Fontana | Lots and Subdivisions
Fontana Lot Size and Subdivisions: Parcel Maps, Tract Maps, SB 9 Lot Splits and SB 684
To subdivide is to divide one lot into two or more lots that can be sold on their own. Fontana's lot size rules sit in Table 30-434 of the Zoning and Development Code, and its map rules in Chapter 26 of the Code of Ordinances. This page explains the lot sizes in each district, how parcel and tract maps are approved, how Fontana applies SB 9 urban lot splits, and how state law on small-lot maps fits in. The Fontana overview sums up the whole guide.
Fontana lots in six facts
- A new R-1 lot in Fontana needs 6,000 square feet with an average of 7,200, plus 60 feet of width and 100 feet of depth. Source: FZDC Table 30-434
- Dividing land into five or more parcels needs a tentative tract map; four or fewer use a parcel map. Source: FMC 26-51, 26-212
- A parcel map is deemed approved if the Planning Director takes no action within 50 calendar days of the notice of filing. Source: FMC 26-218
- An SB 9 urban lot split needs a lot of at least 2,400 square feet and two new lots of at least 1,200 square feet. Source: FZDC 30-302.1
- Each lot from an urban lot split must have at least 22 feet of frontage on the public right-of-way. Source: FZDC 30-302.1
- A tentative parcel map for a residential lot or an urban lot split costs $6,153 in planning fees plus fire and engineering review. Source: City of Fontana, Planning Application Fees
Minimum Lot Sizes by District
| District or route | Minimum area | Width at front line | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-E | 21,780 sq ft | 80 ft | 150 ft |
| R-1 | 6,000 sq ft, average 7,200 | 60 ft | 100 ft |
| R-2 single-family | 3,000 sq ft | 40 ft | 75 ft |
| R-2 attached or multifamily | 5 acres | 200 ft | 300 ft |
| R-3 | 5 acres | 200 ft | 300 ft |
| R-4 and R-5 (new lots) | 2 acres | 200 ft | 300 ft |
| R-PC | 10,000 sq ft | 70 ft | 100 ft |
| SB 9 urban lot split | 2,400 sq ft lot, two lots of 1,200 sq ft or more | 22 ft of frontage each | Not set |
Sources: Fontana Zoning and Development Code Table 30-434, Table 30-447 and Section 30-302.1, Supplement 18.
How the Lot Rules Work
Table 30-434 sets the lot area, width and depth for each new lot. Width is measured at the front property line and at the required front setback. Notes to the table add detail. Corner lots must be at least 65 feet wide (note 17). Lots on a cul-de-sac or "knuckle" (a bend in the street) need 42 feet of width at the property line, which the Planning Commission may reduce if the applicant shows each driveway still meets the parking rules (note 1). The Planning Commission may also "vary the minimum lot width or depth by ten percent for particular lots, due to unique or special circumstances" (note 2).
Some projects skip these lot rules. Note (a) says homes that use a condominium map "shall not be subject the minimum lot size, dimensions and interior property line setbacks." A condominium map divides the airspace inside buildings into separate units, so several homes can be sold on one lot. A planned unit development, explained on the zoning districts page, sets its own lot sizes as part of the approval.
Older lots that are too small can still be used. Section 30-414 says a lot "held under separate ownership or was of record as of April 4, 1957" may be occupied by any use allowed in its zone, and that "Lots shall have a minimum street frontage of 20 feet to accommodate a residential use." All district setbacks still apply. Section 30-413 bars a building permit on a lot with no frontage on a dedicated public street, but allows existing legal lots without frontage to be built on "with recorded access easements," which are recorded rights to cross a neighbor's land.
Subdivision Design in Chapter 26
Chapter 26 adds design rules for every new subdivision. Section 26-180 says side lot lines "shall generally run at right angles or radially to the street," lots with frontage on two streets will be approved only where land conditions require it, and "All subdivisions shall be designed to provide solar access when possible." Lots without street frontage are not allowed, "except in steep hillside areas where in the opinion of the planning commission the terrain is such as to justify the design of lots having narrow access strips, e.g., flag lots." A flag lot is a lot that reaches the street only by a narrow strip of land, like a flag on a pole.
Section 26-182 lists the improvements a subdivider must build or guarantee before the City Council accepts the final map: the full street section, grading and paving, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street trees and street name signs, drainage, a domestic water system with fire hydrants, and a sewer system where one is within reach. Electric and telephone lines must go underground unless the City Council waives it on the Planning Commission's advice. The list does not apply where "all lots in such subdivision contain five or more acres of land and in which no new public street opening is required for access."
A residential subdivider must also hand each buyer a "Homeowners Buyers Awareness Package for the City of Fontana" under Section 26-378, before taking a deposit. Its 22 items include the zoning of nearby land, special district debt, landfills, high-pressure gas pipelines, airport noise, flood and fault hazards, soil conditions and "any known wildfire area within or contiguous to the subdivision."
Parcel Maps and Tract Maps
Fontana uses two kinds of map. A tentative tract map is required for "all subdivisions creating five or more parcels, five or more condominiums" (Section 26-51). A parcel map covers smaller divisions, including "Dividing of land into four parcels or less" (Section 26-212). A tentative map is the first approval of the layout; a final map is the recorded document that creates the lots.
The Director of Planning decides tentative parcel maps (Section 30-280). Section 26-218 lists six findings the Director must make, such as that "the site is physically suitable for the type and density of development proposed," and says a parcel map is deemed approved if no action is taken "within 50 calendar days after issuance of a notice of official filing." In a very high fire hazard severity zone, the same section adds findings on fire safety regulations and fire protection service.
The Planning Commission decides tentative tract maps (Section 30-290) after a public hearing noticed at least ten calendar days ahead, in a local newspaper and by mail to owners within 300 feet (Section 26-55). Agencies such as school districts and utilities get 21 calendar days to comment (Section 26-52). A tract map is also deemed approved if no action is taken within 50 calendar days of the notice of filing (Section 26-56). An approved tentative map expires 24 months after approval; the Director may grant up to five more years, but "in no event shall an approved tentative tract map be valid beyond 15 years from the date it was first approved" (Section 26-58). Lot line adjustments, which move a line between existing lots, are decided by the Director (Section 30-299).
SB 9 Urban Lot Splits in Fontana
An urban lot split divides one lot in a single-family zone into two, with staff approval and no hearing, under Government Code 66411.7. Fontana carries it out in Section 30-302.1, adopted by Ordinance No. 1885 on February 8, 2022. The Planning Director approves or denies the parcel map "ministerially," which means by checking fixed standards, with no discretion. The final parcel map is approved only after the owner shows the deed restriction and easements are recorded. See the SB 9 page for the state rules.
- Who may apply. Only "individual property owners," meaning natural persons or trust beneficiaries. A community land trust or qualified nonprofit corporation may also apply. LLCs, partnerships and corporations may not.
- Lot size. The lot to be split must be at least 2,400 square feet. Each new lot must be at least 1,200 square feet and "between 60 percent and 40 percent of the original lot area."
- Access. Each new lot must adjoin the public right-of-way with at least 22 feet of frontage. No dedication of right-of-way or offsite improvements may be required.
- Homes. No more than two homes of any kind on each new lot, counting ADUs and junior ADUs. Each new main home must be more than 500 and no more than 800 square feet, at least 22 feet from the front property line.
- Owner occupancy. The applicant signs an affidavit of intent to live in one of the homes "for a minimum of three years after the urban lot split is approved."
- Limits. No lot split on a lot created by an earlier urban lot split, or next to one the same owner split. No demolition or alteration of housing a tenant occupied in the last three years, or of rent-controlled or income-restricted housing.
- Fire zones. In a very high fire hazard severity zone, the applicant must first get a certificate that the site meets five fire measures, explained on the hillside and fire zones page.
The City's Planning Application Fees sheet, last revised August 2026, lists a tentative parcel map for "Residential & Urban Lot Split" at $6,153 in planning fees, $894 for fire review and $2,340 for engineering review, plus $110 per acre.
SB 684 and SB 1123 Small-Lot Maps
Government Code 66499.41, from SB 684 and SB 1123, requires cities to approve small-lot maps ministerially when the map makes "10 or fewer parcels" for a project of 10 or fewer homes. It applies to a lot zoned for multifamily homes of up to five acres, and to a vacant lot zoned single-family of up to one and one-half acres, in each case "substantially surrounded by qualified urban uses." New parcels must be at least 600 square feet, or 1,200 square feet where zoned single-family, and the average home may not exceed 1,750 net habitable square feet. The current text was amended by SB 1090, effective September 30, 2026.
Fontana's code has no section on these maps, so the statute applies directly. The multifamily branch covers a lot "Zoned to allow multifamily residential dwelling use," and in Fontana Tables 30-430 and 30-446 permit multiple-family dwellings in R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-5. Lots in R-E, R-1 and R-PC can use the vacant single-family branch only. The SB 684 and SB 1123 page explains the state rules in full.
Where the Code Disagrees With Itself
- Appeal deadlines. Section 26-219 gives a land divider or a neighbor within 300 feet "ten calendar days" to appeal a parcel map action. Section 30-29 says "Any appeal shall be filed within 15 calendar days after the approving body has taken action." File within ten days to be safe.
- Who acts on a parcel map. Section 26-219 speaks of "any action of the planning commission with respect to the parcel map," while Sections 26-218 and 30-280 give the decision to the Director of Planning. The Director decides, and the appeal goes to the Planning Commission (Section 30-287).
- Sections that do not exist. Section 26-217 points to "section 30-1362" and Section 26-218 to "sections 30-1361 through 30-1365." Section 26-52 points to "chapter 30, article XVI." Chapter 30 ends at Section 30-972 in Article XV.
- Wrong body named. Section 26-218(d)(7) asks "a legislative body of a county" to make the fire zone findings, wording copied from state law. In Fontana the Director makes parcel map findings.
- Lot area. Section 26-180 asks for 7,200 square feet per interior lot, while Table 30-434 asks for 6,000 square feet with an average of 7,200 in R-1. The zoning table is the specific rule for each district.
Best For
- ✓ R-1 lots of 2,400 square feet or more owned by a person, for an SB 9 split into two.
- ✓ R-2 lots of 3,000 square feet or more, 40 feet wide, for detached single-family lots.
- ✓ Small multifamily-zoned sites up to five acres, for a map of up to 10 lots under SB 684.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The owner is an LLC or corporation and plans an SB 9 split.
- ✕ A tenant lived in the house in the last three years.
- ✕ A new lot cannot get 22 feet of frontage on a public street.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → Whether the lot is a legal lot, with a certificate of compliance if needed.
- → Whether the lot or a neighbor was created by an earlier urban lot split.
- → Whether the site is in a very high fire hazard severity zone.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the SB 9 page, the SB 684 and SB 1123 page and the Fontana overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum lot size in Fontana R-1?
Can I build on an old Fontana lot that is smaller than the minimum?
Who approves a parcel map in Fontana?
How long does a Fontana tentative map stay valid?
Can an LLC do an SB 9 lot split in Fontana?
How big must a Fontana lot be for an SB 9 split?
How many homes can go on a Fontana lot after an SB 9 split?
Does Fontana have its own rules for SB 684 small-lot maps?
What must a Fontana subdivider give home buyers?
What improvements must a Fontana subdivision build?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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