Torrance · Zoning · R-5
Torrance R-5 zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Torrance's R-5 zone, generally the front setback is 20 ft, the side setback limit is 30 ft and the rear setback limit is 30 ft, with the conditions listed below (Torrance code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Minimum front setback: 20 ft (On street fronts, no point of the building may rise into a 60-degree plane from the street centerline)
- Minimum side setback: 30 ft (Plus 1 ft for each story above 10 stories)
- Minimum rear setback: 30 ft (Plus 1 ft for each story above 10 stories)
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 0.13 for a 1-story building (The limit rises by 0.13 for each story of the principal building)
R-5 (HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT) is a zoning district in Torrance. Every value below was read from the Torrance Municipal Code and links to its section (read October 2026). State laws such as the ADU and SB 9 rules can allow more on a residential lot. General information, not legal advice — read the code text and check with the city before you build.
Development standards in R-5
The general rule for a typical lot in this zone. Zoning tables often attach notes, such as rules for corner lots, lots next to a residential zone, or new subdivisions only. Open “code text” under a value to see the table cell or sentence it was read from.
| Minimum front setback | 20 ft Applies: On street fronts, no point of the building may rise into a 60-degree plane from the street centerline § 91.11.8 · code textThere shall be a twenty (20) foot minimum setback from all street property lines; provided, however, that on the street fronts of the building and/or structure no point shall project into an imaginary plane established by an angle of sixty (60) degrees as projected from any point along the centerline of the street to any one (1) street front of the building and/or structure. |
|---|---|
| Minimum side setback | 30 ft Applies: Plus 1 ft for each story above 10 stories § 91.11.6 · code textNo structure in the R-5 zone shall be closer than thirty (30) feet to the rear or side property lines. |
| Minimum rear setback | 30 ft Applies: Plus 1 ft for each story above 10 stories § 91.11.6 · code textNo structure in the R-5 zone shall be closer than thirty (30) feet to the rear or side property lines. |
| Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 0.13 for a 1-story building Applies: The limit rises by 0.13 for each story of the principal building § 91.11.11 · code textTable row “1”, column “Maximum F.A.R.”: | 1 | .13 | |
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in R-5:
- Minimum side setback: No extra setback per story above 10 stories — Where a project parcel abuts an approved public open space (See Section 91.11.10.(b)); applies to the additional foot of setback per story above ten stories § 91.11.6
- Minimum rear setback: No extra setback per story above 10 stories — Where a project parcel abuts an approved public open space (See Section 91.11.10.(b)); applies to the additional foot of setback per story above ten stories § 91.11.6
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 0.26 — 2 stories § 91.11.11
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 0.39 — 3 stories § 91.11.11
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 0.52 — 4 stories § 91.11.11
- Maximum floor area ratio (FAR): 0.65 — 5 stories § 91.11.11
Not on this page
We did not find a general height, stories, lot size, lot coverage, density limit for R-5 in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Torrance Municipal Code.
Other Torrance zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum front setback in Torrance's R-5 zone?
20 ft (on street fronts, no point of the building may rise into a 60-degree plane from the street centerline) — Torrance Municipal Code § 91.11.8.
What is the minimum side setback in Torrance's R-5 zone?
30 ft (plus 1 ft for each story above 10 stories) — Torrance Municipal Code § 91.11.6.
What is the minimum rear setback in Torrance's R-5 zone?
30 ft (plus 1 ft for each story above 10 stories) — Torrance Municipal Code § 91.11.6.
What is the maximum floor area ratio (far) in Torrance's R-5 zone?
0.13 for a 1-story building (the limit rises by 0.13 for each story of the principal building) — Torrance Municipal Code § 91.11.11.
General information, not legal advice.
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