Fontana | Parking, Setbacks, Height
Fontana Parking, Setbacks, Height and Lot Coverage
A setback is the open distance a building must keep from a property line. Lot coverage is the share of the lot that buildings may cover. On many Fontana lots, parking, setbacks and height decide how many homes fit, more than the density number does. This page sets out the rules in Article XI and Article V of the Zoning and Development Code, Supplement 18, and where state law changes them. The Fontana overview sums up the whole guide.
Fontana parking and setbacks in six facts
- A Fontana house of up to four bedrooms needs a two-car garage, and the required spaces must be in a completely enclosed garage. Source: FZDC Table 30-685.A, 30-688
- Apartments need one garage space and one half open space for a studio or one bedroom, and two garage spaces for two bedrooms. Source: FZDC Table 30-685.A
- Guest parking for apartments, condominiums and townhomes is one space for each three homes, with at least three spaces. Source: FZDC Table 30-685.A
- Houses may be 35 feet tall in every residential district, and R-3 multifamily buildings 55 feet. Source: FZDC Table 30-434
- The R-1 front setback is 22 feet, the rear setback 20 feet, and any garage that opens onto a street sits at least 22 feet back. Source: FZDC Table 30-434
- State law bars minimum parking within one-half mile of public transit unless the City makes written findings. Source: Gov. Code 65863.2
Parking Spaces Required
| Home type | Minimum spaces |
|---|---|
| Single-family house, up to 4 bedrooms | Two-car garage |
| Single-family house, 5 or 6 bedrooms | Three-car garage, plus 1 garage space per 2 bedrooms over 6 |
| Apartment, condominium or townhouse, studio or 1 bedroom | 1 garage space and 0.5 open space |
| Same, 2 bedrooms | 2 garage spaces |
| Same, 3 bedrooms | 2 garage spaces and 0.5 open space |
| Detached condominium, 2 or 3 bedrooms | 2 garage spaces and 0.5 open space |
| Detached condominium, 4 bedrooms | 2 garage spaces and 0.7 open space |
| Guest parking, multifamily | 1 per 3 homes, at least 3 |
| Senior housing | 1 per studio or 1 bedroom; 1.25 for 2 or more; guests 1 per 8 homes |
| ADU | See Section 30-467 |
Source: Fontana Zoning and Development Code Table 30-685.A, Supplement 18.
How Fontana Counts Parking
Fontana parking leans on garages. Section 30-688 says "The minimum number of required parking spaces for single-family dwellings shall be provided in a completely enclosed garage," and "a condominium or townhome shall be considered a single-family dwelling" for that rule. At the end of a cul-de-sac with little curb space, the City may require a three-car garage unless at least 20 feet of full height curb remains between driveways. For apartments, the garage spaces in Table 30-685.A are counted per home by bedroom count, and up to 30 percent may be tandem, meaning one car parked behind another, if both serve the same home and the tandem space is at least 38 feet long.
Section 30-686 rounds any fraction of a space up. So a fourplex of one-bedroom apartments, by VanPlex arithmetic, needs 4 garage spaces, 2 open spaces and 3 guest spaces (the minimum guest count), or 9 spaces in all. Section 30-690 says "All on-site parking required by this article for residential uses shall be located on the same lot." When a building is enlarged or its use changes, Section 30-683 asks for added spaces to meet the article, but extra spaces that already exist may count.
Stall sizes are in Table 30-693: 9 by 19 feet for an open stall, 10 by 20 feet inside a garage or carport, and 8 by 22 feet for parallel parking, which may be no more than 10 percent of required spaces. "Compact parking stalls shall not be permitted." Section 30-432 adds that a house garage stall must keep a clear area of 10 by 20 feet, with up to 24 inches of encroachment on the back wall if at least four feet of ground clearance remains under it, and that a house garage needs a pedestrian door at least 32 inches wide to the side or rear yard.
Parking Near Transit and in Special Districts
Several rules cut parking. Government Code 65863.2, from AB 2097, says a public agency "shall not impose or enforce any minimum automobile parking requirement" on a project "located within one-half mile of public transit," unless the City makes written findings within 30 days of a complete application. Fontana's ADU section removes ADU parking within one-half mile walking distance of public transit and in five other cases, and Class 1 ADUs need none. SB 9 homes need one space each, or none near frequent bus service or a rail or bus rapid transit station.
R-4 and R-5 projects have their own counts in Section 30-455. Within one-half mile of transit, a home under 550 square feet needs 1.25 to 1.5 spaces and a larger home 1.75 to 2.0; away from transit, a home of 550 to 700 square feet needs 1.5, of 700 to 900 square feet 1.75, and of 900 to 1,200 square feet 2, plus 0.25 guest spaces per home. The Form-Based Code sets lower counts: in its Multi-Family district, one space per studio or one bedroom home and 1.5 per larger home (Section 30-365). The three or more homes page covers those districts.
Setbacks, Height and Coverage by District
| District | Front | Interior side | Corner side | Rear | Height | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-E | 30 ft | 15 ft | 15 ft | 30 ft | 35 ft | 45% |
| R-1 | 22 ft | 5 ft, 15 ft total (two story) | 10 ft | 20 ft | 35 ft | 45% |
| R-2 single-family | 18 ft | 5 ft | 10 ft | 15 ft | 35 ft | 50% |
| R-2 attached or multifamily | 22 ft | 5 ft | 10 ft | 20 ft | 35 ft | 50% |
| R-3 | 25 ft | 5 ft, 15 ft total (two story) | 10 ft | 20 ft | 55 ft | 50% |
| R-PC | 25 ft | 5 ft, 20 ft total | 15 ft | 20 ft | 35 ft | 45% |
| R-4 and R-5 | 0 to 5 ft by street type | 0 to 75 ft by neighbor zone | 5 ft | Not listed | 55 ft | 70% |
Sources: Fontana Zoning and Development Code Table 30-434 (single-family setbacks, building to property line), Table 30-447 and Table 30-448, Supplement 18.
How the Setback Rules Work
The setbacks in Table 30-434 run from the building to the property line, and note (19) says "All setbacks shall be measured from the main structure, not the overhang." Several notes change them for houses:
- Garages. "Any garage which fronts on, or opens onto, a street shall be setback at least 22 feet" (note 8). Living space may sit closer to the street under the plotting and design criteria, but the garage may not, except that a side-on garage may encroach up to six feet (notes 12 and 13).
- Side doors. If a door from living space opens onto a side yard, that side setback grows to ten feet (note 7).
- Patios. Enclosed patios need a 10 foot rear setback in R-1 and 6 feet in R-2. A one-story open patio cover of 200 square feet or less in R-1, R-2 or R-PC may sit three feet from the rear and side lines (note 9).
- Cul-de-sac lots. The rear setback may be averaged across both rear corners of the house (note 6).
- Block pattern. Section 30-417 lets the approval body require a deeper front setback where "a setback distance clearly exists as a general pattern in a particular block or area." Section 30-418 measures from a future street line where the General Plan circulation element sets one.
Section 30-441 lists what may project into a setback. Side projections on single-family projects may not reduce the five foot minimum by more than 18 inches. A balcony may project six feet into a street-facing setback, a fire escape or open stair four feet, a porch no higher than the first floor six feet, planter boxes three feet, and decorative features two feet in front and rear yards and 18 inches in side yards. Chimneys and equipment may not leave less than 42 inches.
Accessory buildings follow Section 30-461: a 25 foot front setback, 5 foot side setbacks totaling 15 feet, a 10 foot rear setback, 6 feet from the house and 20 feet from the centerline of an alley. A two-story accessory building may not sit in a required rear setback and needs 60 feet in front, 7 feet on the sides and 25 feet in the rear. Sheds of up to 120 square feet and 8 feet tall need only 3 feet from side and rear lines, one per 7,200 square feet of lot. ADUs follow their own setbacks in Section 30-467, explained on the ADUs and SB 9 page.
Height and Lot Coverage
Section 30-12 defines building height as "the vertical distance above the finish grade, measured to the highest point of the roof." Single-family homes may be 35 feet in every residential district. Attached and multifamily buildings may be 35 feet in R-2 and 55 feet in R-3, R-4 and R-5. In hillside areas, note (5) to Table 30-434 limits structures to 25 feet, and SB 9 homes on lots over 2,000 square feet are limited to 16 feet and one story. Section 30-420 lets elevator and stair housings, parapets, skylights, chimneys and flagpoles exceed the limit by up to 25 percent, but "No structure shall be allowed for the purposes of providing additional floor space."
Lot coverage, under Section 30-12, is "the percentage of the net area of the lot which is covered by the main building, carports, and all accessory structures (patios not included) as viewed from a plan perspective." Table 30-434 allows 45 percent in R-E, R-1 and R-PC and 50 percent in R-2 and R-3; Table 30-447 allows 70 percent in R-4 and R-5. Where a district sets no figure for accessory buildings, Section 30-461 uses 50 percent.
Two Code of Ordinances rules shape roofs. Section 5-316 says roof structures for new single-family homes, and for the sloped parts of new multifamily roofs of at least 3:12, "shall be designed to support concrete tile or clay tile roofs." Section 5-318 requires at least class A, 30-year, 300-pound composition shingles on those roofs, or tile, aluminum shingles or slate with a 30-year warranty.
Adding On to an Existing House
Many Fontana projects start with an existing house. Section 30-462 allows a single-story addition if it meets the district standards, with side and rear setbacks "equal to or greater than the existing side setback of the main structure," and a roof of the same style and material as the house. A second-story addition in a single-family district needs Community Development review, and the City approves it only if three findings can be made: the zone rules are met, the style and materials match the house, and privacy rules are met. Second-story windows may not sit directly opposite a neighbor's windows, and where they conflict the owner must use high windows, wing walls or view-obscuring glass. An addition that adds a home, such as an attached ADU, follows Section 30-467 instead.
Where the Code Disagrees With Itself
- Powder rooms. Note (4) to Table 30-434 requires a "one-half bath" on the ground floor of each home with ground-floor living space; note (2) to Table 30-437 calls the same room a "one-quarter bath." Both describe a toilet and sink.
- Roof projections. Section 30-441(6) says "Roof projections may extend into required setbacks as follows" and then lists nothing.
- Pools. Section 30-461 sends pools to "Section 30-467," which is the ADU section; pool rules are in Section 30-466.
- Garage distance. Table 30-434 asks 22 feet for a street-facing garage; Table 30-437, for density bonus projects, asks 20 feet. Each applies to its own projects.
Best For
- ✓ House lots with room for a two-car garage 22 feet from the street.
- ✓ Sites within one-half mile of public transit, where state law removes parking minimums.
- ✓ R-3, R-4 and R-5 sites where 55 foot buildings are allowed.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The plan counts carports or driveways toward a house's required spaces.
- ✕ A multifamily plan has no room for guest parking of one space per three homes.
- ✕ The lot is in the hillside overlay, where homes are limited to 25 feet.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → Walking distance to public transit for AB 2097 and ADU exemptions.
- → Bedroom counts, which set garage and guest spaces.
- → Any future street line in the General Plan circulation element.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the duplex to fourplex guide, the California ADU law page and the Fontana overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Fontana house use a carport instead of a garage?
Does Fontana allow tandem parking?
How big must a parking stall be in Fontana?
How close can a Fontana garage be to the street?
What side setback does a Fontana R-1 house need?
What can stick out into a Fontana setback?
How big can a detached garage or workshop be on a Fontana lot?
How tall can a building be in Fontana R-4 and R-5?
What roof materials does Fontana require on new homes?
How does Fontana measure lot coverage?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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