Sausalito Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Sausalito’s land-use rules are codified as Title 10 (Zoning) of the Sausalito Municipal Code and implement the General Plan and the Marinship specific plan. The ordinance is organized into base districts (residential, commercial, open space, Industrial Marinship) plus overlay zones (historic, planned-development, senior housing, emergency shelter) and a separate division of citywide standards (floor‑area ratio, height, setbacks, parking) and permit procedures. Key citywide standards and review rules live in Chapter 10.40 (General Development Regulations) and the permit and design-review chapters; the Zoning Map and tables in Title 10 show how these rules apply to each parcel. § 10.10.030 ; § 10.12.010 .

How Sausalito's code is organized

• The code is titled the City of Sausalito Zoning Ordinance (Title 10). The ordinance purpose and components are stated in § 10.10.030 and § 10.10.040. § 10.10.030 ; § 10.10.040 .
• The internal structure is spelled out in § 10.12.010:
  • Division II: Zoning District Regulations (Chapters 10.20–10.28) — base districts and overlays.
  • Division III: Land use & citywide standards (notably Chapter 10.40 general development rules; Chapter 10.44 specific uses; Chapter 10.42 signs).
  • Division IV: Permit procedures and review (Chapters 10.50–10.68).
  • Division V: Administration, notices and appeals (Chapters 10.80–10.84) and Definitions (Chapter 10.88). § 10.12.010 .

If you want to jump straight to the citywide rules for setbacks, FAR, coverage and parking, start in Chapter 10.40 (see the Development Standards link below) — those are the controlling procedural and measurement rules for almost every project. § 10.40.040, § 10.40.050, § 10.40.070, § 10.40.100 .

(Quick navigation links used on this page: Sausalito Zoning, Sausalito Land Use, Sausalito Development Standards, Sausalito Parking, Sausalito Design Review, Sausalito Overlay Districts, Sausalito ADUs, California Building Standards Code, California ADU law, California housing laws.)

Zoning district families (citywide)

The code divides the city into base zoning districts (Table 10.12‑1) and overlay districts (Table 10.12‑2). See § 10.12.040 for the full designation table. § 10.12.040

Base zoning families (examples; all appear in Table 10.12‑1):

• Open Space / Public: OS, PP, PI, OA — governed by Chapter 10.20. § 10.20.040
• Residential: R‑1 (single‑family: subdistricts R‑1‑6, R‑1‑8, R‑1‑20), R‑2 (two‑family: R‑2‑2.5, R‑2‑5), R‑3, PR (planned residential), H (houseboats), A (residential arks). The code describes their intent and typical densities; see § 10.22.020 and the site‑standards table § 10.22.040 for the numeric limits. § 10.22.020 ; § 10.22.040
  • Example numeric limits in the residential table: R‑1 shows a maximum FAR 0.45, maximum building height 32 ft, and maximum coverage 35% as the baseline table values (Table 10.22‑2). § 10.22.040
• Commercial: CC (Central Commercial), CR (Commercial/Residential mixed), CN (Neighborhood Commercial) — Chapter 10.24 contains Table 10.24‑2 with parcel minimums, FAR and coverage caps. Example: CC shows FAR 1.3, building coverage 100%, height 32 ft in the commercial standards table. § 10.24.050
• Industrial / Marinship: the industrial area is regulated under the IM (Industrial Marinship) district and is subject to the Marinship overlay (-M) and the Marinship specific plan; see Chapter 10.26 and § 10.28.050 for how the overlay modifies uses and standards. § 10.26.040 ; § 10.28.050

Overlay districts (combine with base districts; listed in Table 10.12‑2):

• -H (Historic) — Chapter 10.46 and § 10.28.040 set special rules and incentives. -M (Marinship), -Pd (Planned Development), -Sh (Senior Housing), -Es (Emergency Shelter) are explicitly listed as overlays. § 10.12.040 ; § 10.28.050

Citywide development standards — what to look for (high level)

The code separates measurement rules (how you calculate FAR, building area, coverage) from district caps (the table values that set the limits).

• Floor‑area ratio (FAR): defined and measured in § 10.40.040; discounts and subterranean credits are spelled out (basements / accessory units conditions). For how FAR is applied to a district, check the district’s site‑development table (e.g., Table 10.22‑2 or 10.24‑2). § 10.40.040
• Building coverage and impervious surface: measurement and limits are in § 10.40.050 and the district site tables (building‑coverage percentages appear in Tables 10.22‑2 and 10.24‑2). § 10.40.050 ; § 10.22.040
• Height: base district maximum heights are in the district tables and measured from natural average grade per § 10.40.060. Special exceptions (places of assembly, utilities, architectural features) are in the same section and may require design review or CUP. § 10.40.060
• Setbacks and special building setback lines: rules and exceptions are in § 10.40.070 and § 10.40.080 (special setbacks for named streets, exceptions for narrow lots, reductions on substandard parcels). For illustrations and special lines see the diagrams referenced in these sections. (See the Development Standards link above.) § 10.40.070 ; § 10.40.080
• Parking: the code’s off‑street parking rules and rates are in § 10.40.100 through § 10.40.115; the specific required spaces by use are listed in tables cross‑referenced from Chapter 10.44. For projects within 1/2 mile of transit there are limited exemptions noted in § 10.40.115. See the parking rules in § 10.40.100 et seq. § 10.40.100

When you evaluate a specific parcel, start with the zoning-map designation to read the district table (minimum parcel size, FAR, coverage, setbacks and maximum height), then apply Chapter 10.40 measurement rules and any overlay requirements from Chapter 10.28. § 10.12.040 ; § 10.40.040 .

Specific plans & overlays that matter in Sausalito

• Marinship Specific Plan and the -M (Marinship) overlay: the Zoning Ordinance explicitly implements the Marinship plan; the -M overlay changes allowed uses and favors marine/industrial/artistic uses over new offices, limits new marinas, and “prefers” buildings at the street edge in some places. See § 10.28.050 and the Marinship citations in § 10.10.010. § 10.28.050 ; § 10.10.010 .
• Historic Overlay (-H) and Local Register: the Historic Overlay is listed in Table 10.12‑2 and implemented through Chapter 10.46; local historic review and incentives are covered in that chapter. § 10.12.040 ; § 10.28.040 .
• Planned Development (-Pd): allows site‑specific flexibility via a planned‑development permit; see § 10.28.060 for the Pd application, findings and the requirement that the overlay is shown on the map. § 10.28.060 .

For most waterfront, Marinship and historic‑area projects you must read the overlay text in Chapter 10.28 in addition to the base district chapter. Overlay districts are applied by map designator. § 10.28.050 .

Building permits & review — typical permit path

• Zoning clearance and ministerial zoning permits: A zoning permit is required before starting a new or changed use or before issuance of a building permit; issuance is ministerial when the application meets the code and other requirements (Chapter 10.52, referenced in § 10.50.020). § 10.50.020 .
• Discretionary review: projects that exceed ministerial rules require discretionary permits — design review (Chapter 10.54), minor use permits (Chapter 10.58), conditional use permits (Chapter 10.60), variances (Chapter 10.68) — with the decision authority (staff, Zoning Administrator, Planning Commission) set in the permit tables. See § 10.50.020 for the permit map and Table 10.50‑2. § 10.50.020 ; § 10.60.010 .
• Design review: new construction and exterior alterations are subject to design review; minor projects can be approved administratively by staff, larger projects are reviewed by the Planning Commission (see Chapter 10.54 and § 10.12.060). See the summary of administrative vs. Planning Commission design review in Table 10.50‑1 and the guiding principles in § 10.54.030. Design review § 10.54.030 ; § 10.12.060 .
• Historic and overlay referrals: projects in the Historic Overlay or Marinship area are routed to the Historic Preservation Commission or subject to specific overlay findings/limits; see Chapter 10.46 and § 10.28.050. § 10.28.050 .

Practical orientation: start with the zoning map, read the district table for numeric caps, check Chapter 10.40 for measurement rules, then confirm whether overlays impose additional constraints, and finally identify which permits are required using Chapter 10.50 permit‑type tables. § 10.12.040 ; § 10.40.040 ; § 10.50.020 .

State housing law in Sausalito — how it interacts with local code

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs / JADUs): Sausalito incorporates state ADU rules into its local standards. The ADU rules are implemented through § 10.44.080 (Accessory dwelling unit regulations) and the residential site‑rules note that junior ADUs follow Government Code requirements. The city’s zoning tables and Chapter 10.22 call out ADU density/size treatments and reference state law. See § 10.44.080 and § 10.22.040; for state ADU details consult the linked state ADU guidance. ADUs § 10.44.080 ; § 10.22.040 .
• Density bonus and incentives: Sausalito includes a citywide provision for residential density bonuses and incentives; check § 10.40.130 for local implementation and refer to the State density‑bonus law for eligibility triggers. § 10.40.130 .
• SB 9 (ministerial lot splits/duplexes) and ministerial duplex provisions: The Sausalito code references state law in places (for example ADU/JADU cross‑references), and some recently adopted ordinances are noted in the code history; however, explicit SB 9 implementation text (ministerial lot split/duplex rules) was not located in the retrieved Title 10 excerpts. Not found in retrieved materials — verify current SB 9 implementation rules with the Community Development Department or the City Clerk. (See California housing laws and local code references.)
• Local rent control / tenant protections: Title 10 is a zoning code; I did not find a local rent‑control ordinance in the Title 10 excerpts. Rent controls would usually be in a separate municipal chapter or adopted ordinance; Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the City of Sausalito.

If you need the exact ADU cross‑references and the most recent local ADU ordinance language, read § 10.44.080 and the notes in § 10.22.040 for how Sausalito incorporates Government Code ADU rules. § 10.44.080 ; § 10.22.040 . For how local design review interacts with state‑required ministerial approvals, consult the Community Development Director and the design‑review chapter 10.54. § 10.54.040 .

Information Gaps / Verify with the city

• I did not find explicit, labeled text implementing SB 9 (ministerial lot splits/duplexes) in the retrieved Title 10 excerpts; please verify whether the City has adopted a separate SB 9 implementation ordinance. Not found in retrieved materials.
• Local tenant‑protection or rent‑control measures are not located in this Title 10 extract (those would often be in a non‑zoning municipal chapter or recent separate ordinance). Not found in retrieved materials — verify with City Clerk.

Source References

• Sausalito Municipal Code, Title 10 — Zoning (the extracts used here): https://ecode360.com/SA4880 (see especially § 10.10.030, § 10.12.010, § 10.12.040, § 10.22.020, § 10.22.040, § 10.24.050, § 10.26.040, § 10.28.050, § 10.40.040‑.130, § 10.44.080, § 10.50.020, § 10.54.030 )