Zoning › California › Santa Clara County › San Jose

San Jose, CA Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 7 districts · 4 overlays · 7 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
lot-size-encoded

R-1 uses lot-size-suffix (R-1-1 estate, R-1-5 = 5,000 sf, R-1-8 = 8,000 sf, etc.); R-2 / R-M / R-MH are density-encoded without suffix. Overlay combining uses parenthetical format (e.g., R-1-8(PD) for PD overlay). General Plan designation legally supersedes base zoning when they conflict — atypical among CA cities and documented in San Jose planning policy.

Worth knowing
  • GP DESIGNATION SUPERSEDES ZONING. Unlike most CA cities where zoning controls, San Jose's General Plan (Envision 2040) designations legally override base zoning if the two conflict. The GP map is as operationally important as the zoning map for land-use decisions. Unique among major CA cities.
  • TERO minimum density floor of 75 DU/ac (not cap). Projects below 75 DU/ac in North San Jose require a variance or policy amendment. Raised from 55 to 75 per Phase II policy amendment. c§20.65.
  • R-1-8 uses DUAL lot-coverage + FAR control: 45% coverage AND 0.45 FAR — both apply. A 5,000 sf lot is capped at 2,250 sf of GFA regardless of coverage. c§20.30.

+ 9 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_sf 4res_mf 2mu 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-1-1Estate Residentialres_sf43,560 sf[1]35 ft[2]———2[3]— / — / —
R-1-5Single-Family Small Lotres_sf5,000 sf[6]35 ft[7]0.5[8]——2[9]20[4] / 5[5] / —
R-1-8Single-Familyres_sf8,000 sf[13]35 ft[14]0.45[15]0.45[16]—2[17]25[10] / 5[11] / 20[12]
R-2Two-Familyres_sf—35 ft[21]0.5[22]—16[23]2[24]25[18] / 5[19] / 20[20]
R-MMultiple Residenceres_mf—45 ft[28]———1.5[29]20[25] / 10[26] / 20[27]
R-MHMultiple Residence Highres_mf—65 ft[30]————— / — / —
DCDowntownmu—300 ft[34]—10[35]—0[36]0[31] / 0[32] / 0[33]

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

TERO
Transit Employment Residential Overlay (North San Jose)
TOD
SJMC §20.65 (North San Jose Development Policy Area, GP amendment 2005; updated per North San Jose Phase II) · c§20.65
UV
Urban Village / Signature Project Overlay
DT
SJMC §20.60 (Urban Village Plans implementation) + Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan · p§20.60
HA
Historic Districts / Historic Area Overlay
HP
SJMC §20.30 + Chapter 13.48 (Historic Preservation); Historic Inventory maintained by Historic Landmarks Commission · c§13.48
PD
Planned Development Zoning District
PD
SJMC §20.10.070 (PD Zoning District), §20.90 (Planned Development Rezoning procedure) · c§20.10.070

State preemptions

CA-ADU-GC§66411.7-66411.8applies
Qualifying condition
All CA cities. San Jose's R-1-1, R-1-5, R-1-8, R-2, R-M, R-MH, Downtown, and mixed-use districts must permit ADUs by-right per state law. San Jose implements via SJMC §20.30.150 (ADU regulations) and runs a Pre-Approved ADU Program offering standard plans from vetted architects that cut review to ~1–2 weeks.
CA-SB9-GC§65852.21-66411.7applies
Qualifying condition
San Jose is a CA charter city with R-1-1, R-1-5, R-1-8 single-family districts (plus R-2 where applicable). SB 9 applies per-parcel conditional on statutory exclusions. San Jose contains FEMA SFHA along Guadalupe River, Coyote Creek, Los Gatos Creek, and Los Alamitos Creek (parcel-by-parcel exclusion); CalFire VHFHSZ in eastern foothill areas (Evergreen, Alum Rock, Silver Creek, Almaden hills); NO coastal zone (inland Santa Clara County); multiple city-designated historic districts (Hensley, Reed, St. James Square, Naglee Park, etc.) where SB 9 requires DISCRETIONARY historic review per PP25-001 (2025), unique among CA cities.
CA-DensityBonus-GC§65915applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide. Applies to any San Jose project meeting affordability thresholds (5% VLI, 10% LI, 10% moderate for-sale, or 100% affordable). AB 1287 allows stacking to achieve up to 100% density bonus on qualifying projects. San Jose's inclusionary housing ordinance (15% onsite or fee) layers with state density bonus.
CA-AB2097applies
Qualifying condition
San Jose is served by the BART Silicon Valley Extension (Berryessa/North San Jose + Milpitas open 2020; Downtown San Jose / Diridon extension in construction for 2030s), Caltrain (Diridon, Tamien, College Park, Santa Clara), ACE and Capitol Corridor (Diridon), and VTA light rail (Guadalupe, Tasman, Mountain View–Winchester, Almaden lines). Diridon Station is a major multi-modal transit hub. VTA bus network has several 15-min peak-headway corridors (Stevens Creek, Santa Clara/Alum Rock, Monterey Rd, First/Second Sts). Parcels within 1/2 mi of qualifying stops are AB 2097 eligible — very extensive coverage, especially North San Jose + Downtown + Willow Glen / Cambrian corridors.
CA-SB423-GC§65913.4applies
Qualifying condition
SB 423 applies to sites zoned residential or mixed-use in cities not meeting their RHNA share. San Jose is under 6th-cycle RHNA (2023–2031, ABAG allocation of 62,200 units — the largest allocation in the Bay Area). HCD APR Successful; Planning Period Half-5th evaluated with rhna_total 35,080 and lower_pct_complete 4.3%, above_mod_pct_complete 83.1% — qualifies at the 50% affordability tier (50pct_flag=Yes, 10pct_flag=No). Applies to R-1-8, R-2, R-M, R-MH, Downtown, Urban Village, TERO, and commercial-corridor parcels (per AB 2011 overlap). Very-high fire severity foothill zones and sites with recent tenant displacement are excluded.
CA-AB2011-GC§65912.100applies
Qualifying condition
San Jose has extensive commercially-zoned corridors that qualify as 'commercial corridors' under AB 2011 (Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara St, The Alameda, Alum Rock Ave, Monterey Rd, Tully Rd, Capitol Expy, Blossom Hill Rd, Camden Ave, Meridian Ave). 100% affordable projects by-right on any commercial site; mixed-income by-right on corridor sites (excluding industrial-only and office-only zones, with minimum density floor per statute).
CA-SB79-2025applies
Qualifying condition
SB 79 (2025, Wiener) directs cities to allow increased residential density within specified radii of major transit stops. San Jose has numerous qualifying stops: Berryessa BART, Milpitas BART (adjacent), future Downtown San Jose / 28th Street / Diridon BART stations, Diridon Caltrain / ACE / Capitol Corridor hub, Tamien Caltrain, and VTA light-rail Tier 1 stops (Convention Center, Civic Center, Santa Clara, Japantown/Ayer, Champion, Mountain View-Winchester line stops). Implementation is phased through 2026–2028 with local rezoning consistency requirements.
Non-applicable laws (2)
CA-SB10not_applicable
Qualifying condition
SB 10 is permissive — it authorizes but does not require cities to zone up to 10 units/parcel near transit or urban infill via simple resolution (CEQA-exempt). San Jose City Council records / Title 20 contain no adopted SB 10 resolution; the city instead relies on Urban Village plans, TERO overlay, and SB 423 pathways for transit-oriented upzoning.
CA-BuildersRemedy-GC§65589.5(d)(5)confirmed
Qualifying condition
San Jose adopted its 6th-cycle Housing Element (2023–2031) for the ABAG/MTC region. HCD compliance dashboard shows compliance_status='In' with reviewed_date 2024-01-29, planning_period 6S, cycle=6th. Housing element certified compliant — Builder's Remedy is NOT live for this cycle unless compliance is revoked.

Adopted building codes

Statewide mandatory minimum

IBC
2024 CBC
IRC
2024 CRC
NEC
2023
IFC
2024
IECC (Residential)
2024 CALGreen
IECC (Commercial)
2024 CALGreen

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Quirks & notes

  • GP DESIGNATION SUPERSEDES ZONING. Unlike most CA cities where zoning controls, San Jose's General Plan (Envision 2040) designations legally override base zoning if the two conflict. The GP map is as operationally important as the zoning map for land-use decisions. Unique among major CA cities.
  • TERO minimum density floor of 75 DU/ac (not cap). Projects below 75 DU/ac in North San Jose require a variance or policy amendment. Raised from 55 to 75 per Phase II policy amendment. c§20.65.
  • R-1-8 uses DUAL lot-coverage + FAR control: 45% coverage AND 0.45 FAR — both apply. A 5,000 sf lot is capped at 2,250 sf of GFA regardless of coverage. c§20.30.
  • R-1-8 front setback = 25 ft. Unusually deep for CA (most cities 15–20). #1 plan-check flag for designers using out-of-state defaults. c§20.30.
  • R-1 side setback = greater of 5 ft OR 10% of lot width. A 70-ft lot needs 7 ft, a 50-ft lot needs 5 ft. c§20.30.
  • Second-story floor-area cap: 2nd-story GFA ≤ 1.25 × 1st-story GFA. Prevents top-heavy McMansion massing on infill lots. c§20.30.
  • SB 9 in designated historic districts requires DISCRETIONARY historic review, not ministerial. PP25-001 (2025) codifies this for R-2 properties pre-1950 — the statute's historic exclusion is used aggressively in San Jose. c§13.48.
  • Pre-Approved ADU Program. San Jose offers standard ADU plans from vetted architects, compressing review to ~1–2 weeks. Pro-housing administrative tool; not a law.
  • ABAG 6th-cycle RHNA = 62,200 units — LARGEST in the Bay Area. Drives TERO, Urban Village program, and Housing Element prioritization.
  • Rezoning / General Plan Alignment Project (ongoing). A large-scale rezone to align Title 20 with Envision 2040 means the zoning map is in active change — always verify current zoning at the San Jose Parcel Viewer at project submission.
  • Mineta San Jose International (KSJC) FAA Part 77 surfaces constrain downtown and North San Jose heights. TERO heights and DC core heights are gated by the FAA approach surface, not purely by zoning.
  • Downtown minimum-parking elimination (2022 code update) pre-dates AB 2097; within the AB 2097 buffer, no citywide minimums apply regardless. Stacks with TERO and UV reductions.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Grade to highest point of structure per §20.70 (height measurement rules).
lot_coverage
Building footprint / lot area; principal + accessory structures.
far
Gross floor area / lot area; R-1-8 uses dual FAR + lot coverage controls.
du_ac
Dwelling units per gross acre.
impervious_cover
setback_front
Front property line to nearest building face.
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face; R-1-8 side = greater of 5 ft or 10% of lot width.
setback_rear
Rear property line to nearest building face; R-1 may use 15 ft rear for 1-story addition per §20.30.280.
parking
Spaces per dwelling unit; preempted within 1/2 mile of major transit (AB 2097).

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage
max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far
max_units_from_density
lot_area_sf * du_ac / 43560
buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2
buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft
buildable_envelope_sf
buildable_width_ft * buildable_depth_ft
second_story_cap_rule
Second-story floor area may not exceed first-story floor area by more than 25% (§20.30 R-1 Note)
side_yard_dual_rule
max(5 ft, lot_width_ft * 0.10) per §20.30 R-1-8 standards

Massing explorer

Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.

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Max height
— ft
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Floor area ratio
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
— sf
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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
Title 20 — Zoning, San Jose Municipal Code
Through Ord. 31221 (2025); Rezoning / General Plan Alignment Project ongoing (PP25-001) · retrieved 2026-04-19
Citations
  1. [1] §20.30
  2. [2] §20.30
  3. [3] §20.80
  4. [4] §20.30
  5. [5] §20.30
  6. [6] §20.30
  7. [7] §20.30
  8. [8] §20.30
  9. [9] §20.80
  10. [10] §20.30
  11. [11] §20.30
  12. [12] §20.30
  13. [13] §20.30
  14. [14] §20.30
  15. [15] §20.30
  16. [16] §20.30
  17. [17] §20.80
  18. [18] §20.30
  19. [19] §20.30
  20. [20] §20.30
  21. [21] §20.30
  22. [22] §20.30
  23. [23] §20.30
  24. [24] §20.80
  25. [25] §20.30
  26. [26] §20.30
  27. [27] §20.30
  28. [28] §20.30
  29. [29] §20.80
  30. [30] §20.30
  31. [31] §20.70
  32. [32] §20.70
  33. [33] §20.70
  34. [34] §20.70
  35. [35] §20.70
  36. [36] §20.80

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassed
no aggregator citedpassed
confidence tags full formpassed
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed
preempt section city specificpassed

Data quality

58%completeness42 confirmed22 partial3 inferred
Documented gaps
  • Table 20-50 (R-1 through R-MH master dimensional table) not retrieved live — R-MH heights, lot coverage, R-1-1 full row carry p§ tokens.
  • Individual Urban Village Plan parameter tables not retrieved (70+ adopted plans).
  • §20.80 off-street parking ratios by land use not retrieved as a full table.
  • Downtown sub-zone (DC-1, DC-2) granular height and FAR tables not retrieved.
  • TERO boundary parcel list and per-sub-area height envelope not retrieved.
  • Full commercial (CG, CN, CP, CO) and industrial (IG, LI, HI) district tables not extracted — v1 only covered residential.
  • PP25-001 final-adopted historic-district design standards not retrieved live.
  • SB 79 implementation rezone status — San Jose's alignment ordinance is in drafting per 2025 council agendas but not yet adopted.

Known issues

freshness:volatiledata:gaps-present

Verification

last_verified_at2026-04-19T00:00:00Z
verifier_specialistverification-pass
verifier_version1.0
verification_resultpassed
narrative_refnarratives/san-jose-ca/snjs-2026-04-19-v2.json

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