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David Babakaiff
Written by David Babakaiff · Co-Founder, VanPlex | 25+ Years BC Construction Last reviewed: October 2026

Merced | Zoning Districts

Merced, California Zoning Districts: R-R, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, Urban Villages, Downtown and Commercial Zones, and What Each Allows

This page explains the zoning districts of the City of Merced and how many homes each allows on a lot. A zoning district, or zone, is an area of the city where one set of rules on uses, lot sizes and building size applies. Merced keeps its zoning rules in Title 20 of the Municipal Code, the Merced Zoning Ordinance, which Municode publishes as Supplement 85, dated January 2026. Its residential zones run from R-R, for houses on large lots, to R-4, the zone with the most homes per acre. Two facts stand out. A duplex is a permitted use on R-1 lots, the single-family zone, when four written conditions are met. And apartments need no hearing in R-3 and R-4. The Merced overview has the summary.

Merced zoning in six facts

The Districts in Title 20

Section 20.06.020 divides Merced into base zoning districts that carry out the land use map of the General Plan, the City's long-range plan. Table 20.06-1 lists six residential districts (R-R, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-MH), seven commercial districts, two industrial districts, three downtown districts (D-COR, D-O and D-CM), the urban village districts R-IV, R-OV and C-V, four public, parking and farm districts (P-OS, P-F, P-PK and A-G), and two other zones, U-T (Urban Transition) and P-D (Planned Development). Three overlay zones sit on top of the base districts: /HSR for high speed rail, /AE for the airport area and /UR for urban residential building types. An overlay adds rules to the base zone, and where the two conflict, Section 20.22.010 says "the overlay zone shall control."

Section 20.08.010 sets the purpose of each residential district. R-1 is "divided into four (4) subzones (R-1-20, R-1-10, R-1-6, and R-1-5) allowing for a range of minimum lot sizes." The number after R-1 is the minimum lot size in thousands of square feet. R-3 is "divided into two (2) subzones (R-3-1.5 and R-3-2)", where the number is the lot area in thousands of square feet needed for each home. R-4 "provides an area for the highest density residential uses in Merced."

The zoning map shows which district covers each lot. Section 20.06.030 says the map is kept by the development services department and that "The digital version of the zoning map for the City of Merced is maintained online by the Merced County Association of Governments." This guide did not read the map, so it cannot say which zone covers a given address.

Lot Size and Homes per Lot by District

District Minimum lot area Lot area per home Homes on one lot
R-R Rural Residential 1 acre (one-third acre with City sewer and water) 1 acre One house plus ADUs
R-1-20 20,000 sq ft 20,000 sq ft House or duplex; up to 3 houses on 60,000 sq ft
R-1-10 10,000 sq ft 10,000 sq ft House or duplex; up to 3 houses on 30,000 sq ft
R-1-6 6,000 sq ft 6,000 sq ft House or duplex; up to 3 houses on 18,000 sq ft
R-1-5 5,000 sq ft 5,000 sq ft House or duplex; up to 3 houses on 15,000 sq ft
R-2 Low Medium Density 6,000 sq ft 3,000 sq ft Duplex; apartments with a conditional use permit
R-3-2 6,000 sq ft 2,000 sq ft Apartments permitted
R-3-1.5 7,500 sq ft 1,500 sq ft Apartments permitted
R-4 High Density 7,500 sq ft 1,000 sq ft Apartments permitted
R-MH Mobile Home 10 acres Up to 10 homes per acre Mobile home park

Sources: Merced Municipal Code 20.08.020, Tables 20.08-2 and 20.08-3 and 20.08.040. ADUs are added under Chapter 20.42 and do not count toward these limits.

The "lot area per dwelling unit" row sets how many homes a lot may hold: divide the lot area by the figure for the zone and round down. A 6,000 square foot R-2 lot holds two homes (6,000 divided by 3,000). A 7,500 square foot lot holds five homes in R-3-1.5 and seven in R-4 (VanPlex arithmetic from Table 20.08-3). Section 20.38.030 rounds parking fractions over one-half up, but Title 20 states no rounding rule for homes, so ask the Planning Division how it treats a fraction.

Accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are second homes on a lot with a main home. Section 20.42.030(F)(2) says an ADU "shall not be considered to exceed the allowable density for the lot," so ADUs sit on top of the counts above. The rules for ADUs are on the ADUs and SB 9 page.

What Each Residential District Allows

Use R-R R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4
Single-family dwelling P P P P P
Duplex home X P P P P
Multiple-family dwellings X X C (lots of 6,000 sq ft or more) P P
Accessory dwelling unit P P P P P
Small house X P P P P
Small house village X X C P P
Single-room occupancy X X X SP SP

Source: Merced Municipal Code 20.08.020, Table 20.08-1. P means permitted, SP means a site plan review permit, C means a conditional use permit, X means not allowed.

Table 20.08-1 uses four approval levels. "P" means the use is permitted and needs only the building permit and any site plan review the code sets. "M" is a minor use permit, which the Director of Development Services decides without a public hearing. "SP" is a site plan review permit, decided by a three-member staff committee. "C" is a conditional use permit, decided by the Planning Commission after a public hearing. The permits and fees page explains each one.

Note [4] of the table limits apartments in R-2: they are "Permitted only on lots six thousand (6,000) square feet or greater at the density permitted in the existing zoning district." Note [1] adds that a site plan review permit "may be required per Chapter 20.32 (Interface Regulations) regardless of the uses shown." Rooming and boarding are allowed as an accessory use, with a limit of one person in R-1, R-R and R-MH and two in R-2, and no limit in R-3 and R-4.

Duplexes on R-1 Lots

Merced allows a duplex, one building with two homes, in its single-family zone. Section 20.08.020(B) says "One (1) duplex home per lot is permitted in the R-1 zoning districts when the following standards are met":

  • Lot size. "The lot meets the minimum lot size for the district", for example 5,000 square feet in R-1-5 or 6,000 in R-1-6.
  • Parking. One off-street space for each unit, with no parking required within one-half mile walking distance of a high-quality transit corridor or major transit stop, or where a car share vehicle is within one block.
  • Driveway. Driveways are "a minimum twenty (20) feet in length", measured from the garage or carport to the back of the sidewalk or the front property line.
  • Street. The lot does not front a collector or larger street named in the General Plan, unless a circular driveway or similar design lets cars leave without backing into the street.

R-1 lots can also hold more than one house. Section 20.08.040(A) allows "Up to three (3) single-family dwelling units" on an R-1 lot of at least 15,000 square feet in R-1-5, 18,000 in R-1-6, 30,000 in R-1-10 or 60,000 in R-1-20, with 20 feet between homes placed one behind the other, and a lot width of at least 100 feet and 10 feet between homes placed side by side. Section 20.08.040(B) lets an R-1 lot deeper than 150 feet add a home on the front half when the existing home sits at least 75 feet back and existed before Title 20 was adopted.

Small Houses and Small Lot Homes

Section 20.08.020(C) allows "Small Houses" in the RP-D, R-IV, R-OV, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 districts, with one small house per lot. A "small house village", a group of small houses, is allowed at the zone's density in R-2 with a conditional use permit and in R-3 and R-4 by right. Small houses in R-2, R-3 and R-4 need a site plan review. Table 20.08-1A sets small house lots of 3,000 square feet in R-1 and R-2, 3,700 in R-3 and 2,000 in R-4, 30 feet wide, with 60 percent lot coverage and a height of 35 feet and two stories.

Chapter 20.40 is a separate program for small lot single-family homes in RP-D, R-IV, R-OV and R-2, which "shall require approval of a conditional use permit." Its table allows lots of 3,000 square feet and 30 feet wide (PD-1-3) or 5,000 square feet and 40 feet wide (PD-1-4), with buildings up to 40 feet and three stories. The lot size and subdivisions page covers both.

Urban Villages, Downtown and Commercial Zones

Chapter 20.16 sets three urban village districts for new growth areas. R-OV, the outer village, permits single-family homes, duplexes and ADUs at up to 12 homes per acre. R-IV, the inner village, permits duplexes and apartments, and single-family homes with a conditional use permit, at up to 36 homes per acre, and note [3] of Table 20.16-1 says residential uses "Must meet minimum density requirements of ten (10) dwelling units/acre." Each R-IV district must mix housing types so that no single type makes up more than 50 percent of the homes.

The three downtown districts allow up to 36 homes per acre (Table 20.14-2). Multiple-family dwellings are permitted in D-COR and D-O and need a site plan review permit in D-CM. Note [2] of Table 20.14-1 says "Residential use on the ground floor is prohibited unless it is located on the back of the property where it is not visible or approved with a conditional use permit."

In the commercial districts, Table 20.10-1 permits multiple-family dwellings in C-C and allows them with a conditional use permit in C-O, C-N and B-P. Note [1] sets densities of "12.1 to 24.0 units/gross acre in the C-O, C-N, C-SC, C-T, C-G, and B-P Districts, but can be approved up to 36.0 units/gross acre with a Conditional Use Permit," and 12.1 to 36.0 in C-C, rising to "two hundred (200) units/gross acre for multi-story buildings over five (5) stories with a conditional use permit."

Planned Development and Urban Transition Zones

Section 20.20.020 sets two planned development districts. P-D allows uses shown on a "site utilization plan" that the City Council approves for that district; RP-D is the same but allows only residential uses. The minimum project size is three acres for P-D and 10,000 square feet for RP-D, except in an area shown on Figure 20.20-1. Each P-D has its own numbered site utilization plan, so the Title 20 tables do not settle what a P-D lot allows.

U-T, Urban Transition, covers land annexed from Merced County but "not proposed for immediate urban development." Section 20.20.010(C)(3) says "Except for accessory dwelling units permitted under Chapter 20.42 (Accessory Dwelling Units), residential density of the lot may not be increased." A larger project on U-T land needs a zone change first.

Interface Permits Near R-1 Lots

Chapter 20.32 protects existing single-family areas. A use in a "high impact" district (C-N, C-SC, C-C, D-CM, C-O, C-T, C-G, B-P, I-L or I-H) "shall require a minor use permit if it is abutting or across from a developed parcel" in R-1. A parcel is "developed" when it has at least 20 percent lot coverage and a legal use. Section 20.32.040 exempts parcels across an arterial or larger street. Apartments in a commercial zone next to R-1 houses therefore need this extra permit.

Where the Code Disagrees With Itself

  • Small house cross-reference. Table 20.08-1 points "Small House" and "Small House Village" to "Sec. 20.08.060", and Title 20 has no Section 20.08.060. The small house rules are printed in Section 20.08.020(C).
  • Apartment cross-reference. The same table points multiple-family dwellings to "Sec. 20.44.180". Chapter 20.44 ends at Section 20.44.170, on cannabis.
  • R-3 name. Table 20.06-1 and Section 20.08.010 call R-3 "Medium Density Residential", while Section 20.08.020(C) calls it "high medium density residential (R-3)". The rules are the same either way.
  • Interface permit type. Note [1] of Table 20.08-1 says a "site plan review permit may be required per Chapter 20.32", while Section 20.32.030, as amended in 2022, requires a "minor use permit". The chapter text is the later wording.
  • Nonconforming lots. Table 20.08-1A refers to lots "in compliance with Chapter 20.50", which covers temporary uses; nonconforming parcels are in Chapter 20.52.

Where the code points to a section that does not exist, ask the Planning Division which text it applies. The zone itself can also change: Ordinance 2577, adopted April 21, 2025, moved 27 sites into higher-density zones, most of them to R-4, and the housing element and rezone sites page lists them.

Best For

  • ✓ R-1 lots that meet the zone minimum size and do not face a collector street, where one duplex per lot is a permitted use.
  • ✓ R-3 and R-4 lots, where apartments need no conditional use permit and R-4 allows one home per 1,000 square feet of lot.
  • ✓ Large R-1 lots of 15,000 square feet or more in R-1-5, which may hold up to three houses under Section 20.08.040.

Usually Fails When

  • ✕ An apartment building is planned on an R-2 lot smaller than 6,000 square feet, where note [4] of Table 20.08-1 does not allow it.
  • ✕ A project on a P-D lot is planned from the Title 20 tables without reading that district's site utilization plan.
  • ✕ A U-T lot is planned for more homes than it has, other than ADUs, without a zone change.

What To Verify Before Spending Money

  • → The zone of the lot on the official zoning map, through the Planning Division.
  • → Whether the lot is one of the 27 sites rezoned by Ordinance 2577 or lies in a P-D district.
  • → Whether the street in front of an R-1 lot is a collector or larger street, which affects a duplex.

Where to Go Next

Lots and Subdivisions
Lot sizes, small lots, parcel maps and SB 9 splits.
Three or More Homes
Apartments, the /UR overlay and the density bonus.
Parking and Setbacks
Yards, height, coverage and parking by zone.

Related on VanPlex: the Merced overview, the California duplex to fourplex page and the California SB 9 page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I build a duplex on an R-1 lot in Merced? +
Yes. Merced Municipal Code Section 20.08.020(B) permits one duplex per lot in the R-1 districts when the lot meets the zone minimum size, each unit has one off-street parking space unless the lot is near transit or a car share vehicle, the driveway is at least 20 feet long, and the lot does not front a collector or larger street without a turnaround driveway.
What zoning districts does Merced have for homes? +
Merced has six residential districts in Table 20.06-1 of its Zoning Ordinance: R-R Rural Residential, R-1 Low Density, R-2 Low Medium Density, R-3 Medium Density, R-4 High Density and R-MH Mobile Home. Homes are also allowed in the urban village districts R-OV, R-IV and C-V, the three downtown districts, several commercial districts, and planned development districts.
How many homes can I build on an R-4 lot in Merced? +
An R-4 lot in Merced needs 1,000 square feet of lot area for each home under Table 20.08-3, with a minimum lot of 7,500 square feet. A 7,500 square foot R-4 lot therefore holds seven homes before ADUs or a density bonus. Height is 40 feet and lot coverage is 65 percent in R-4.
Are apartments allowed in R-2 in Merced? +
Apartments are allowed in Merced's R-2 district only with a conditional use permit, which the Planning Commission decides after a public hearing, and only on lots of 6,000 square feet or more under note [4] of Table 20.08-1. R-2 requires 3,000 square feet of lot area for each home, so a 6,000 square foot R-2 lot holds two homes.
What do R-1-5 and R-1-6 mean in Merced? +
R-1-5 and R-1-6 are two of the four subzones of Merced's R-1 Low Density Residential district. The number is the minimum lot size in thousands of square feet: R-1-5 needs 5,000 square feet and R-1-6 needs 6,000, under Table 20.08-2. The other two subzones are R-1-10 and R-1-20.
Can I put three houses on one R-1 lot in Merced? +
Yes, on a large enough Merced R-1 lot. Section 20.08.040 allows up to three single-family homes when the lot has at least 15,000 square feet in R-1-5, 18,000 in R-1-6, 30,000 in R-1-10 or 60,000 in R-1-20, with 20 feet between homes one behind the other, or a 100-foot lot width and 10 feet between homes side by side.
What is an urban village zone in Merced? +
Merced's urban village zones, in Chapter 20.16, are for new neighborhoods built around a commercial center. R-OV allows houses, duplexes and ADUs at up to 12 homes per acre. R-IV allows duplexes and apartments at 10 to 36 homes per acre, and C-V allows homes as part of mixed-use projects at up to 36 homes per acre.
Can I build homes in a commercial zone in Merced? +
In some Merced commercial zones, yes. Table 20.10-1 permits multiple-family dwellings in C-C and allows them with a conditional use permit in C-O, C-N and B-P. The table note sets 12.1 to 24.0 homes per gross acre in most commercial zones, up to 36.0 with a conditional use permit, and 12.1 to 36.0 in C-C.
Where can I see the Merced zoning map? +
Merced Municipal Code Section 20.06.030 says the development services department keeps the official zoning map, which is available at the department and on the City website, and that the digital version is maintained online by the Merced County Association of Governments. This guide could not open the City website, so ask the Planning Division to confirm a lot's zone.
What is a P-D zone in Merced? +
A P-D zone in Merced is a Planned Development district under Section 20.20.020. Its allowed uses are the ones shown on a site utilization plan that the City Council approves for that district. P-D needs at least three acres and RP-D, the residential-only version, at least 10,000 square feet, outside the area shown in Figure 20.20-1.

Official sources (checked October 2026)

Merced Municipal Code, Title 20, Zoning (Municode, Supplement 85)
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO
Merced Municipal Code 20.06.020, zoning districts
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT1ENAP_CH20.06ZODIMA_20.06.020ZODI
Merced Municipal Code 20.08.020, residential land uses
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT2ZODIST_CH20.08REZODI_20.08.020LAUSREREZODI
Merced Municipal Code 20.08.030, residential development standards
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT2ZODIST_CH20.08REZODI_20.08.030DESTREZODI
Merced Municipal Code 20.08.040, additional homes on R-1 lots
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT2ZODIST_CH20.08REZODI_20.08.040ADDWUNLO
Merced Municipal Code 20.10.020, commercial land uses
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT2ZODIST_CH20.10COZODI_20.10.020LAUSRECOZODI
Merced Municipal Code Chapter 20.14, downtown districts
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT2ZODIST_CH20.14DOZODI
Merced Municipal Code Chapter 20.16, urban village districts
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT2ZODIST_CH20.16URVIZODI
Merced Municipal Code Chapter 20.20, special use districts
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT2ZODIST_CH20.20SPUSZODI
Merced Municipal Code Chapter 20.32, interface regulations
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT3GERE_CH20.32INRE
Merced Municipal Code Chapter 20.40, small lot single-family homes
https://library.municode.com/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_PT3GERE_CH20.40SMLOSIMIHO
City of Merced, Ordinance 2577 (PDF)
https://cityofmerced.legistar1.com/cityofmerced/attachments/ce80e416-213d-4c48-a4ba-607dcb1cd7ce.pdf
General information, not legal advice. California housing law changes every year, and each city adds its own rules on top of state law. Confirm current requirements with the city or county planning department, and with a California-licensed attorney or architect, before you buy land or file plans.

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