Merced | Lots and Subdivisions
Merced, California Lot Sizes and Subdivisions: Minimum Lots by Zone, Small House Lots, Parcel Maps, SB 9 Urban Lot Splits and SB 684 Small-Lot Maps
This page covers the size a lot must have in each Merced zone and how a lot is divided. A subdivision is any division of land into new lots; a parcel map is the map used for a small division, and a tentative map and final map are used for larger ones. Merced sets lot sizes in Title 20, the Zoning Ordinance, and map procedures in Title 18, the Subdivision Ordinance, whose sections mostly date from 1980 to 1994. Title 18 and Title 20 do not mention SB 9 urban lot splits (Government Code 66411.7) or SB 684 small-lot maps (Government Code 66499.41), so those state laws apply directly, and this page sets them beside the City text. The Merced overview has the summary.
Merced lots and maps in six facts
- R-1-5 lots need 5,000 square feet and 50 feet of width, 55 feet on a corner, and 80 feet of depth. Source: Merced Municipal Code 20.08.030, Table 20.08-2
- R-2 and R-3-2 lots need 6,000 square feet; R-3-1.5 and R-4 lots need 7,500. Source: Merced Municipal Code 20.08.030, Table 20.08-3
- Small house lots may be 3,000 square feet in R-1 and R-2 and 2,000 in R-4, with a 30-foot width. Source: Merced Municipal Code 20.08.020, Table 20.08-1A
- A parcel map may be filed within twelve months after the tentative map is approved, with extensions of up to two years. Source: Merced Municipal Code 18.20.140
- A final map may be filed within twenty-four months after tentative map approval, extendable to a total of three years. Source: Merced Municipal Code 18.24.010
- An SB 9 urban lot split creates two lots of at least 1,200 square feet, neither smaller than 40 percent of the original lot. Source: Government Code 66411.7(a)
Minimum Lot Sizes by Zone
| Zone | Lot area | Width, interior | Width, corner | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-R | 1 acre; one-third acre with City sewer and water | 125 ft | 125 ft | None set |
| R-1-20 | 20,000 sq ft | 85 ft | 85 ft | 125 ft |
| R-1-10 | 10,000 sq ft | 70 ft | 70 ft | 100 ft |
| R-1-6 | 6,000 sq ft | 60 ft | 65 ft | 100 ft |
| R-1-5 | 5,000 sq ft | 50 ft | 55 ft | 80 ft |
| R-2 | 6,000 sq ft | 60 ft | 65 ft | 100 ft |
| R-3-2 | 6,000 sq ft | 60 ft | 65 ft | None set |
| R-3-1.5 | 7,500 sq ft | 60 ft | 65 ft | None set |
| R-4 | 7,500 sq ft | 70 ft | 70 ft | None set |
| R-OV and R-IV | 3,000 sq ft | 30 ft | 30 ft | 100 ft |
Sources: Merced Municipal Code Tables 20.08-2 and 20.08-3 and Table 20.16-2.
The notes under Table 20.08-2 add three rules. Lots on curved streets, turnarounds or cul-de-sac bulbs measure width "at the established front setback line." Lots on a cul-de-sac bulb measure depth at the mean distance between the front and rear lines, but "at no point shall be less than eight (80) feet in depth"; the words say eight and the figure says 80, so ask the City which it applies. And the one-acre R-R lot "May be reduced to one-third (⅓) acre if city sewer and water serves the property." Section 18.12.050 of the Subdivision Ordinance adds that "The size and shape of each lot shall be in conformance to the zoning regulations" and that every lot must meet the flood rules of Chapter 17.48.
Narrower Lots in R-1 Subdivisions
Section 20.08.030(B) lets the Planning Commission approve narrower lots in an R-1 subdivision of at least ten lots. At least 25 percent of the non-corner lots must be at least five feet wider than the minimum, no more than 40 percent may be narrower than the minimum, no lot may be more than 15 feet below the minimum width or below the minimum depth, no corner lot may be below the minimum, and "No more than two (2) lots below the minimum required width may be adjacent to one another."
Section 20.08.030(D) adds design rules for homes in R-1-5 subdivisions: at least 25 percent of front elevations along a street need a garage set back 25 feet, three-car garages are barred on 5,000 square foot lots unless the lot has alley access or is wider than 60 feet, and the same elevation may not repeat on neighboring houses.
Existing Narrow Lots and 50-Foot Lots
Section 20.52.040 deals with lots that are smaller or narrower than the zone now requires. A legally created lot "shall be permitted all development rights of the zoning district in which it is located", but the building must still meet setbacks, coverage and parking. Two or more side-by-side lots in one ownership that are each 25 feet wide or less "shall be considered a single parcel."
Section 20.52.040(D) allows new lots with 50 feet of frontage "All other provisions of this title notwithstanding", when the lot is in a residential zone and in a block where at least half the existing lots are 50 feet wide or less. Each new interior lot may hold one home and a corner lot two, "provided that each unit's driveway is accessed from different sides of the lot." On a collector or larger street, access must come through a shared driveway or alley. The zone's lot area still applies: a 50-foot lot in R-1-6 needs 6,000 square feet, which means a depth of 120 feet (VanPlex arithmetic).
Small House and Small Lot Home Lots
Two Merced programs allow lots below the zone minimum. The small house rules in Section 20.08.020(C) and Table 20.08-1A allow single-family lots of 3,000 square feet in R-1 and R-2, 3,700 in R-3 and 2,000 in R-4, at least 30 feet wide (35 or 45 feet on a corner) and 75 feet deep in R-1 and R-2 or 60 feet in R-3 and R-4. A small house village, several small houses on one site, needs 11,000 square feet in R-2, 5,500 in R-3 and 5,100 in R-4. Infill lots that miss the width or depth "may be granted an exception if the director finds that all other development and density standards are met." Each new lot still goes through the maps in Title 18.
Chapter 20.40, small lot single-family homes, applies in RP-D, R-IV, R-OV and R-2 with a conditional use permit. It names two lot types: "PD-1-4 Designation: Lots between forty (40) feet and fifty (50) feet in width" and "PD-1.3 Designation: Lots between less than forty (40) feet but no less than thirty (30) feet in width." Table 20.40.050 sets lot areas of 3,000 square feet (PD-1-3) and 5,000 (PD-1-4) and depths of 65 and 75 feet. Each home needs "Two (2) on-site parking spaces" with at least one covered, set back 20 feet from the front line.
Parcel Maps: Divisions That Need No Tentative and Final Map
Section 18.20.020 says "Any division of land which does not require a tentative and final map is a minor subdivision. All minor subdivisions shall require a parcel map." The map goes to a minor subdivision committee of three: the Planning Commission chair, the Director of Development Services and the City Engineer. The steps in Title 18:
- Filing. Five copies of a tentative parcel map are filed "at least twenty-five (25) days prior to the meeting of the committee" (Section 18.20.070). City departments and utilities have 15 days to respond.
- Conditions. The committee may approve the division "subject to the dedication of necessary rights-of-way for streets and easements, the installation of all improvements along the frontages," and utilities to each lot. "All lot sizes shall conform to the provisions of the zoning regulations of the city" (Section 18.20.100).
- Referral. The committee may send a map to the Planning Commission, require a full tentative and final map, or waive the parcel map where Government Code 66428 allows (Section 18.20.050).
- Filing the final parcel map. Within twelve months of approval, extendable by the committee "for a period or periods not exceeding two years." A registered civil engineer or licensed land surveyor prepares it (Section 18.20.140).
- Existing buildings. A map that divides an existing building into separate units needs the chief building official's certification that the building will "meet current code standards for new construction" (Section 18.20.220).
- Lot line adjustments. The committee may approve moving a line between neighboring lots by resolution, without a parcel map, if no new lot is created and the smaller lot still meets its zone (Section 18.20.230).
Tentative and Final Maps
Larger divisions use a tentative map, reviewed by the Planning Commission at a public hearing, and then a final map, approved by the City Council. Section 18.16.010 asks for "Thirty copies of a tentative map" filed at least 21 days before the Commission meeting. Section 18.24.010 lets the subdivider file a final map "within twenty-four months after the approval or conditional approval of the tentative map", and the site approval committee may extend that "for a period or periods not exceeding a total of three years." The Council considers the final map "At its first regular meeting following the transmittal of the final map to the city clerk." Section 18.04.060 says Title 18 is "in addition to and shall be considered as supplementing the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act", so state time limits also apply.
Turning apartments into condominiums, homes owned separately, needs more than a map in Merced. Section 20.54.030 says a conditional use permit is required "prior to the sale, lease, use, or occupancy of any residential building as common ownership", with a long list of reports, from a pest report to two years of rental history for an existing building.
SB 9 Urban Lot Splits in Merced
SB 9 lets an owner split one lot in a single-family zone into two, approved by staff with no hearing. Merced has not written SB 9 into its code: a search of the saved Title 18 and Title 20 text finds no reference to Government Code 66411.7. The statute applies anyway. Merced is a charter city, a city with its own charter (Section 200 of the Charter gives it power over "municipal affairs"), and the statute defines a local agency as "a city, county, or city and county, whether general law or chartered." The state rules:
| Subject | Rule in Government Code 66411.7 |
|---|---|
| Lot sizes | Two lots of "approximately equal lot area", neither under 40 percent of the original, each at least 1,200 sq ft |
| Zone | A single-family residential zone, in a city that includes part of an urbanized area or urban cluster |
| Decision | Ministerial, within 60 days of a complete application, or deemed approved |
| Street work | No right-of-way dedication or offsite improvements may be required |
| Setbacks | Up to 4 ft from side and rear lines; none for an existing structure |
| Parking | Up to one space per unit; none near a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor, or a car share vehicle |
| Owner | Affidavit that the applicant will live in one unit for three years |
| Homes | The City need not allow more than two units on each new lot, ADUs included |
Source: Government Code 66411.7, as amended effective June 30, 2026.
Merced's R-1 districts are its single-family zones. An R-1-5 lot of 5,000 square feet could split into two lots of 2,500 square feet each, above the 1,200 square foot floor; an R-1-6 lot of 6,000 square feet into two of 3,000 (VanPlex arithmetic). The split is barred where it would demolish or alter housing "that has been occupied by a tenant in the last three years", rent-restricted housing, or housing taken off the rental market under the Ellis Act in the last 15 years. A lot created by an earlier SB 9 split cannot be split again.
Two Title 18 rules conflict with SB 9. Section 18.20.100 lets the committee require street dedications and frontage improvements, but Government Code 66411.7(b)(3) says a city "shall not impose regulations that require dedications of rights-of-way or the construction of offsite improvements" for an urban lot split. And the Title 18 committee schedule has no 60-day limit. For an SB 9 split, the statute controls on both points. The California SB 9 page explains the state law.
SB 684 and SB 1123 Small-Lot Maps
Government Code 66499.41, the law that SB 684 and SB 1123 created, requires a city to approve a map of up to ten lots without a hearing when the project has "10 or fewer residential units." The lot must be zoned for multifamily use and be "no larger than five acres", or be a vacant single-family lot "no larger than one and one-half acres", in both cases surrounded by urban uses. New lots may be as small as 600 square feet, or 1,200 square feet in a single-family zone, and "The average total area of floorspace for the proposed housing units" may not exceed 1,750 net habitable square feet. The City must decide within 60 days.
In Merced, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-IV allow multifamily homes, so a lot of up to five acres in those zones can qualify. Title 18 has no chapter for these maps, so the statute supplies the rules. The version in force today was amended by SB 1090 effective September 30, 2026, and becomes inoperative on January 1, 2027, when a revised version takes over; check the version that applies on the date you file. The California SB 684 and SB 1123 page has the details.
Best For
- ✓ R-1-6 or R-1-5 lots of 5,000 square feet or more, which an owner who will live there can split under SB 9 into two lots of at least 1,200 square feet each.
- ✓ Older blocks where at least half the lots are 50 feet wide or less, where Section 20.52.040(D) allows new 50-foot lots.
- ✓ R-2, R-3 and R-4 sites of up to five acres planned as ten or fewer small lots under Government Code 66499.41.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ A tentative parcel map is filed without counting the 25 days the committee needs before its meeting.
- ✕ An SB 9 split is planned on a lot whose house has had a tenant in the last three years.
- ✕ A final parcel map is not recorded within twelve months and no extension was asked for, so a new tentative map is needed.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → Which form the City uses for an SB 9 urban lot split, since Title 18 has no SB 9 procedure.
- → Whether the 80-foot cul-de-sac depth note reads eight feet or 80 feet in the City's practice.
- → The flood zone status of the lot under Chapter 17.48 before designing new lots.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the Merced overview, the California SB 9 page and the California SB 684 and SB 1123 page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum lot size in Merced R-1?
Can I split my lot in Merced under SB 9?
How long do I have to record a parcel map in Merced?
Who approves a parcel map in Merced?
Can I create a 50-foot-wide lot in Merced?
How small can a small house lot be in Merced?
Can Merced require street improvements for an SB 9 lot split?
Can I turn my Merced apartment building into condominiums?
Does SB 684 apply in Merced?
How long is a Merced tentative subdivision map valid?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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