Tiburon Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Tiburon’s zoning is codified as the Town of Tiburon Zoning Ordinance, Title IV, Chapter 16 of the Tiburon Municipal Code (the “Zoning Ordinance”) and implements the General Plan by establishing zones, overlay districts, development standards, and permit procedures that guide new construction, additions and land use decisions in town § 16-10.010; § 16-10.040 . The code is organized into Articles addressing applicability/interpretation, zones and allowable land uses, citywide development standards and parking, standards for specific land uses (including secondary dwelling units), permit procedures and administrative bodies, and housing/inclusionary rules § 16-10.010; Art. II–VIII . This page explains how to read the code, the actual district names used in Tiburon, where the major development controls live, how discretionary and design review work, which specific plans/overlays matter, and where state housing laws intersect with local rules.

How Tiburon's code is organized

• Title and purpose: The ordinance is explicitly titled the Town of Tiburon Zoning Ordinance and declares its purpose and applicability up front § 16-10.010–§ 16-10.050 .
• Table-of-contents / Articles: Major code divisions appear as Articles (Article I: applicability & interpretation; Article II: Zones & Allowable Uses; Article III: General Development & Parking Standards; Article IV: Standards for Specific Land Uses; Article V: Permit Procedures; Article VI: Administration/Appeals; Article VII: Inclusionary Housing & Density Bonuses; Article X: Definitions) — use the Article headings to find rules quickly (Art. I–VII, X) .
• Where to find major rules:
  • Base zone use lists and zone purposes: Article II (Zones & Allowable Land Uses), see zone-by-zone listings and the Zoning Map reference § 16-14.020 .
  • Citywide setbacks, height, lot coverage and related standards: Article III (Standards for All Development and Parking Standards), in particular § 16-30.030 (Setbacks) and § 16-30.050 (Height Limits) .
  • Parking & loading rules: Article III, Section 16-32 (Parking and Loading Standards) — see the Tiburon Parking guidance page for practical checklists.
  • Site Plan & Architectural Review and design review authority: § 16-52.020 and the Design Review Board provisions (review authority, notice, findings) .
  • Specific-use standards (including Secondary Dwelling Unit) are in Article IV, e.g., § 16-40.030 for secondary dwelling units and other use-specific rules § 16-40.010 .
  • Administrative procedures, hearings, appeals, and enforcement are in Articles V and VI (including application filing, permit types, time limits and appeals) § 16-50 – § 16-66 .
  • Housing / inclusionary rules and local vs. state density bonus authority: Article VII (16-70) and the state-mandated density bonus reference § 16-70.110 .

(For quick internal navigation, see the town’s pages for Tiburon Zoning, Tiburon Development Standards, Tiburon Parking and Tiburon Design Review.)

Zoning district families (what the districts are called)

Tiburon uses a distinct set of base zones and planned-development categories. The ordinance names the actual districts as follows (all quoted names are the code’s):

• Residential families
  • R-1 single-family residential and related variants § 16-21.020 (with special neighborhood variants R-1-B-A and R-1-B-2 for Bel Aire and similar areas) .
  • RO-1 / RO-2 (Residential Open zones) for lower-density, larger-lot residential uses § 16-21.020 .
  • R-2 (Two-family) and R-3 (Multifamily) residential zones with associated usable open-space and density standards § 16-21.040 .
  • Planned residential zones: RPD and RMP (planned residential/precise plan areas) where precise development plans or master plans set specific envelopes and standards § 16-21.020; § 16-52.060 .
• Commercial families
  • NC (Neighborhood Commercial) and VC (Village Commercial) with commercial development standards in § 16-22.010–§ 16-22.040 .
• Civic / other
  • P&R (Parks & Recreation) zone with its own Table 2-7 development standards § 16-28.040 .
• Overlay districts (important modifiers of base zones)
  • HPO (Historic Protection Overlay) — protects downtown inventory buildings and requires Site Plan & Architectural Review for exterior alterations § 16-23.060 .
  • RMP/AHO (Residential Multiple Planned / Affordable Housing Overlay) and NC/AHO (Neighborhood Commercial / Affordable Housing Overlay) provide incentives and density rules for qualifying affordable housing projects § 16-23.030–§ 16-23.040 .
  • F (Flood Hazard Overlay) ties development to the town’s flood-damage prevention chapter and federal maps § 16-23.020(A) .

Each district’s permitted uses, conditional uses, and development standards are listed in Article II and the Zoning Map identified at § 16-14.020 . The code includes Tables (e.g., Table 2-3 for commercial, Table 2-4 for overlay development standards, Table 2-7 for P&R) that carry the numeric limits for setbacks, heights, coverage and FAR in specific zones (Table 2-3; Table 2-4; Table 2-7) .

Citywide development standards (high-level)

• Scope and location in code: General development standards that apply across zones are in Article III (Standards for All Development and Parking Standards), especially § 16-30.010–§ 16-30.120 for setbacks, height, fences, lot coverage and related controls § 16-30.010; § 16-30.030; § 16-30.050; § 16-30.120 .
• Setbacks: Minimum setbacks and exceptions are addressed in § 16-30.030 and zone-specific setback tables appear in the zone development standards tables referenced in Article II § 16-30.030; Table 2-3/Table 2-4 .
• Height limits: Height limits and exceptions for primary and accessory structures are set out in § 16-30.050 and zone development tables (see P&R example with a 30 ft primary height limit) § 16-30.050; Table 2-7 .
• Lot coverage, FAR and open space: Lot coverage and FAR guidance (including an expressed residential FAR guideline and calculation method) appear in Article III and related zone tables; floor area and FAR definitions and calculation are in Article X definitions (see the “Floor area, gross” definition) § 16-30.120; § 16-30 (FAR guidelines); Art. X (definitions) .
• Parking & loading: Off-street parking design, required counts by use, bicycle and disabled parking rules, and in-lieu options are in § 16-32 (Parking and Loading Standards); change-of-use and multiple-use rules also appear there § 16-32.010–§ 16-32.120 . For practical permit intake checklists, see Tiburon Parking.
• Landscaping, lighting and grading: Town standards for landscaping, lighting (shielded downlighting required), grading thresholds, and tree removal are referenced in Article III and specific use standards and Site Plan and Architectural Review criteria § 16-30.070; § 16-52.020; § 16-52.020(7–11) .

(For the town’s practical development-standard summaries consult Tiburon Development Standards and Tiburon Landscaping and Screening.)

Specific plans & overlays (what modifies base zoning)

• Planned developments / precise plans: The ordinance recognizes planned developments where master/precise plans or recorded maps control density, setbacks, and envelopes; these are shown on the Planned Development Map and regulated by precise development plan procedures § 16-21.020; § 16-14.020; § 16-52.060 .
• Affordable Housing Overlay Zones: The RMP/AHO and NC/AHO overlays provide incentives (density, waiver of CUPs for qualifying units) in exchange for a specified affordable unit mix, deed restrictions and compliance with the Town’s inclusionary requirements § 16-23.030–§ 16-23.040 .
• Historic Protection Overlay (HPO): The HPO requires Director or Board-level Site Plan & Architectural Review for exterior changes to inventory buildings and directs reliance on the Local Historic Inventory and Downtown Tiburon Design Handbook § 16-23.060 . See Tiburon Historic Preservation for local guidance.
• Flood Hazard Overlay (F): The F overlay ties to the Town’s flood-damage chapter and NFIP maps and elevational datum requirements § 16-23.020(A) .
• Where overlays appear in practice: Overlay development standards are implemented via tables (e.g., Table 2-4 for overlay zones) and procedures in Article II and the permit review rules in Article V § 16-23.040; § 16-52.020 .

(For a quick index of overlays see Tiburon Overlay Districts.)

Building permits & review (the permit pathway)

• Permit types and where they’re regulated: Application filing, completeness, fees and initial review are governed in Article V (§ 16-50.010–§ 16-50.060); permit types and decisions (Site Plan & Architectural Review, Conditional Use Permit, Variance, Precise Development Plan, Tidelands Permit, Temporary Use Permit, Secondary Dwelling Unit approvals) are described in § 16-52 and related subsections § 16-50; § 16-52.010–§ 16-52.100 .
• Design review and review authorities: The Design Review Board is the primary review authority for Site Plan and Architectural Review applications (subject to exceptions), and the Director handles minor alterations; meeting, notice and decision procedures are in § 16-52.020 and Design Review/notice provisions in Article VI § 16-52.020; § 16-64.010–§ 16-64.060 . See the town’s Tiburon Design Review page for application tips.
• Planning Commission & Council roles: The Planning Commission reviews and recommends on many discretionary permits and makes findings on rezonings, precise development plans and major subdivisions; the Council is the final legislative decisionmaker for rezonings, General Plan amendments and large-scale actions § 16-60.030; § 16-60.040 .
• Implementation and time limits: Permit effective dates, time limits for exercise of permits, extensions and changes to approved projects are covered in § 16-54 (Permit Implementation, Time Limits, Extensions) .
• Building code and construction permits: Zoning approvals are distinct from building permits; construction permitting and technical code compliance rely on the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) and local building permit processes — applicants must obtain the appropriate building permits after zoning approval (verify building-code submittal requirements with the Town’s Building Official and California Building Standards Code). Where the zoning code references grading, structural or other building actions it defers to building permit limits and Uniform/Title 24 standards § 16-52.020 (examples: grading thresholds) .

State housing law in Tiburon — how statewide rules interact with local code

Summary: Tiburon’s code contains local provisions for inclusionary housing, local density bonus programs and explicit references to the state-mandated density bonus; it also contains provisions for Secondary/Accessory Dwelling Units in Article IV and a permit/approval path in Article V. Where state law pre-empts or requires ministerial approval (e.g., ADU ministerial rules, state density bonus, SB 9 parcel-split/duplex rules), the Town’s code may defer or has a separate compliance path — in cases where the local text does not recite the full state standard, the state statute controls.

Details and specific local citations:

• Accessory / Secondary Dwelling Units (ADU/JADU): Tiburon codifies a Secondary Dwelling Unit standard and lists it in the Standards for Specific Land Uses (Article IV) and as a permit type in Article V § 16-40.030; § 16-52.100 . Applicants should read § 16-40.030 for local siting and operating standards and follow ministerial procedures in § 16-52.100; construction still requires building permits that comply with Title 24 (California ADU law and California Building Standards Code) .
• Density bonus / inclusionary rules: Tiburon has a local inclusionary program and a town density bonus; the code includes a Town of Tiburon Density Bonus program as well as explicit recognition of the state-mandated density bonus rules in § 16-70.100 – § 16-70.110 (see specifically § 16-70.110 for the state-mandated density bonus reference) .
• Affordable-housing overlays and incentives: The RMP/AHO and NC/AHO overlays are Tiburon’s local mechanisms to encourage affordable development and describe qualification thresholds (affordable mixes, deed restrictions, special standards) § 16-23.030–§ 16-23.040 .
• SB 9 and ministerial duplex/split rules: The uploaded Tiburon ordinance materials include the town’s local ADU and secondary dwelling provisions and references to density bonuses, but a specific local SB 9–style parcel split/ministerial duplex section was not found in the retrieved materials; therefore whether Tiburon has adopted local objective standards/processes for SB 9 ministerial approvals is Not found in retrieved materials — applicants should verify with the Community Development Department and consult state law (California housing laws) (verify with the Town – Not found in retrieved materials) .
• Rent control / local tenancy restrictions: The zoning ordinance does not establish rent-control rules; rent control (if any) would be addressed in separate municipal law and is Not found in the zoning ordinance materials retrieved here (verify with Town Clerk or municipal code outside Title IV) (Not found in retrieved materials) .

Practical navigation & tips for applicants (how to use the code)

• Start with the Zoning Map and zone listing at § 16-14.020 to confirm your base zone and any overlays .
• Read the zone-specific permitted/conditional uses in Article II for your zone and cross-check the applicable development standard table (setbacks, height, coverage and FAR) that applies to that zone (Article II; Table 2-3/Table 2-4) .
• For design standards and discretionary review expectations, consult the Site Plan & Architectural Review rules § 16-52.020 and the Design Review Board/Director delegation rules § 16-52.020(E) .
• If your project includes affordable units and you seek incentives, early coordination with staff is recommended (the code specifically advises pre-application meetings for RMP/AHO and NC/AHO opportunities) § 16-23.030 .
• For ADUs, read § 16-40.030 and the ministerial permit pathway in § 16-52.100, then obtain building permits per Title 24 (California ADU law; California Building Standards Code) .
• Expect story pole and neighborhood-notice requirements for many discretionary projects; notice and hearing procedures are in Article VI § 16-64.010–§ 16-64.060 .

Information Gaps / Items to verify with the Town

• Full local ADU objective standards (dimensions, parking exemptions, owner-occupancy triggers if any) are referred to in § 16-40.030 and § 16-52.100, but the detailed numeric ADU limits were not present in the retrieved snippets — review the full text of § 16-40.030 with the Planning Division for exact submittal checklists and numeric limits .
• Local treatment of SB 9 ministerial lot splits and ministerial duplex approvals was Not found in the retrieved zoning excerpts; applicants relying on SB 9 should confirm the Town’s adopted objective standards and process with the Community Development Department (Not found in retrieved materials) .
• Any amendments adopted after the 2010 effective consolidation (the materials appear to reference the 4-16-2010 adopted version) should be checked on the Town website or through staff to ensure you are relying on the latest code text (verify with Town records) .

Source References

• Town of Tiburon Zoning Ordinance, Title IV, Chapter 16 (Zoning Ordinance): Table of contents and Title/Applicability § 16-10.010–§ 16-10.050 .
• Article II — Zones & Allowable Land Uses (residential zone descriptions including R-1, R-1-B-A, R-2, R-3, RO-1/RO-2, RPD/RMP) § 16-21.020; § 16-21.040 .
• Overlay Zones (RMP/AHO, NC/AHO, HPO, F overlays) § 16-23.020–§ 16-23.060 .
• Article III — General Development Standards (setbacks, height, lot coverage, FAR guidelines) § 16-30.010–§ 16-30.120 .
• Parking and Loading Standards § 16-32.010–§ 16-32.120 .
• Article IV — Standards for Specific Land Uses (including Secondary Dwelling Unit § 16-40.030) .
• Article V — Application filing, permit review, Site Plan & Architectural Review, and permit types § 16-50; § 16-52.020; § 16-52.060 .
• Article VI — Administrative responsibilities, Planning Commission duties and hearing/appeal procedures § 16-60.030; § 16-64.010–§ 16-66.040 .
• Article VII — Inclusionary Housing and Density Bonuses (including reference to state-mandated density bonus § 16-70.110) § 16-70.010–§ 16-70.120 .
• Definitions and floor area / planned development definitions: Article X (Definitions) (Article X) .