SP (Specific Plan District)

Purpose: areas covered by a Specific Plan; the SP district defers to adopted Specific Plans which contain detailed land use, form and standards. (§ 19.02.060).

Overlay districts (summary)

San Bernardino uses several overlays that modify base zone rules where applied. The Code lists the overlay districts in § 19.02.060 and then provides individual overlay chapters with standards and exceptions.

Airport Overlay (A: AD‑I through AD‑V) — controls operations and safety around the airport. (See § 19.02.060 and Airport Overlay chapter).
Freeway Corridor Overlay (FC) — corridor-facing design and access controls. (See § 19.02.060).
Foothill Fire Zones Overlay (FF) — fire-hazard mitigation standards (Zones A/B/C). (See § 19.02.060 and property development standards).
Flood Plain Overlay (FP) — floodplain restrictions and setbacks. (See § 19.02.060).
Hillside Management (HM) — slope, grading and additional design controls. (See § 19.19 & 19.20).
Historic Preservation Overlay (HP) — protections and design-review triggers for designated historic assets; see Historic Preservation. (See HP chapter and Chapter 19.10/19.19 as applicable).
Main Street (MS), Transit Overlay (TD), Adaptive Reuse (AR) and University Business Park (UBP-1/2/3) — each overlay tailors building placement, frontage/build‑to lines, height or use allowances. For example, the Transit Overlay (TD) establishes build-to lines, station-area-specific maximum and minimums, and says that building form and placement generally follow the underlying base zone except for TD-specific minimums/maximums (build-to, height, upper-floor stepbacks); see § 19.19‑A.050 and Table 19‑A.01.

Practical note: overlays can remove minimum lot sizes, add build-to lines, allow density/intensity changes, or require design review — always check the specific overlay chapter that applies to the parcel. (See Chapter 19.19-A, 19.19-B, and applicable overlay sections).

Where to find permitted uses and numeric standards

Permitted/conditionally permitted uses are listed zone-by-zone in the Chapters for each category (for example, commercial uses are in Chapter 19.06 and industrial uses in 19.08). The industrial use matrix and the industrial standards table are in § 19.08.020–030.
Residential development standards (density, setbacks, coverage, height) are set out in § 19.04.030 and its Table 04.02; accessory-dwelling-unit rules are referenced within that chapter and must be read alongside current state ADU law. See § 19.04.030 and local ADU subsection references. (Refer to the City ADU page for procedural steps.)

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy for a typical project)

Confirm the parcel’s base zone on the Official Zoning Map on file with the City Clerk and confirm General Plan consistency. (§ 19.02.060; § 19.02.030).
Confirm whether any overlays apply (Airport, Flood Plain, Historic, Transit, Foothill Fire, Adaptive Reuse, etc.) and read the overlay chapter standards. (§ 19.02.060; overlay chapters such as § 19.19‑A / § 19.19‑B).
Determine if the proposed land use is Permitted (P), Requires a Development Permit (D), or requires a Conditional Use Permit (C) under the district use table for that zone. (See Chapter 19.06, 19.08, 19.04, etc.).
Demonstrate conformance with development standards (setbacks, height, lot coverage, FAR where applicable) in Table 04.02 / Table 08.02 / applicable chapter. (§ 19.04.030; § 19.08.030; Table references).
Prepare parking calculations per off‑street parking chapter (Chapter 19.24) and include required landscaping/screening plans. (See Chapter 19.24 and § 19.20 for landscaping/screening).
If in an overlay or designated historic resource, confirm design-review triggers and submit elevations/material/color boards to the Design Review body. (See Design Review and overlay chapters).
Confirm any state law overrides that affect ADUs or density bonuses (see local ADU section cross-referenced in § 19.04 and state law). (See § 19.04.030 and state ADU guidance).

Risks & Ambiguities

Issue	Why it matters	What to verify
Zoning-map boundary ambiguity	Map lines that bisect parcels can change applicable standards (setbacks, allowed uses)	Verify the Official Zoning Map on file and Director interpretation rules in § 19.02.060; ask the Planning Director for written boundary determination.
Overlay/underlying zone conflicts	Overlays may waive or add standards (build‑to lines, no minimum lot size, added design controls)	Confirm which overlay chapters apply to the parcel and read overlay-specific exceptions (examples: § 19.19‑A Transit, § 19.19‑B Adaptive Reuse).
Numerical residential standards not included in excerpt	The Code references Table 04.02 for concrete setback/coverage numbers, but the numeric table may be amended or in a separate table document	Obtain the current Table 04.02 and confirm any local amendments or variances. (See § 19.04.030 / Table 04.02).
ADU/site-specific state overrides	State ADU law can limit local discretion on size, setback and parking	Verify the City's adopted ADU implementing rules and cross‑check state ADU statutes; see local ADU subsection in § 19.04 and state law guidance.
Uses that require discretionary permits	Some uses appear in code tables as “C” (conditional) or “D”; applicants may face longer approval timelines and CEQA review	Confirm whether the use is P/D/C in the district’s use matrix (Chapters 19.04, 19.06, 19.08) and refer to Chapter 19.36/19.44 for permit processes.

Plain-English summary

San Bernardino’s Development Code assigns every parcel to a named zone (for example RE, RS, RM, CG‑2, IL, IH) and then lists exactly what you can build there and the development standards you must meet; overlays and design review can add or change rules. Always confirm the Official Zoning Map, the zone’s permitted-use table, and the specific development-standard table for numeric setbacks/height/coverage before designing a project. (See § 19.02.060; § 19.04.030; § 19.08.030).

Source References

City of San Bernardino Development Code (Title / Chapters cited in this page): § 19.02.010 (Title/purpose).
Establishment of zones and Official Zoning Map: § 19.02.060 (Establishment of Zones, Adoption of the Official Zoning Map, rules for uncertain boundaries).
Residential zones and development standards (including Table 04.02 references): § 19.04.030 (Residential Development Standards).
Commercial zones and purposes (CG, CO, CR, CH): Chapter 19.06 (Commercial Zones).
Industrial zones permitted uses and development standards (Table 08.01 / Table 08.02): § 19.08.020–030 (Industrial Zones).
Transit Overlay building form & build-to line rules: § 19.19‑A.050 and Table 19‑A.01.
Adaptive Reuse Overlay District standards: § 19.19‑B.040.
Property development standards, landscaping, screening and general build rules: Chapter 19.20.
Off-street parking reference used in specific use standards: Chapter 19.24 (referenced in vocational/training school standards).
State ADU guidance summarized for cross-check: 2025 California ADU handbook and state ADU law references (used for advising local ADU interpretation).

Information Gaps

Exact numeric values for the full Residential Table (Table 04.02) are referenced in the Code but the full numeric table rows (every setback, lot-area and coverage number for RE / RL / RS / RU / RM / RMH / RH) were not visible in the retrieved excerpts. Not found in retrieved materials.
The Official Zoning Map image file (parcel‑level map) is not included in the retrieved materials; the Code states the map is on file with the City Clerk. To locate parcel‑specific zoning you must consult the City Clerk or Community Development mapping tools. Not found in retrieved materials (map location only referenced).
Any recent amendments adopted after the latest retrieved Development Code excerpt (June 2024 / Feb 2025 notes in the file) may alter numeric standards or use lists; verify with the Department. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Sources

Retrieved passages

San Bernardino Zoning Code (Chapter 5.10) High relevance
San Bernardino Zoning Code High relevance
San Bernardino Zoning Code (section shall) High relevance
San Bernardino Zoning Code (Section shall) High relevance
San Bernardino Zoning Code High relevance
San Bernardino Zoning Code (ARTICLE I) Medium relevance
San Bernardino Zoning Code (§65589.5) Medium relevance
San Bernardino Zoning Code (chapter establishes) Medium relevance

Cited sections

Official San Bernardino code library

Frequently asked questions

What can I build on an R-1 lot in San Bernardino?

San Bernardino uses residential zone names such as RS (Residential Suburban) rather than a generic “R‑1” label; permitted single‑family uses and accessory dwellings in low‑density residential zones are controlled by the residential chapter and Table 04.02. Check the parcel’s exact base zone on the Official Zoning Map and confirm Table 04.02 for setbacks and lot standards in § 19.04.030.

What are San Bernardino setback requirements?

Setbacks are set in the applicable zone’s development standards (residential standards are in Table 04.02 and § 19.04.030; industrial setbacks are shown in Table 08.02 and § 19.08.030). For the industrial zones an excerpted table shows typical side and rear setbacks of 10 ft, and front setbacks that vary by zone and by whether the street is a major arterial (§ 19.08.030, Table 08.02).

Do I need design review in San Bernardino?

Design Review is triggered by specific chapters and overlay districts (for example, Transit Overlay or Historic Preservation overlays often require design review). The Development Code calls out design-review triggers in the overlay chapters and project application sections; consult the applicable overlay chapter (e.g., § 19.19‑A for Transit) and the City’s Design Review page for process details.

Where is the Official Zoning Map and how are boundaries interpreted?

The Official Zoning Map is on file with the City Clerk and may be obtained from the Community Development Department; rules for interpreting uncertain boundaries (centerlines of streets, lot splits, Director determinations) are in § 19.02.060. If a boundary bisects your parcel ask the Director for an official determination.

Can I build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in San Bernardino?

ADUs are regulated within the residential chapter (see § 19.04.030 and its ADU subparts) but also constrained by state ADU law. The Code references local ADU rules tied to Table 04.02; because state law places limits on local ADU restrictions, verify the local ADU section and cross‑check with state ADU statutes/guidance. See the City ADU page and § 19.04.030.

How do overlays (like Transit or Historic) change what I can build?

Overlays modify the base zone: they can add design standards, require build‑to lines, alter densities, or impose additional permits. For example, the Transit Overlay (TD) establishes build-to lines and station-area placement standards and explicitly states where the TD’s standards supersede the base zone (see § 19.19‑A.050 and Table 19‑A.01). Always read the local overlay chapter in addition to the base zone.

Where are industrial use lists and intensity limits?

Industrial permitted, development-permitted, and conditional uses are listed in the industrial-use matrix in Chapter 19.08 (see § 19.08.020 for the use table and § 19.08.030 / Table 08.02 for development standards such as lot area, setbacks, lot coverage, and height).

If my parcel straddles two zones, which rules apply?

The Code provides rules for uncertain boundaries: when a boundary follows a street the centerline is the boundary; where a boundary divides a lot, the adopted General Plan and legal descriptions guide the determination; if uncertainty remains the Director will determine the district boundary. See § 19.02.060.

Are parking requirements set locally?

Yes—off‑street parking standards are a separate chapter and specific uses call out compliance with Chapter 19.24; vocational/trade schools and other uses reference that chapter for required parking. See the use‑specific entries and Chapter 19.24.

What if the Code says a use is “C” (conditional)?

A “C” designation means the use requires a Conditional Use Permit or other discretionary approval and will be subject to review criteria, conditions of approval, and possibly CEQA review. See the use table in the applicable zone chapter (e.g., Chapters 19.04 / 19.06 / 19.08) and the permit procedures chapters (e.g., Chapters 19.36/19.44 for Development/Conditional Use Permits).

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