Tulare County Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page orients you to land-use controls that apply inside Tulare County’s unincorporated areas (the County’s zoning and planning ordinances do not govern incorporated cities). The County’s land-use rules are codified mainly through the Tulare County Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 352) and the Ordinance Code chapters found in Part VII (Land Use Regulation and Planning). Key topics — where to find rules, how discretionary review works, building-permit gates, major county-wide standards (building-line setbacks, flood rules), and how state housing law overlays local practice — are summarized below with direct citations to the county code so you can follow up on any point. When the local code text needed to answer a question isn’t present in the materials we have, I note that gap and point you to the code sections that govern where the missing detail must live.

How Tulare County's code is organized

• The zoning regulations are adopted as Ordinance No. 352 (the Tulare County Zoning Ordinance) and are implemented inside the Tulare County Ordinance Code as Part VII (Land Use Regulation and Planning). The County explicitly treats Ordinance No. 352 as the source of zone classes and use classifications and makes the Supplemental Zoning Map a companion to the text (§ 7-11-1010).
• Part VII is arranged by topic so you’ll commonly look to:
  • Subdivision map and parcel map procedures: Chapter 1, Part VII (e.g., § 7-01-1000 et seq.).
  • Zoning (Ordinance No. 352) and interim zoning rules: Chapter 11, Part VII (e.g., § 7-11-1000 et seq.).
  • Building and construction, permit issuance and technical code adoption: Chapter 15, Part VII (see the Resource Management Director review and permit rules at § 7-15-1040).
  • Building-line setbacks and Specific Plans of Streets & Highways: Chapter 19, Part VII (e.g., § 7-19-1000 et seq.).
  • Floodplain / flood-hazard construction standards and variances: Chapter 27, Part VII (e.g., § 7-27-1165–§ 7-27-1215).
• The County also adopts California building standards (Title 24) and related parts of the California Codes into local enforcement; those adoptions are located in Chapter 15 (see the California Mechanical/Building/Residential Code adoption provisions) — local adoption and enforcement authority is expressly stated (§ 7-15-2910 and related articles).

Quick navigation pointers:

• To find the formal list of zone names, permitted uses and numeric standards, consult the Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 352) and the Supplemental Zoning Map — the Zoning Ordinance is the controlling source for zone lists and use charts (§ 7-11-1010).
• For building-line setbacks along county highways look in Chapter 19 (§ 7-19-1005 – § 7-19-1195), which gives the countywide default setback and the special setbacks for individual roads.

(Links to other Tulare County pages below are placed on the first natural mention of each topic: the first “zoning” mention, the first “parking” mention, etc.)

Zoning district families

• The County’s ordinance establishes a discrete list of zone classes and makes those classes available for interim zoning and map adoption; the text and the Supplemental Zoning Map are the legal source for the full set of district names and boundaries (§ 7-11-1010, § 7-11-1020). Ordinance No. 352 is the place the County assigns district names and use tables.
• Specific district names and overlay references found in the retrieved materials (representative examples):
  • A1 (Agricultural) appears as an identified agricultural classification that may be left undescribed when adopted by section reference (§ 7-11-1015).
  • Flood-related zone labels used for floodplain rules appear as Zones A1–30, AH, AE (federal Flood Insurance Rate Map designations used in County flood rules) and the County references a F I (Floodway) zoning application for floodways when mapped (§ 7-27-1211, § 7-27-1215).
  • A Foothill Combining Zone (F) (a combining/overlay classification) is referenced in grading/uses language tied to Ordinance No. 352 (see the “F Foothill Combining Zone” cross-reference in grading exemptions).
• Information gap (important): The uploaded excerpts do not include a complete, current table listing every Tulare County residential/commercial/industrial/mixed‑use district label (for example, a definitive list like R-1, R-A, C-1, M-1 or the numeric development standards associated with each). The code text repeatedly points readers back to Ordinance No. 352 and the Supplemental Zoning Map for the full set of classifications (§ 7-11-1010). To get the full district family names and the per-district numeric standards (setbacks by district, height, FAR, lot coverage and parking requirements), pull the full Ordinance No. 352 text and the County’s Supplemental Zoning Map.

Citywide development standards (how the county controls form)

• Building-line setbacks (county highways / thoroughfares)
  • Default county building-line setback: 50 ft from the centerline of the right-of-way unless a different figure is specified for a particular highway (§ 7-19-1010).
  • Numerous special setbacks are specified for named roads and avenues (for example, 55 ft or 60 ft on many designated Avenues and Roads); the code lists specific streets and their setbacks (§ 7-19-1015 – § 7-19-1175). Examples include 55 ft on many county avenues and 60 ft on selected streets (§ 7-19-1055 – § 7-19-1090).
  • Frontage/“frontage road” modification: where a frontage road runs parallel to a major street the reduced setback is 25 ft from the edge of the right-of-way (§ 7-19-1190).
• Flood/floodplain standards: The County’s flood chapter requires elevation, floodproofing, ties to ASCE 24 and certification of finished-elevation for new construction in special flood hazard areas (§ 7-27-1180, § 7-27-1215). Floodways are regulated and encroachments are generally prohibited without engineering certification (§ 7-27-1215).
• Grading, excavation and hillside rules: grading permits, engineered grading thresholds and exemptions are handled in Chapter 15 (grading articles) and reference the California Building Code Appendix J; some exemptions tie back to Ordinance No. 352 site-plan approvals (e.g., the Foothill Combining Zone reference) (§ 7-15-1350 – § 7-15-1375).
• Parking (where to look): parking requirements are set in the Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 352) and associated design standards; the excerpts we have point practitioners back to the Zoning Ordinance for use and development standards. For the County’s published parking rules and any special exceptions, see the County Zoning provisions and the County parking page. (§ 7-11-1010). — see Tulare County Parking.
• Lot coverage / FAR / height / setbacks by zone: these numeric per-zone development standards are defined inside Ordinance No. 352’s district tables and the Supplemental Zoning Map — those tables are the canonical source and are not fully present in the retrieved excerpts (§ 7-11-1010).

(If you need a one‑page extract showing the County’s adopted numeric standards for a particular parcel’s zone, you’ll need the specific ordinance tables from Ordinance No. 352 or a copy of the zoning map entry for that parcel.)

Design review & discretionary approval

• Site-plan and design review: Subdivision and project design are reviewed by a Site Plan Review Committee (design conferences and reports are required at the preliminary map stage; the committee is established by the Zoning Ordinance, cross‑referenced in the subdivision rules) — see the design conference rule (§ 7-01-1630) and the Site Plan Review Committee cross-reference to the Zoning Ordinance § 16.2.
• Use permits, special uses and variances: discretionary approvals (special use permits, variances, planned developments) are processed under the procedures in Part VII; the variance and use-permit authority and appeal routes are spelled out in the County code (see variance authority § 7-27-1265 and the separate variance procedures in Chapter 19 § 7-19-1215 – § 7-19-1250).
• Administrative/appeal routes: administrative decisions can be appealed to the Local Appeals Board or Board of Supervisors depending on the entitlement and the code’s appeal sections; judicial review uses the standard writ process (§ 7-15-2825, § 7-15-2035).
• Design review resources: for County design and discretionary process details, consult the Zoning Ordinance (site-plan and design standards) and the County’s Design Review page. See Tulare County Design Review.

Specific plans & overlay districts

• Specific Plans of Streets and Highways: Tulare County maintains a Specific Plan of Streets and Highways and adopts parts of it progressively; where a Specific Plan establishes a building line setback, that setback controls over the general county building-line rules (§ 7-19-1325, § 7-19-1255).
• Specific Plan lines in subdivision maps: tentative/vesting maps must show Specific Plan lines where they exist (§ 7-01-1705(w)).
• Overlay/combining zones: the County uses combining zones (examples: the F Foothill Combining Zone) and floodway overlays (mapped flood zones such as A1–30/AH/AE) to add rules on top of base zones; these overlays are enforced in the applicable chapters (e.g., floodplain chapter) and by references inside Ordinance No. 352 (§ 7-27-1215; cross references to section 14.7 of the Zoning Ordinance for FI application). — see Tulare County Overlay Districts.

Building permits & review: the practical permit path

• Who reviews building permits: the Resource Management Agency Director (and staff / Building Official) performs project reviews to ensure compliance with the Zoning Ordinance/Ordinance No. 352 and other applicable parts of the Ordinance Code before issuing permits (§ 7-15-1040).
• Building-permit gates the County checks before issuance include compliance with:
  • the Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 352) and interim zone rules (§ 7-15-1040(b)),
  • required access and right‑of‑way dedication rules for smaller parcels (§ 7-15-1950 and related dedication provisions),
  • applicable building/health/fire code adoptions and required inspections (the County has adopted the California Building Standards and supplemental fire and mechanical codes) (§ 7-15-2910, § 7-15-2115, § 7-15-1810).
• Permit timelines / completeness: the County treats checklist-complete permit applications as complete and must process them per the adopted procedures; for new technical systems (EV charging, ADUs under state law), the County has administrative permit rules and appeal rights (see the County’s EV charging rules and the requirement that an application meeting checklist standards be deemed complete) (§ 7-32-1050).
• Fees and improvements: building permits and subdivision permits carry fees and may require dedications/ improvements; those requirements are in Article 19 (dedications and improvements) and Article 5 fees schedules (§ 7-15-1940 – § 7-15-1950, § 7-01-1530).

For permit intake and the checklist used by staff, contact the Resource Management Agency or consult the County’s online permit portal (the County code requires the Director to adopt checklists and fees by resolution and describes appeal routes when permits are denied).

State housing law in Tulare County

• Adoption of state building codes: Tulare County adopts and enforces the California Building Standards (Title 24) and related code parts; you’ll see references to the California Mechanical Code and the California Historical Building Code being adopted into local enforcement (§ 7-15-2910, § 7-15-2115). For technical building standards the County looks to Title 24. — see California Building Standards Code.
• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and JADUs: statewide ADU law constrains local rules (minimum sizes, setback ceilings, permitting timelines). The County materials we have do not include a dedicated local ADU ordinance text in the retrieved excerpts; where the County lacks a conflicting local ADU rule, state law applies. See the state ADU summary in the ADU handbook for the operative state limits (e.g., minimum 800 sq ft allowances, 4‑ft side/rear setbacks and mandatory permit timelines) and consult the County’s permitting office for how those state rules are implemented locally. (State ADU rules: Gov. Code and related ADU guidance summarized in the ADU handbook.) — see California ADU law.
• SB 9, density bonus, rent regulation and other state housing laws:
  • SB 9 (ministerial lot splits/duplex approvals), the statewide density bonus statutes, and rent-control preemption rules are state matters that interact with local zoning. The Tulare County excerpts we have do not contain a local implementing ordinance for SB 9 or a countywide rent‑control program; where local text is absent or silent the state laws govern subject to limited local procedures and ministerial requirements. If you need the County’s exact SB 9 / ministerial lot split checklist or any local density‑bonus procedures, those are typically added to the Zoning Ordinance and the County’s permit checklists — not present in the uploaded fragments (verify with Planning). Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the Resource Management Agency or the full Ordinance No. 352.
• Practical summary: ADUs and other state housing entitlements overlay local rules; Tulare County enforces California building and residential codes locally (Title 24 adoptions) and must process complete ADU applications within the statutory timelines — but the local implementation details should be checked with County staff or the full Ordinance No. 352.

Information Gaps (what the retrieved code excerpts do not show)

• A complete list of the County’s zoning district labels and the per‑district numeric development standards (setbacks, maximum heights, FAR or lot‑coverage percentages, required parking ratios by use) from Ordinance No. 352 — the code repeatedly points users back to Ordinance No. 352 and the Supplemental Zoning Map for those tables, but the full district tables were not included in the uploaded fragments (§ 7-11-1010).
• A local ADU ordinance text (if the County has adopted local ADU-specific process rules beyond state law) and the County’s SB 9 / ministerial housing split procedures — absent from retrieved materials (verify with Planning). Not found in retrieved materials.
• A single “zoning chart” or consolidated PDF with per-zone numeric standards and parking formulas — not in the fragments we have; the Zoning Ordinance/Ordinance No. 352 is the authoritative source (§ 7-11-1010).

Source References

• Tulare County Ordinance Code — Chapter 11 (General Zoning Regulations), including § 7-11-1000 and § 7-11-1010 (Zoning classifications / Ordinance No. 352 references).
• Tulare County Ordinance Code — Chapter 19 (Regulations Concerning Streets & Highways) and building‑line setbacks (§ 7-19-1000 – § 7-19-1195).
• Tulare County Ordinance Code — Chapter 15 (Building & Construction: permit review, grading, fire flow) — Resource Management Director permit review and grading permit rules (§ 7-15-1040, § 7-15-1350 – § 7-15-1375).
• Tulare County Ordinance Code — Chapter 27 (Floodplain and flood hazard reduction provisions), including elevation, floodway rules and variances (§ 7-27-1165 – § 7-27-1215, § 7-27-1265).
• Site-plan & subdivision design conference rules (design conference / Site Plan Review Committee) — § 7-01-1630, § 7-01-1705 (master plan and tentative map requirements).
• Adoption of California building/mechanical/Historical/Residential codes into the County code (Title 24 adoptions): (see § 7-15-2910, § 7-15-2115, other Title 24 adoptions).
• State ADU summary (2025 ADU handbook summarizing state requirements that affect local ADU review and timelines).

(Where a specific County subsection was cited above, the § reference in the text identifies the controlling local code paragraph.)