Fontana | Zoning Districts
Fontana Zoning Districts: R-E, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-PC and the Form-Based Code
A zoning district is the label the City puts on each lot, and it decides which buildings may go there and how big they may be. Fontana's districts are in Chapter 30 of the Zoning and Development Code, read here in Supplement 18 on Municode. This page explains each district that allows homes, how many homes fit in each, the overlays that change the rules on some lots, and where the code does not match itself. The Fontana overview sums up the whole guide.
Fontana zoning in six facts
- Fontana has seven residential districts: R-E, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5 and R-PC. Source: FZDC 30-423
- Only one single-family dwelling is allowed per legal parcel in R-E, R-1 and R-PC, plus ADUs under the ADU rules. Source: FZDC Table 30-430
- R-2 allows 7.6 detached homes, or up to 12.0 under minor planned unit development standards, per adjusted gross acre. Source: FZDC Table 30-434
- R-3 allows 12.0 to 24.0 homes per adjusted gross acre with a 55 foot height limit for multifamily buildings. Source: FZDC Table 30-434
- R-4 allows 24.1 to 39.0 and R-5 allows 39.1 to 50.0 homes per adjusted gross acre, both at up to 55 feet. Source: FZDC Table 30-447
- Fontana estimates adjusted gross acreage by multiplying total gross acreage by 0.7. Source: FZDC 30-12
How Fontana Divides Its Land
Table 30-408 lists every district. Three are Form-Based Code districts in Article III: the Downtown Area Plan, the Walkable Mixed-Use Corridor and Downtown, and the Walkable Mixed-Use Urban Village. Seven are residential, in Article V: R-E, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5 and R-PC. Three are commercial and mixed use (C-1 Community Commercial, C-2 General Commercial and RMU Regional Mixed-Use), two are industrial (M-1 and M-2), and four are public and open space (P-PF, P-UC, OS-N and OS-R).
An overlay district is a second layer on the map that adds rules to the base district below it. The same table lists eight: Auto Center, Emergency Shelter, Fire Hazard, Hillside, Medical Center, Utility Corridor, Valley Business Park Boulevard, and Warehouse Distribution/Logistics. Section 30-622 adds a ninth, the R-4 overlay, through Ordinance No. 1889 of 2022. The hillside and fire hazard overlays matter most for homes and have their own page, the hillside and fire zones page.
Density, which is the number of homes allowed on a given area of land, is counted per adjusted gross acre in Fontana. Section 30-12 defines it as "the total gross acreage of a site, minus the future area of streets (collectors and above) for public facilities," and adds a shortcut: "multiply the total gross acreage by 70 percent (0.7)." So a site of one gross acre counts as 0.7 adjusted gross acre by that estimate. Section 30-415 rounds a fraction of five-tenths or more up to a whole home and drops a smaller fraction, but says the result may not exceed the density ranges in Table 30-434.
The Residential Districts Compared
| District | Homes per adjusted gross acre | Minimum lot | Coverage | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-E Residential estates | 2.0 | 21,780 sq ft; 80 ft wide; 150 ft deep | 45% | 35 ft |
| R-1 Single-family | 5.0 | 6,000 sq ft, average 7,200; 60 ft wide; 100 ft deep | 45% | 35 ft |
| R-2 single-family | 7.6 detached, up to 12.0 as minor PUD | 3,000 sq ft; 40 ft wide; 75 ft deep | 50% | 35 ft |
| R-2 attached or multifamily | 5.1 to 12.0 | 5 acres; 200 ft wide; 300 ft deep | 50% | 35 ft |
| R-3 Multiple-family | 12.0 to 24.0 | 5 acres; 200 ft wide; 300 ft deep | 50% | 55 ft multifamily |
| R-4 Multiple-family medium/high | 24.1 to 39.0 | 2 acres; 200 ft wide; 300 ft deep | 70% | 55 ft |
| R-5 Multiple-family high | 39.1 to 50.0 | 2 acres; 200 ft wide; 300 ft deep | 70% | 55 ft |
| R-PC Residential planned community | 3.0 | 10,000 sq ft; 70 ft wide; 100 ft deep | 45% | 35 ft |
Source: Fontana Zoning and Development Code Table 30-434 and Table 30-447, Supplement 18. Lot sizes in R-4 and R-5 are for new lots.
R-E, R-1 and R-PC: One House per Lot
Section 30-423 calls R-1 "The typical single-family zoning district that permits detached residences on individual lots within defined neighborhoods." R-E, Residential estates, "applies primarily to outlying rural areas" and allows accessory farm uses. Table 30-432 lets an R-E owner keep horses, goats and similar animals at two per half acre, and allows crops and orchards on a lot with a net area of 20,000 square feet or more. R-PC, Residential planned community, is the base zoning for master-planned communities "with an approved specific plan or low density residential uses similar to R-E above without a specific plan."
In all three, the note to Table 30-430 says "Only one single-family dwelling is permitted per legal parcel. An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) may also be permitted if all requirements of the Municipal Code are met." A new R-1 lot needs 6,000 square feet with "an average of 7,200" across the subdivision, 60 feet of width and 100 feet of depth. A new house there must be at least 1,200 square feet, and in R-E and R-PC at least 2,000 square feet. An older, smaller lot can still hold a home: Section 30-414 lets a lot of record as of April 4, 1957 be used for any permitted use if it has at least 20 feet of street frontage.
The extra homes on these lots come from state law. Section 30-467 allows ADUs and a junior ADU, and Section 30-434.1 allows an SB 9 two-unit project in a "single-family residential zone," which the section defines as "a zone where the only residential use that is allowed as a primary use is a single residential dwelling on a lot." The ADUs and SB 9 page covers both.
R-2: Medium Density
Section 30-423 calls R-2 "A medium intensity, multiple-family zoning district that permits the development of attached and detached single-family, duplex and multiple-family dwellings, as well as condominiums." Table 30-434 gives it two columns. Detached single-family homes may reach 7.6 per adjusted gross acre, or up to 12.0 under minor planned unit development standards, on lots of 3,000 square feet, 40 feet wide and 75 feet deep. Attached and multifamily homes may reach 5.1 to 12.0 per adjusted gross acre. Structures may cover up to 50 percent of the site.
A minor planned unit development (minor PUD) is the R-2 tool for small infill sites. Section 30-326 limits it to R-2 sites of three acres or less "where at least 80 percent of the land within a 300-foot radius of the site has been developed." Lot sizes and coverage may vary up to 20 percent from the zone, front setbacks may drop to 15 feet, rear setbacks to 10 feet and side setbacks to four feet. Each home needs 200 square feet of private open space. Section 30-324 says minor PUDs "are allowed by-right," which means staff check the plans against the code and no hearing is needed for the use itself.
By VanPlex arithmetic on these figures, a one acre R-2 site, estimated at 0.7 adjusted gross acre, allows 8.4 homes at 12.0 per acre, which rounds to 8 under Section 30-415. The three or more homes page works through R-2 and R-3 projects in more detail, including the minimum lot size problem described below.
R-3, R-4 and R-5: Apartments
R-3, Multiple-family residential, "permits development such as garden apartments, condominiums and townhouses" (Section 30-423). It allows 12.0 to 24.0 homes per adjusted gross acre, 55 foot multifamily buildings, and needs 35 percent of the site as common open space and 40 percent as usable open space. Minimum home sizes apply: 550 square feet for a studio, 600 for one bedroom, 800 for two bedrooms and 900 for three or more.
R-4 and R-5 are the transit districts. Section 30-445 says their standards "shall apply to new development projects located within 2,640 feet (one-half mile) of light-rail/commuter rail stations, future bus rapid transit stations and/or on a corridor with an operating Omnitrans bus route." Table 30-447 allows 24.1 to 39.0 homes per adjusted gross acre in R-4 and 39.1 to 50.0 in R-5, with 70 percent lot coverage, 55 foot buildings and homes from 550 to 1,800 square feet. The note to Table 30-446 bars new single-family homes in both.
The R-4 overlay, added by Ordinance No. 1889 in 2022, applies to the parcels in Figure 1 of Section 30-663.1. It is "a flexible designation that is intended to apply as an alternative to the provisions of the underlying zoning," so the owner may use the base zoning or the R-4 standards of Sections 30-445 to 30-456. Section 30-622 says it serves "multifamily development in close proximity to transit routes and convenience uses in recognition of the need for affordable housing."
Specific Plans and the Form-Based Code
A specific plan is a detailed plan for one area, adopted by the City Council, that replaces the normal zoning there. Section 30-15 says "New specific plans are not permitted," so the existing ones are all there will be unless the code changes. The City's Planning page lists 27 plans under its Specific Plans heading, among them the Arboretum, Coyote Canyon, Sierra Lakes, Southridge Village, Ventana at Duncan Canyon and West End plans. A lot inside one follows that plan's own rules for lot size and homes per acre.
The Form-Based Code in Article III covers the downtown and the walkable corridors. Its Neighborhood district allows detached single-family homes at 3 to 5 per acre, and its Multi-Family district allows 12 to 39 homes per acre in building types that include the duplex and multiplex. Section 30-355 says that where Article III and other parts of the code cover the same topic, "the requirements of the Form-Based Code article shall prevail unless otherwise specified." The three or more homes page has the building type rules.
Where the Code Disagrees With Itself
Several parts of Chapter 30 and Chapter 26 do not match each other. Where a general rule and a district rule conflict, the district rule is the one written for that case, and the Planning Department reads the code in the end. Ask for a written answer before you rely on any of these points.
- R-1 lot size. Table 30-434 asks for 6,000 square feet "with an average of 7,200" in R-1. Section 26-180 of the subdivision chapter asks every interior lot for 60 feet of width and "an area of not less than 7,200 square feet, except as may be reduced by Ordinance No. 816." Section 26-180 also says lot area shall be "as required for the particular zoning district," so the zoning table is the specific rule.
- Note letters that do not exist. Table 30-434 points to notes "(d)," "(e)" and "(r)," but its notes are numbered (1) to (21) plus a lettered (a) and (b). The numbered notes cover the same topics, so read them all with the table.
- ADUs in R-3, R-4 and R-5. Table 30-430 marks an "Accessory dwelling unit" as not permitted in R-3 in its residential uses list, but permitted in R-3 in its accessory uses list. Table 30-446 does the same for R-4 and R-5. State law requires cities to allow ADUs on multifamily lots in residential zones, so the state rule controls.
- The name of R-3. Section 30-423 calls R-3 "Multiple-family residential (R-3)." Section 30-967, amended in June 2026, calls it "High-Density Residential (R-3)." The district rules in Article V control what R-3 allows.
- R-3 density bonus features. Note (1) to Table 30-437 lets R-3 density rise to 30 homes per acre "if at least four of the features listed in Section 30-444" are provided. Section 30-444 has no such list of features.
The Minimum Lot Size for Attached Homes
One line in Table 30-434 shapes every small multifamily plan. The minimum lot size for attached or multifamily homes in R-2 and R-3 is 5 acres, with 200 feet of width and 300 feet of depth. Read alone, that would block apartments on ordinary R-2 and R-3 lots. Two notes soften it. Note (16) says "For existing legal lots smaller than this minimum see Section 30-414," and note (21) says "Existing legal lots of record located in any residential zoning district may be developed pursuant to the required development standards identified in the applicable zoning district." The code does not say in one place how the 5 acre figure and these two notes fit together for an existing R-2 or R-3 lot. Ask the Planning Department for a written answer before you buy a small lot for attached homes.
Best For
- ✓ R-2 infill sites of up to three acres in built-up areas, where a minor PUD is allowed by right.
- ✓ R-3 sites with room for 12 to 24 homes per adjusted gross acre and 35 percent common open space.
- ✓ R-4 and R-5 sites near rail or an Omnitrans bus route, at 24.1 to 50 homes per acre.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ An R-1 owner plans a second full-size house; R-1 allows one house plus state-law units.
- ✕ The plan is a new single-family house in R-4 or R-5.
- ✕ The site sits inside a specific plan whose own rules allow fewer homes.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The lot's district, any overlay and any specific plan on the City zoning map.
- → How the 5 acre minimum lot size applies to an existing smaller R-2 or R-3 lot.
- → The adjusted gross acreage of the site after street dedications.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the duplex to fourplex guide, the SB 9 page and the Fontana overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
What zoning districts does Fontana use for homes?
How many homes can I build on an R-1 lot in Fontana?
What does adjusted gross acre mean in Fontana zoning?
How many homes can an R-2 lot in Fontana hold?
What is a minor planned unit development in Fontana?
Can I build a new house in Fontana R-4 or R-5?
Where do Fontana R-4 and R-5 standards apply?
Can Fontana approve a new specific plan for my land?
How does Fontana round a fraction of a home?
How do I find the zoning of a Fontana property?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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