San Bruno Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

San Bruno administers land use through the San Bruno Zoning Ordinance in Title 12, Article III of the municipal code, adopted under state planning law and framed to implement the city's General Plan and specific plans. The ordinance names its authority and purpose in § 12.72.010 and § 12.76.010–.030 and establishes the rule that zoning decisions must be consistent with the General Plan and applicable specific plans. § 12.72.010 § 12.76.010 § 12.76.030

How San Bruno's code is organized

• The city's zoning text is organized as Title 12 (Land Use), Article III — commonly called the "San Bruno Zoning Ordinance." § 12.76.010 names the ordinance and its scope. § 12.76.010
• Key topic chapters are modular and cross-referenced: definitions (Chapter 12.80), establishment of districts (Chapter 12.96), development regulations for residential districts (e.g., § 12.200.030), mixed‑use districts (Chapter 12.280), specific plans (Bayhill is in Chapter 12.290), accessory dwelling units (Chapter 12.90), permits (use permits in Chapter 12.112, planned‑unit and planned development in Chapter 12.116 and § 12.96.190), design review (Chapter 12.108), and parking (Chapter 12.100). See, for example, references to definitions and use permit procedure in § 12.280.020 and the chapter cross‑references in the residential and unclassified district descriptions. § 12.280.020 § 12.200.030 § 12.290.010 § 12.90.050 § 12.112.060 § 12.116.010 § 12.96.190 § 12.280.030 § 12.96.180

(For quick topic navigation on this page: the city’s rules on development standards are summarized below — see the San Bruno Development Standards page; parking rules are summarized on the San Bruno Parking page; design review requirements are summarized on the San Bruno Design Review page; overlay districts are summarized on the San Bruno Overlay Districts page; ADU rules are summarized on the San Bruno ADUs page; and the local rules interact with the California Building Standards Code.)

Zoning district families (citywide list and what each means)

San Bruno groups districts into standard residential, commercial, industrial, mixed‑use/transit‑oriented districts, planned and overlay districts. The ordinance establishes the full district list in § 12.96.010. § 12.96.010

• Residential districts: R-1 (single‑family), R-2 (low‑density), R-3 (medium density), R-4 (high density). Minimum lot sizes, setbacks, lot coverage and maximum floor area rules for the lower residential districts are codified in § 12.200.030 (R‑1/R‑2 development regulations). § 12.200.030

  • Example residential standards: minimum site area: 5,000 sq ft for interior lots in R-1/R-2, front setback: 15 ft, interior side setback: 5 ft, and rear setback: 10 ft as listed in § 12.200.030. § 12.200.030

• Commercial / Business districts: C‑N (neighborhood commercial), CBD (Central Business District) and other commercial tables appear in the mixed‑use chapter; the CBD and other transit‑oriented mixed districts are described in § 12.280.010. § 12.280.010

• Mixed‑use / Transit‑oriented districts: CBD, TOD‑S (station area), TOD‑1, TOD‑2, MX‑R (multi‑use residential focus) — the purpose statements and permitted intensities for these districts are in § 12.280.010 and the detailed form standards (height, FAR, stepbacks) are in § 12.280.030 and its tables. § 12.280.010 § 12.280.030

  • Illustrative mixed‑use numeric limits: maximum heights range by district (e.g., CBD max 55 ft / 4 stories, TOD‑S up to 65–90 ft depending on location, TOD‑2 up to 70 ft), and maximum FAR commonly shown as 2.0 for many parcels under § 12.280.030 (see the district table). § 12.280.030

• Planned / Special districts: P‑D (planned development), PUP planned unit permit process, and the city’s Bayhill Specific Plan with its own districts (BRO, BNC and overlays BR, BMU) are codified in § 12.96.190 and Chapter 12.290. § 12.96.190 § 12.290.020

• Open / Other: O (Open space and conservation), U (Unclassified) for special cases; the code sets rules that permitted uses in these districts are either none or conditional and references Chapter 12.84 general provisions. § 12.96.180

Citywide development standards (how the code controls form)

• District chapters contain the hard numeric controls (setbacks, heights, FARs, lot coverage) — for residential examples see § 12.200.030, and for mixed‑use/transit corridors see § 12.280.030 and the supplemental standards in § 12.280.050. § 12.200.030 § 12.280.030 § 12.280.050

• Typical items regulated across the city:

  • Setbacks and building placement: front, rear, side setbacks and special corner rules are set in district sections (e.g., front 15 ft in R‑1/R‑2 and mixed‑use minimum frontlines of 5–10 ft depending on district). § 12.200.030 § 12.280.030
  • Height and stories: district tables impose maximum heights and stories (e.g., CBD 55 ft / 4 stories, TOD‑2 70 ft). § 12.280.030
  • Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and density: many mixed‑use zones reference maximum FARs like 2.0 on smaller parcels and higher density allowances on larger parcels; residential density caps (e.g., 40 du/acre in some TOD contexts) are noted in the mixed‑use tables. § 12.280.030
  • Lot coverage and impervious surface: residential lot coverage and impervious surface caps are explicit (e.g., R‑1 lot coverage up to 80% and impervious surface limits 80–85% in § 12.200.030). § 12.200.030
  • Design controls and pedestrian standards: mixed‑use chapters require building orientation to the street, articulation, ground‑floor transparency and minimum ground‑floor heights for nonresidential uses to promote pedestrian activity; see the supplemental standards in § 12.280.050. § 12.280.050

• Parking and loading: the code centralizes parking rules in Chapter 12.100, and individual district chapters reference that chapter for parking requirements and location rules (for example, parking location and buffering rules for mixed‑use districts are in § 12.280.050(G)). See the city parking chapter for specific stall counts and exemptions on ADUs. § 12.280.050 § 12.96.180 (More on ADU parking below; see San Bruno Parking.)

• Landscaping, screening and fences: general provisions, screening of surface parking, perimeter hedge or wall requirements and fence heights are located in Chapter 12.84 (examples: screening and landscaping around parking and fence height rules in § 12.84.150). § 12.84.150

Specific plans & overlays

• Bayhill Specific Plan: implemented in Chapter 12.290, the Bayhill rules create district types BRO (Bayhill Regional Office), BNC (Bayhill Neighborhood Commercial), and overlay districts BR and BMU, and include district‑specific development tables and a transfer‑of‑development mechanism and limits (see § 12.290.010–.060). § 12.290.010 § 12.290.020 § 12.290.060

• Transit Corridors / Downtown: the Transit Corridors Plan is implemented through the mixed‑use/TOD zoning chapters (Chapter 12.280) and carries supplemental design guidelines and stepback/open‑space standards that projects must meet. § 12.280.050

• Overlay and special districts (e.g., Emergency Shelter overlay, Bayhill overlays): overlays are established by the code and are applied where the specific plan or city council action indicates; see § 12.96.010 and Bayhill chapters for the overlay lists and procedures. § 12.96.010 § 12.290.020 (See more on overlays at San Bruno Overlay Districts.)

Building permits & review (how a project moves from concept to permit)

• Step zero — zoning and pre‑application: the code encourages pre‑applications and community outreach for larger residential projects in transit corridor plan areas (see the pre‑application rules in § 12.280.060). § 12.280.060

• Entitlements and discretionary reviews:

  • Use permits: uses that are conditional require a use permit under Chapter 12.112; conformance and enforcement provisions require strict adherence to use permits once issued. § 12.112.060
  • Architectural / design review: many districts require an architectural review permit under Chapter 12.108; the mixed‑use standards explicitly require architectural review for projects in those districts (§ 12.280.030(A)). § 12.280.030
  • Planned unit permit / planned development: the code provides the planned unit permit (PUP) process in Chapter 12.116 and a P‑D district process (no permitted uses by right; all uses are conditional upon an approved development plan) in § 12.96.190. § 12.116.010 § 12.96.190

• Ministerial / objective review path for qualifying multifamily housing: the city has a ministerial planning permit process for qualifying multifamily housing projects that removes public hearings and requires only objective standards, with the community development director empowered to decide specified permits including architectural review, parking compliance, and density bonus approvals where the project qualifies; see § 12.245.030 for scope and limits. § 12.245.030

• Building permit issuance and code compliance: building permits must comply with the municipal zoning approvals and with Title 24 / California Building Standards; ADUs and JADUs must meet both planning and building/fire code requirements and deed‑restriction requirements where applicable per Chapter 12.90. § 12.90.050 (Refer to the California Building Standards Code and the local ADU page San Bruno ADUs.)

• Appeals and enforcement: the ordinance sets appeal procedures for planning decisions and requires conformance with use permits; enforcement, notices and recording of violations are provided in the code (see the appeals language and use‑permit conformance rules in § 12.112.060 and related appeal provisions). § 12.112.060

State housing law in San Bruno — how California rules interact with local code

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs / JADUs): San Bruno has a dedicated ADU chapter, Chapter 12.90, that adopts the state‑required relaxed local constraints: the local rules explicitly waive many local lot‑coverage, FAR and lot‑size barriers for ADUs (allowing up to 800 sq ft detached ADU with 4 ft side and rear setbacks per the chapter) and align building and fire code requirements with state standards for ADUs and JADUs. See § 12.90.050 and the deed‑restriction filing requirement referenced in § 12.90.060. § 12.90.050 § 12.90.060 (More on ADUs at San Bruno ADUs and the state's ADU summary at California ADU law.)

• Density bonus and objective approvals: the city’s ministerial process for certain qualifying multifamily housing projects expressly includes authority to grant density bonus approvals as part of that ministerial review when objective standards are met, per § 12.245.030. § 12.245.030

• SB 9, ministerial duplexes/lot splits, and local implementation: the retrieved San Bruno ordinance excerpts include explicit ADU, density bonus and qualifying‑multifamily ministerial rules, but do not show a dedicated local SB 9 implementation chapter or local SB 9-qualified ministerial lot‑split/dwellings policy in the materials supplied here. Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the city for current SB 9 implementation details. (Not found in retrieved materials.)

• Rent control and eviction limits: there is no rent‑control or rent‑stabilization ordinance text in the retrieved Title 12 zoning excerpts; housing‑security or rent‑control subject matter is typically in other municipal titles and was not found in the provided zoning files. Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the city attorney or housing office.

Practical orientation — common developer/resident questions at a glance

• Where to start: confirm the property's zoning on the official city zoning map and review the district chapter referenced in § 12.96.020 and the applicable chapter (for example, § 12.200.030 for R‑districts or Chapter 12.280 for mixed‑use/TOD). § 12.96.020 § 12.200.030 § 12.280.010

• Design review/architectural permits: most projects in mixed‑use and many commercial or larger residential projects require an architectural review permit under Chapter 12.108 as referenced in district development standards (see § 12.280.030(A)). § 12.280.030 (See San Bruno Design Review.)

• Parking expectations: district chapters point developers to Chapter 12.100 for stall counts, but mixed‑use standards also mandate parking location, buffering and screening rules (see § 12.280.050(G)). § 12.280.050 (See San Bruno Parking.)

Source References

• San Bruno Zoning Ordinance — Article III: authority, title and purpose: § 12.72.010; § 12.76.010; § 12.76.030.
• District establishment and zoning map: § 12.96.010; § 12.96.020.
• Residential development regulations (R‑1 / R‑2): § 12.200.030.
• Mixed‑use / Transit corridors district descriptions and standards: § 12.280.010; § 12.280.030; § 12.280.050; § 12.280.060.
• Use permits and conformance: § 12.112.060.
• Planned unit permit (PUP) and planned development: Chapter 12.116; § 12.96.190.
• Bayhill Specific Plan districts and development standards: Chapter 12.290 (see § 12.290.010–.060).
• ADU and JADU rules (waivers, setbacks, sizing, deed restriction): § 12.90.050; § 12.90.060.
• Ministerial qualifying multifamily housing process (objective review / density bonus authority): § 12.245.030.