Tehama Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Tehama’s land-use rules live in Title 17 — Zoning (the City of Tehama Zoning Ordinance) and implement the city’s 1972 general plan; the ordinance emphasizes preserving the city’s primarily residential and agricultural character while allowing targeted commercial uses (§ 17.04.020) . Title 17 establishes a compact districting scheme (platted lots are residential; unplatted land is open-space) and an overlay used to encourage commercial activity along C Street (§ 17.08.010; § 17.14.020) . For quick navigation to Tehama’s chapters, start with the Title 17 table of contents (the ordinance print export lists the chapters and recent ordinance history) (§ 17.04.030) .

How Tehama's code is organized

• Title 17 is arranged by chapter and section; the preamble and definitions sit in Chapter 17.04 (General Provisions & Definitions) (§ 17.04.010–.050) .
• District-level rules live in discrete chapters: e.g., Chapter 17.12 — Residential District, Chapter 17.16 — Open‑Space District, and Chapter 17.14 — Business Overlay Zone (BOZ); each chapter contains purpose, permitted uses and development standards (see § 17.12.010, § 17.16.010, § 17.14.010) .
• Permit and discretionary procedures are grouped by topic: Use permits and variances are in Chapter 17.28 (application, hearings, findings, revocation) (§ 17.28.010–.060) . Reasonable accommodation procedures for disabilities are in Chapter 17.30 (§ 17.30.010–.030) .
• Specialized chapters collect rules for topics like Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in Chapter 17.60, density bonus / housing incentives in Chapter 17.62, and renewable energy systems in Chapters 17.83–17.84 (§ 17.60.020; § 17.62.010; § 17.83.010–.110; § 17.84.010–.080) .
  Practical navigation tip: read the chapter header (e.g., “Chapter 17.12 — Residential District”) to find permitted uses, then jump to the chapter’s “Development Standards” subsection for numerical setbacks/heights/coverage (§ 17.12.030; § 17.12.050) .

Zoning district families (city‑level)

Tehama uses a small set of city‑level districts rather than a long list of subzones. Key district families and how they read in the code:

• Residential (R) — the default for platted lots; allows single‑ and multi‑family housing, ADUs/JADUs, supportive and transitional housing and related uses (§ 17.12.020; § 17.12.030) .
• Open‑Space — unplatted areas reserved for parks, river access and preservation uses; improvements generally require planning commission review for conformity with the open‑space plan (§ 17.16.010; § 17.08.020) .
• Business Overlay Zone (BOZ) — an overlay applied to selected parcels (notably along C Street) to allow a range of commercial uses while relying on the underlying zone’s development standards (§ 17.14.020–.030; § 17.14.050) .
• Specialty rules and overlays: ADU provisions are city‑wide where residential uses are allowed (Chapter 17.60) and energy/renewables rules are in Chapters 17.83–17.84 (wind/solar) (§ 17.60.040; § 17.83.010; § 17.84.010) .

(Throughout this page the official district names are bolded so you can scan them quickly — for the city’s full table of contents see Title 17.) Title-level citation: the short title and purpose are in § 17.04.030–.040 .

Citywide development standards (high level)

Tehama keeps many of its numerical standards simple and chapter‑specific. Below are the principal, citywide standards you’ll encounter and where they are stated:

• Lot coverage and setbacks (Residential district): single‑family maximum main building coverage: 35%; minimum front yard: 15 ft; minimum rear yard: 20 ft; side yards total = 20% of lot width, minimum 6 ft; maximum height: two stories (§ 17.12.050A) . For multifamily the code allows up to 65% coverage, 15 ft front yard, 20–35 ft height (two to three stories, 35 ft) and the same side yard formula (§ 17.12.050B) .
• Parking: the code defines standards and exceptions for many use types; ADU parking rules are explicit (one off‑street space generally required, with several state‑aligned exemptions) — see the ADU section below for details and see the city’s general parking rules and definitions for other uses (§ 17.60.090 (parking rules within the ADU chapter) and the ordinance definitions for parking terms) . For more on parking rules see the city’s parking summary below and the linked parking page.
• Lot division: BOZ parcels have minimum re‑subdivision sizes — no division resulting in less than 12,800 sq ft for BOZ lands (§ 17.14.070) .
• Fences and accessory structures: fences are limited to 6 ft (side/rear) and 4 ft in front yards unless transparent materials are used; exceptions require a use permit (§ 17.20.010) .
  For an at‑a‑glance list of numeric rules see the chapter headings (e.g., § 17.12.050 for residential standards) and the city’s consolidated development standards overview. Link to the city’s development‑standards page here for quick navigation: development standards.

Specific plans & overlays

• Business Overlay Zone (BOZ): targeted overlay to encourage commercial uses along C Street; it authorizes a wide range of retail, restaurant, office and lodging uses in addition to all uses permitted in Residential (R), and it defers to underlying development standards unless otherwise stated (§ 17.14.020–.030; § 17.14.050) . See Tehama Overlay Districts for an at‑a‑glance map and parcel list.
• Open‑space protections: riverfront and unplatted land are reserved for recreation/wildlife — improvements require planning commission referral and council/commission findings of conformity with the open‑space plan (§ 17.16.010; § 17.08.020) .
• Historic and other overlays: the code references historically significant properties (e.g., exemptions for ADU parking) and the sign/fence rules limit intrusive advertising; the city maintains separate historic‑preservation guidance where applicable (§ 17.60.080 parking exemptions; signage rules in § 17.14.060) .

Building permits & review — the practical path

• Ministerial vs. discretionary: most small residential projects that meet objective standards are processed ministerially; ADUs that conform to Chapter 17.60 must be approved ministerially through the building permit process and the city must act on a complete ADU permit in 60 days (§ 17.60.050) .
• Use permits / conditional uses: uses listed as conditional require a use permit under Chapter 17.28 — that chapter sets application filing, hearing and findings requirements and authorizes revocable/conditional use permits (§ 17.28.010–.060) .
• Design and discretionary review: Tehama’s code generally requires only the objective numeric standards in each chapter; for streamlined multifamily development under SB 35 the city does not regulate design on qualifying multifamily projects (§ 17.12.080) . ADUs must meet the Chapter 17.60 design standards (objective design, fire, foundation and access requirements) and building code compliance is enforced through the building‑permit review; see the city’s design review overview for discretionary design review practices where they apply. Link to the city design review page here: design review.
• Building code & inspections: all construction must comply with the California Building Standards Code (Title 24); the ADU chapter specifically ties ADU construction to the California Building Code and requires permanent foundations and any sprinklers that the primary dwelling would require (§ 17.60.030; § 17.60.080.F) . For state code reference see California Building Standards Code.
• Appeals and revocation: use permits include revocation language and noncompliance can trigger revocation proceedings and hearings (§ 17.28.060) .

State housing law in Tehama (how CA law interacts with local code)

Tehama’s Title 17 expressly implements and defers to state housing law in multiple places; key interactions:

• ADUs / JADUs (ministerial, state‑aligned): Tehama allows ADUs/JADUs by‑right where residential uses are allowed (§ 17.60.040) and requires ministerial building‑permit approval within 60 days for complete applications (§ 17.60.050) . Chapter 17.60 adopts state‑aligned rules on unit types, sizes, parking exceptions and converted‑unit standards (see § 17.60.060–.110 for types, combinations, size limits and parking) . See the city ADU page here: Tehama ADUs.
• ADU height & parking specifics: Tehama’s ADU rules cap detached ADU height at 16 ft (with state‑aligned 18 ft exceptions near transit or on multi‑family parcels) and require one off‑street parking space unless a state‑aligned exemption applies (near transit, historic properties, conversions, car‑share, on‑street permit limits, etc.) (§ 17.60.090 (attached/detached standards and parking) and § 17.60.080) . These mirror state ADU reforms and exemptions referenced in state guidance. For state ADU law background see California ADU law and general California housing laws.
• Streamlined multifamily (SB 35): Tehama explicitly allows by‑right multifamily housing that meets SB 35 criteria and applies the chapter’s objective standards; in that context the city states it “does not regulate design” for SB 35 projects (§ 17.12.080) .
• Density bonus and incentives: Tehama codified a density‑bonus chapter (Chapter 17.62) to implement state density bonus incentives; consult § 17.62.010 and the chapter text for how the city applies incentives to affordable housing projects (§ 17.62.010) .
• Nonconforming/zoning‑defect protections for ADUs: the ADU chapter states that conforming ADUs will not be treated as exceeding density or as requiring correction of nonconforming zoning conditions (§ 17.60.030) .

Information gaps / items to verify with the city

• The code print export we have is comprehensive for Title 17, but mapping (exact parcel overlays, current BOZ parcel list), current fee schedules, and any active specific‑plan maps are not contained in the text excerpts; verify parcel‑level overlay application and up‑to‑date fee/impact calculations with the city planner’s office (Title 17 references proportional ADU fee formulas but the fee tables sit separately) (§ 17.60.090 fee proportionality language) .
• Tehama’s internal procedural checklists (submittal forms, ministerial intake checklist, building‑permit routing) are administrative and not printed verbatim in Title 17; contact City Hall for the current forms. Use permit/variance hearing procedures and fees are described in Chapter 17.28, but the city’s public‑notice templates and hearing calendar are administered by the clerk’s office (§ 17.28.020–.030) .

Source References

• City of Tehama, Title 17 — Zoning Ordinance (print export), Chapters 17.04; 17.08; 17.12; 17.14; 17.20; 17.24; 17.28; 17.30; 17.60; 17.62; 17.83; 17.84 — cited throughout (see, e.g., § 17.04.020; § 17.08.010; § 17.12.050; § 17.14.030; § 17.20.010; § 17.28.010; § 17.60.050; § 17.60.070; § 17.60.080; § 17.60.090; § 17.60.100; § 17.60.110) .