Pasadena, California | Parking, Setbacks and Height
Pasadena, California Parking, Setbacks and Height: Spaces per Home, Encroachment Plane and Height Limits
These are the standards that most often decide whether a second home or a small apartment building fits on a lot in Pasadena, California. Parking comes from Chapter 17.46 of the Zoning Code, setbacks and heights from the district rules in Chapter 17.22 and the general rules in Chapter 17.40, and the hillside rules from Chapter 17.29. A setback is the required open distance between a building and a lot line. The Pasadena overview has the short version.
Pasadena parking, setbacks and height in six facts
- Pasadena, California requires 2 covered spaces per house in a garage or carport, and 2 covered spaces per apartment of 650 square feet or more, 1 below that. Source: PMC Table 4-6
- Government Code 65863.2 bars minimum parking within one-half mile of a major transit stop, a rule the Pasadena parking table does not print. Source: Gov. Code 65863.2
- In RS and RM-12, side setbacks are 10 percent of lot width, at least 5 feet and no more than 10, and the rear setback is 25 feet in RS and 10 feet in RM-12. Source: PMC Table 2-3
- A house in RS or RM-12 must stay inside a side plane that rises at 30 degrees from the vertical, starting 6 feet above grade at each interior side line. Source: PMC Sec. 17.40.160.D
- RS and RM-12 heights are 28 feet on lots under 75 feet wide and 32 feet on wider lots. Source: PMC Table 2-3
- RM heights run from 32 feet to the ridge in RM-16 to 36 feet in RM-16-1 and 38 feet in RM-48. Source: PMC Sec. 17.22.070.F
Parking by Housing Type
Table 4-6 sets the minimum number of off-street spaces. Section 17.46.040 says "The required numbers shall be met and not exceeded," except as the chapter allows, and for housing, "there is no limit on the maximum additional parking provided." A fraction of 0.50 or more rounds up to a full space; below 0.50 rounds down. Every space that is not parallel must be at least 8.5 by 18 feet, and a parallel space 8 by 24 feet.
| Housing type | Minimum parking |
|---|---|
| Single-family dwelling | 2 covered spaces per unit in a garage or carport |
| Multi-family unit, 650 sq ft or more | 2 covered spaces |
| Multi-family unit under 650 sq ft | 1 covered space |
| Guest parking, 10 or more units | 1 space for each 10 units, marked "Guest Parking Only" |
| SB 9 Two-Unit Development | 1 uncovered space per new unit; none near major transit or car share |
| ADU on a house lot | 1 space, waived in many cases; none on a multi-family site |
| Density bonus project (on request) | 1 space for 0 to 1 bedroom, 2 for 2 to 3, 2.5 for 4 or more |
| Hillside guest parking | 2 guest spaces, or 4 where street parking is banned on both sides |
Sources: Pasadena Municipal Code Table 4-6, Sec. 17.22.050.G, Sec. 17.50.275.D.4, Sec. 17.43.090 and Sec. 17.29.050.G, Supplement 79.
Tandem parking means one car parked behind another. Section 17.46.080 allows it for multi-family projects, except those built under the RM-12 standards, for up to 30 percent of the spaces, and both tandem spaces must belong to the same unit. The 8 by 24 foot and 8.5 by 18 foot sizes are the "Minimum Universal Stall Dimension" in Table 4-7; compact spaces are not allowed (Section 17.46.090).
Parking Near Transit
Pasadena has its own transit rule. Section 17.50.340 covers new projects within 1,320 feet (one-quarter mile) of a light-rail station platform and the Central District Transit-Oriented Area, with an optional half-mile area. For multi-family projects of at least 48 units per acre there, it sets both a minimum and a maximum. Near Sierra Madre Villa station, a unit under 650 square feet gets exactly 1 space and a larger unit 1.5 to 2. Near the Allen, Lake, Memorial Park, Del Mar and Fillmore stations and in the Central District, a unit of one bedroom or fewer gets exactly 1 space and a larger unit 1.5 to 1.75. Residents of those projects may not get overnight street parking permits.
State law goes further. Government Code 65863.2 says "A public agency shall not impose or enforce any minimum automobile parking requirement on a residential, commercial, or other development project if the project is located within one-half mile of public transit," and defines public transit as "a major transit stop as defined in Section 21155 of the Public Resources Code." A city may keep a minimum only by written findings "within 30 days of the receipt of a completed application." Table 4-6 and Section 17.50.340 do not mention this statute. Where they conflict, the statute controls, so a site within half a mile of a major transit stop may need no parking at all. The Two-Unit Development and ADU rules already waive parking near transit.
Setbacks and Height in RS and RM-12
| Standard | RS and RM-12 rule |
|---|---|
| Front setback | Blockface average, at least 25 ft (25 ft if under 40 percent of the block is built) |
| Side setback | 10% of lot width, minimum 5 ft, maximum 10 ft |
| Corner side setback | 10% of lot width, minimum 10 ft, maximum 25 ft |
| Rear setback | RS 25 ft; RM-12 10 ft |
| Lot coverage | Lots 7,200 sq ft or less: no maximum; to 11,999: 35%, up to 40% single story; 12,000 or more: 35% or 4,800 sq ft |
| Height | 28 ft (lot under 75 ft wide); 32 ft (75 ft or wider) |
| First story top plate (new homes) | 10 ft |
| Second story top plate | 23 ft in historic districts, LD, HD-1 and ND; 20 ft elsewhere |
Sources: Pasadena Municipal Code Table 2-3 and Sec. 17.22.050.A, Supplement 79.
The front setback depends on the block. A blockface is the row of lots on one side of a street between two cross streets. If 40 percent or more of the lots on the blockface have houses, the front setback is "the average of the front setbacks of the developed lots, but not less than 25 feet," measured to the house, not to a porch. If fewer are built, it is 25 feet. RM-12 lots also need 10 feet between homes on the same site, wall to wall.
Garages follow the block too. Section 17.22.050.B says a garage on a blockface "where 50 percent or more of the existing garages are located behind the primary structure shall also be located behind the primary structure." A street-facing garage on a corner lot must be set back at least 18 feet, and a carport must be fully screened from the street and "shall not be permitted on a corner lot."
Top plate is the horizontal framing member at the top of a wall that holds up the roof. The 10 foot first-story plate limit applies only to new homes, and not to single-family properties in a historic district or the LD, HD, HD-1 or ND overlays. The second-story plate limit applies to new homes and new second stories. A project that matches the height of a building built before November 5, 2009 that already exceeds the limit needs a Minor Conditional Use Permit, a staff-level discretionary approval with conditions.
The Encroachment Plane
An encroachment plane is an invisible slope along a lot line that the building must stay under, so upper floors step back from neighbors. Section 17.40.160.D says principal buildings in RS and RM-12 "shall not be located within a side setback encroachment plane sloping upward and inward to the site at a 30-degree angle measured from the vertical, commencing six feet above the existing grade along the interior side property line." A City of Gardens project that adjoins an RS district along a side line needs a 5 foot side setback and the same 30 degree plane.
Some parts may cross the plane. Eaves, dormers and gable ends may project 36 inches, and a chimney 24 inches for up to 10 feet of wall. An addition to an existing second story that already sits in the plane may continue the same wall line for up to 16 feet if the side setback is at least 5 feet. In the ND overlay of Lower Hastings Ranch the plane is steeper for projects needing a Neighborhood Development Permit: 45 degrees from the vertical, starting six feet above grade.
Table 4-1 lists what may project into setbacks. Eaves and roof overhangs may extend 36 inches. An unenclosed front porch may extend 10 feet into the front setback but must stay at least 15 feet from the front property line, no wider than the house and no taller than one story with a 12 foot plate; City of Gardens projects follow a separate porch row. Section 17.40.160.F limits paving to "Not more than 30 percent of the front or corner side setback area" in a residential district, with the rest landscaped.
Height and Setbacks in the RM Districts
| District or lot | Maximum height |
|---|---|
| RM-16, and RM-32 lots under 60 ft wide | 23 ft to the top plate, 32 ft to the highest ridge |
| RM-32 lots 60 ft wide or more, front 60% of site | 24 ft to the ridge; up to 32 ft through design review if not next to RS or RM-12 |
| RM-32 lots 60 ft wide or more, rear 40% of site | 36 ft to the ridge |
| RM-16-1 | 36 ft to the ridge |
| RM-48 | 38 ft to the ridge |
Source: Pasadena Municipal Code, Sec. 17.22.070.F, Supplement 79.
RM height is measured "from the lowest point of existing grade at an exterior wall of the structure to the highest point," and parking under a building counts as a full story unless it is fully or partly underground as the code defines. Several rules cut these limits. In RM-16 and RM-32, when more than half of the buildings on both sides of the street have a one-story element at the street, a new project needs a one-story element, no taller than 15 feet to the ridge, for 15 feet behind the front setback. When lots are combined into a site with more than 160 feet of frontage, the limit is two stories over the whole site. The HL-1 overlay caps the rear 40 percent of lots 60 feet or wider at 23 feet to the top plate and 32 feet to the ridge.
Table 2-4 sets the RM setbacks. RM-16-1 has a 40 foot front setback, 10 foot sides, 30 foot corner sides and a 20 foot rear. In RM-16, RM-32 and RM-48, the front setback follows the block average with a 20 foot minimum and the corner side is 15 feet. RM-16 side setbacks are 5 feet, with none required in the rear 20 feet of the lot; RM-32 and RM-48 side setbacks are 5 feet for 40 feet behind the front setback line and none after that. Next to RS land the side setback is 5 feet with the 30 degree plane. No rear setback is required in those three districts unless the lot adjoins RS land, where it is 5 feet at the first story, 15 at the second and 25 at the third. Section 17.22.070.D adds a 15 foot separation from buildings on the next lot along the side line, from the sidewalk to 40 feet behind the front setback line.
Measuring Height
Section 17.40.060 measures height "from the lowest elevation of the existing grade at an exterior wall of the structure to the highest point of the structure," which is "its highest ridge or parapet." Measuring from the lowest point means a building on a slope is measured from its downhill side. Where a limit is given to the top plate, the measurement ends there. A chimney may go two feet over the limit. Where these rules conflict with a specific plan, "the Specific Plan shall control." An ADU may be measured either this way or under the California Building Code, at the applicant's choice.
Hillside Lots
Section 17.29.050 changes several standards in the HD and HD-SR overlays. The main building needs a 25 foot front setback, except in the San Rafael area, which has its own rule. A garage on an upslope or downslope lot may sit where the ground is ten feet above or below the curb, or 25 feet back, whichever is less. Total lot coverage "shall not exceed 35 percent." No part of a structure may appear against the sky above the nearest ridge when seen from a public street or park, and the top of each structure must be at least 30 feet below the top of the nearest ridge or knoll. On lots along the Arroyo Seco, no structure may extend over the top edge of the slope bank, and anything within 20 feet of it needs a Hillside Development Permit.
Each hillside home must provide guest parking: "A minimum of four guest parking spaces" where parking is banned on both sides of the street, and two where street parking is allowed, each at least 8.5 by 18 feet. Up to three may sit on a driveway in the front setback if the driveway slope is 15 percent or less. A Hillside Development Permit is also needed for a new home, any new floor area above the first story, and a first-floor addition of 500 square feet or more.
Best For
- ✓ Lots within half a mile of a Metro A Line station, where state law bars parking minimums.
- ✓ RS lots 75 feet or wider, which get the 32 foot height limit.
- ✓ RS and RM-12 lots of 7,200 square feet or less, which have no coverage limit.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ A second story crosses the 30 degree side plane on a narrow lot.
- ✕ An RM-32 design puts three stories in the front 60 percent of the site.
- ✕ A hillside plan has no room for two or four guest spaces.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → Whether the site is within half a mile of a major transit stop.
- → The blockface average front setback and garage pattern.
- → Whether a one-story element is required on the block.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the Pasadena overview, the duplex to fourplex guide and the California energy code page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many parking spaces does a new apartment need in Pasadena, California?
Does Pasadena still require parking near Metro A Line stations?
What is the encroachment plane in Pasadena?
How tall can a house be in Pasadena, California?
How much of my Pasadena lot can a house cover?
What is the front setback in a Pasadena RS district?
Where must the garage go on a Pasadena house lot?
How is building height measured in Pasadena?
What are the setback rules for hillside lots in Pasadena?
Can a porch extend into the front setback in Pasadena?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
Planning a multiplex in Pasadena?
VanPlex builds multiplexes in British Columbia, Canada. For a lot in Pasadena, our team makes a custom proforma by hand and emails it to you in 24 to 48 hours.
Get a proforma for your address