Santa Rosa Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Santa Rosa’s land-use regulation is codified in Title 20 — the Santa Rosa Zoning Code, which implements the General Plan and is administered by the City Council, Planning Commission, Design Review & Preservation Board, Director of Planning & Economic Development, the Zoning Administrator, and the Planning Department. The code is organized into district tables (Division 2), citywide development standards (Division 3 / Chapter 20-30), standards for particular uses (Chapter 20-42), combining/overlay districts (Chapter 20-28), and procedural chapters that govern application filing and review (Chapters 20-50 through 20-52). For the practitioner this means permissible uses and permit levels are read in the district tables first, then checked against the citywide standards, combining-district rules, and any specific plan that applies. § 20-10.010 and related implementing text explain this framework.

How Santa Rosa's code is organized

• Title: Title 20 — Zoning Code (cited as the Zoning Code) — see Purpose and Effect, § 20-10.010.
• Division 2 (Zoning Districts and Allowable Land Uses): district tables and permit-level tables are located in Chapters 20-22, 20-23, and 20-24; the rules telling you which permit you need are in § 20-21.030 and the surrounding Chapter 20-21 text.
• Division 3 / Chapter 20-30: citywide site‑planning and design standards (setbacks, height measurement rules, general development standards). See § 20-30.010 and the specific height/setback cross-references (§ 20-30.070, § 20-30.110).
• Use‑specific standards: Chapter 20-42 (standards for specific land uses, including an ADU section: § 20-42.130).
• Combining/overlay districts: Chapter 20-28 (establishes the combining districts and mapping conventions such as the -G Gateway and -H Historic combining zones). See § 20-28.010 and the -G and -H subsections.
• Review & procedural chapters: permit application filing, processing, and decision procedures are in Chapters 20-50 – 20-52 (permit filing, Zoning Clearance, hearings, and administrative review). See § 20-52.010 for permit review procedures and the Zoning Clearance discussion in that chapter.
• Nonconforming uses and parcel rules: Chapter 20-61 covers nonconforming uses, structures and parcels and how they are treated when projects or reconstruction occur.

Practical orientation: start with the zoning map/district for the parcel (Division 2 tables), confirm the allowable land uses and required permit type in § 20-21.030, then check Chapter 20-30 for citywide site standards and any combining-district rules in Chapter 20-28; consult Chapter 20-42 if the use is a specially-regulated use; and then submit using the filing procedures in Chapter 20-50 and the review steps in Chapter 20-52.

(If you prefer a quick gateway to the topic pages on GoCodebook, see the city’s main Zoning page and the related topic pages linked below — these internal topic links are embedded the first time each topic is discussed in this overview.)

Zoning district families

Santa Rosa organizes districts into the standard district families (residential, commercial, industrial, public/institutional and special mixed‑use/transit districts). Representative, city‑specific district labels you will see in the code and tables include:

• TV‑M (a Transit‑Village / mixed‑use district shown in the district development tables and Table 2‑9), with its own density, coverage and height rules in the district tables and cross‑references to § 20-30.070 (height) and § 20-30.110 (setbacks).
• CN and other commercial districts (commercial district development standards are set in Division 2 tables and cross‑referenced to Chapter 20‑30).
• Combining districts such as -G (Gateway), -H (Historic / Preservation) and local suffixes like -SR that modify the primary district rules where mapped. Combining district rules are in Chapter 20-28 and apply in addition to the primary district standards.

All district tables set the allowable uses and the required permit level (e.g., Zoning Clearance, Minor Conditional Use Permit, Conditional Use Permit) — consult § 20-21.030 and the Division 2 tables for the exact use‑by‑district matrix.

Citywide development standards

Santa Rosa separates district‑level dimensional rules from citywide, cross‑cutting standards:

• Where to find them: Chapter 20-30 (Standards for All Development and Land Uses) contains general site‑planning, lot coverage, height measurement rules, and the process for exceptions — see § 20-30.010 and the specific subsections such as § 20-30.070 (height) and § 20-30.110 (setbacks).
• Typical variables regulated by the code: setbacks, height limits and height measurement, lot coverage and FAR references (district tables cross‑reference § 20-23.060 for FAR rules where applicable), landscaping requirements (see Chapter 20‑34), and parking and loading (see Chapter 20‑36). These chapters interact: the district table sets the base limits and the Chapter 20‑30 standards set measurement, exceptions, and site design rules.
• Design and visual analysis: the City requires projects to be consistent with the Design Guidelines applied through the design review process; the Design Guidelines are incorporated in review via § 20-52.030 and related permit provisions.
• Tables: district development tables (e.g., Table 2‑9 for TV‑M) spell out district‑specific minima/maxima (minimum lot size where applicable, maximum density, coverage, and height) and explicitly point you back to the citywide chapters for landscaping, parking and signs. See the district tables and § 20-23.060 for cross‑references.

For quick internal GoCodebook reading, the first time the topics above are explained you can jump to the Santa Rosa Development Standards, Santa Rosa Parking, and Santa Rosa Landscaping and Screening pages.

Specific plans & overlays

• Specific plans and area plans (for example the Roseland Area/Sebastopol Road guidance cited in district text) are layered on top of Title 20 and are called out in the district tables and combining‑district language; Chapter 20-28 contains the combining/overlay structure and mapping rules (§ 20-28.010 – § 20-28.100).
• Examples of combining/overlay regimes in the code: -G (Gateway combining district, with special design criteria for major and minor entries), -H (Historic / Preservation combining district with the Processing Review Procedures and the Secretary of the Interior standards referenced), and localized combining districts such as -SR (which carries its own setback and tree/landscape rules). See Chapter 20‑28 and the -H text for the preservation provisions.

(For a focused look at overlays you can consult the Santa Rosa Overlay Districts page.)

Building permits & review (the procedural path)

• Basic rule: you must obtain the land‑use permit required by the district table before a building or grading permit is issued. Chapter 20-21 explains that the issuance of a building or grading permit is conditioned on the land use approvals (see § 20-21.010 and the filing/permit rules in § 20-21.030).
• Typical steps (how the code lays them out): determine allowable use and required permit (Division 2 / § 20-21.030), prepare plans showing compliance with Chapter 20-30 standards and any specific plan or combining district, file through the application procedures of Chapter 20-50, then the project is reviewed through Chapter 20-52 permit review procedures (including Zoning Clearance where applicable). The Zoning Clearance procedure and administrative issuance rules are in the permit review chapter.
• Decision authorities: the code specifies which approvals are administrative (Director / Zoning Administrator) and which require hearings (Planning Commission / City Council) depending on permit type — review authority assignments are set out across the permit chapters and the district tables. See the procedural chapters and the Purpose/Administration text in Title 20 for the roster of decision authorities.
• Design review: multi‑family, nonresidential, and projects within certain districts are subject to design review and must demonstrate consistency with the City’s Design Guidelines applied through the design review process; this requirement is enforced via § 20-52.030 and related provisions.

If the use is not listed in a district table, the Director has a structured similar‑use determination procedure (findings required) to decide whether a proposed, unlisted use can be allowed — see § 20-21.030.A.3 for the Director’s authority and required findings.

State housing law in Santa Rosa

Summary: Santa Rosa’s local ADU rules are codified and the Zoning Code explicitly treats accessory dwellings under the use‑specific standards in Chapter 20-42 (see § 20-42.130). At the same time, state ADU law and other California housing statutes impose binding constraints on local ADU regulation; local ADU rules must be consistent with state law.

• Local ADUs: the code places accessory dwelling units under § 20-42.130 and applies site/lot/setback rules from Chapter 20-30 where permitted. Consult § 20-42.130 for the city’s ADU-specific rules.
• State ADU law: statewide ADU reforms limit the degree to which local jurisdictions can impose minimum sizes, parking, or prohibit ADUs in garden/side/rear areas. The uploaded 2025 California ADU handbook summarizing state ADU law explains these limitations (e.g., rules about setback minimums, parking waivers in certain circumstances, and maximum local height rules for ADUs) — local ADU approvals must be read together with state law. For the statewide rules see the California ADU law and the California Building Standards Code.
• SB 9 / lot‑splitting / ministerial duplex laws: explicit Santa Rosa code language implementing or amending local procedures to reflect SB 9 or new ministerial duplex/lot split rules was not found in the retrieved Title 20 excerpts. Where state law mandates ministerial approvals (SB 9, state ministerial duplex laws, state density bonus provisions), local practice must be checked against the code and the Planning Department’s current checklists; verify with the Department for current SB 9 implementations and local objective standards. Not found in retrieved materials: explicit SB 9 implementation provisions in the local Title 20 excerpts provided.

Practical checklist (ADU / State law interaction):

• Read § 20-42.130 (local ADU section) first.
• Cross‑check Chapter 20-30 setback and height measurement rules (if the local code attempts to impose requirements pre‑empted by state ADU law, the state rules prevail). See § 20-30.070 and § 20-30.110.
• Use the state ADU summary in the uploaded handbook for where state law limits local discretion and where parking exemptions apply.

Practical notes & tips

• If a use is not listed in the district table, the Director can allow a similar use if a five‑part finding is met — check § 20-21.030.A.3.
• Combining districts (the code’s overlays) append a suffix (e.g., -G, -H) to the primary zone on the Zoning Map and their standards apply in addition to the primary zone — see Chapter 20-28.
• Design review and “consistency with the Design Guidelines” are required for many project types; the Design Guidelines are applied through the review procedures in Chapter 20-52.

Information Gaps / What to verify with the city

• The retrieved excerpts show the structure and many implementing sections but do not include complete district tables for every zone label (e.g., full R‑district tables) or a mapped Zoning Map excerpt. To confirm the exact permitted uses for a specific parcel, consult the full Division 2 tables and the Zoning Map in the City’s map viewer.
• The excerpts do not contain a clearly labeled local SB 9 / ministerial lot‑split implementation section; check with Planning staff for the city’s current ministerial SB 9 checklists or any recent ordinances implementing SB 9. Not found in retrieved materials.

Source References

• Santa Rosa Zoning Code (Title 20) — multiple chapters and excerpts used (Purpose/Administration, Chapter 20‑21, 20‑28, 20‑30, 20‑34, 20‑36, 20‑38, 20‑42, 20‑50, 20‑52, 20‑61). See the uploaded Title 20 excerpts in the project files for the precise subsections cited above.
• 2025 California ADU handbook (state ADU law summary referenced for how state rules constrain local ADU regulation).