Waterford · Zoning · OS
Waterford OS zoning: height, setbacks and lot size
In Waterford's OS zone, generally buildings can be up to 35 ft tall, the front setback is 15 ft and the minimum lot size is 3 acres, with the conditions listed below (Waterford code, read October 2026).
Key points
- Maximum building height: 35 ft
- Minimum front setback: 15 ft (where street curbs, gutters and sidewalks exist; 20 ft from the entrance of a garage or carport)
- Minimum side setback: 10 ft
- Minimum rear setback: 10 ft
- Minimum lot size: 3 acres
OS (Open Space District) is a zoning district in Waterford. Every value below was read from the Waterford 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 OS
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.
| Maximum building height | 35 ft § 17.14.050 · code textTable row “Maximum height (ft.)”, column “OS”: 35 |
|---|---|
| Minimum front setback | 15 ft Applies: where street curbs, gutters and sidewalks exist; 20 ft from the entrance of a garage or carport § 17.14.050 · code textD. Minimum front yard is fifteen feet; twenty feet from the entrance of a garage or carport. See Section 17.40.100, Front yards in R districts. |
| Minimum side setback | 10 ft § 17.14.050 · code textE. Side yards, interior lot line and rear yards: Ten feet. |
| Minimum rear setback | 10 ft § 17.14.050 · code textE. Side yards, interior lot line and rear yards: Ten feet. |
| Minimum lot size | 3 acres § 17.14.050 · code textTable row “Minimum site area (acres)”, column “OS”: 3 |
Uses in OS
Uses the code's use tables allow in OS, or allow with a permit. Each links to its page with the code section.
- Single-family home — Needs an administrative use permit — see note
- Church or place of worship — Needs an administrative use permit
- Growing crops — Allowed
When a different number applies
The code sets other values for particular lots, buildings or locations in OS:
- Minimum front setback: 70 ft from the existing centerline of the street, or 15 ft from the planned street line, whichever is greater — Where street curbs, gutters and sidewalks do not exist; on a major street or expressway § 17.14.050
- Minimum front setback: 45 ft from the existing centerline of the street, or 15 ft from the planned street line, whichever is greater — Where street curbs, gutters and sidewalks do not exist; on a 60-foot-wide collector street, where a specific plan has been adopted § 17.14.050
- Minimum front setback: 40 ft from the existing centerline of the street, or 15 ft from the planned street line, whichever is greater — Where street curbs, gutters and sidewalks do not exist; on a 50-foot-wide minor street, where a specific plan has been adopted § 17.14.050
- Minimum side setback: 15 ft — A fifteen-foot side or rear yard shall adjoin an R district § 17.14.050
- Minimum rear setback: 15 ft — A fifteen-foot side or rear yard shall adjoin an R district § 17.14.050
Not on this page
We did not find a general stories, lot coverage, FAR, density limit for OS in the zoning tables we read. The code may still set one elsewhere — check the Waterford Municipal Code.
Other Waterford zoning districts
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum building height in Waterford's OS zone?
35 ft — Waterford Municipal Code § 17.14.050.
What is the minimum front setback in Waterford's OS zone?
15 ft (where street curbs, gutters and sidewalks exist; 20 ft from the entrance of a garage or carport) — Waterford Municipal Code § 17.14.050.
What is the minimum side setback in Waterford's OS zone?
10 ft — Waterford Municipal Code § 17.14.050.
What is the minimum rear setback in Waterford's OS zone?
10 ft — Waterford Municipal Code § 17.14.050.
What is the minimum lot size in Waterford's OS zone?
3 acres — Waterford Municipal Code § 17.14.050.
General information, not legal advice.
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