Rialto | Parking, Setbacks and Height

Rialto, California Parking, Setbacks and Height: Garage Rules, Yards, Lot Coverage and Height Limits by Zone

Three sets of numbers decide how much building fits on a Rialto lot: the parking each home needs, the setbacks (the open yards a building must keep from each lot line), and the limits on height and lot coverage (the share of the lot that buildings may cover). Parking is in Chapter 18.58 of the Rialto Municipal Code, and the yard and height rules are in each zone's chapter. Rialto requires an enclosed garage space for most homes. This page lists the numbers by zone, the state laws that reduce parking, and the two tools for small exceptions. The Rialto overview has the summary.

Parking by Home Type

Sources: Rialto Municipal Code Sec. 18.58.060, 18.80.070, 18.90.070, 18.18.060, 18.10.070, 18.113.050 and 18.101.100 (Supplement 39).

Section 18.58.060 asks for "Two parking spaces within an enclosed garage" for a single-family house, and "The number of enclosed parking spaces on each residential lot shall not exceed three." When an owner alters an existing house that does not meet the rule, at least one enclosed garage space is required. For multiple-family homes the rule is "A minimum of two parking spaces for each dwelling unit, of which one space shall be located within an enclosed garage," plus "a minimum of one guest parking space for every four dwelling units." Guest spaces may be open and must be posted for guests. Section 18.58.020 rounds any fraction "to the next highest whole number," so a triplex needs six resident spaces and one guest space (three divided by four, rounded up; VanPlex arithmetic).

The carport alternative. One of the two apartment spaces may be in a covered carport only when the project is "internally-oriented and enclosed by perimeter security fencing" at least eight feet high, has electric wrought iron security gates, records covenants that keep the gates working for the life of the project, and provides "a minimum of one hundred fifty cubic feet of lockable storage volume" for each home. A small infill project that cannot be gated needs one garage per home.

Parking Design Rules

• Garage size. A two-car house garage must measure at least "twenty feet in width and twenty feet in depth" inside. A single apartment garage or carport must be ten feet wide and twenty feet deep.
• Open spaces. A standard residential space is "nine feet in width and twenty feet in depth," with at least six and one-half feet of clear height.
• Tandem parking. "Tandem parking is prohibited, except in mobile home development (MHD) zones." Tandem means one car parked behind another, so the back car is blocked in.
• Driveways. A house driveway must be at least sixteen feet wide, with a grade of no more than twelve percent. An apartment driveway must be thirty-two feet wide unless the Director or Planning Commission approves less, with twenty feet of clear width kept open.
• Setback from the street. A house garage may not stand in the required front or side yard. Apartment parking may not sit in the front yard, and spaces facing a street must be twenty feet back from the right-of-way.
• Paving and vehicles. Parking on lawns or unpaved surfaces is prohibited. Trucks and vans rated at one ton or more, or over 10,000 pounds gross weight, may not be parked in a residential zone without a conditional development permit, and then only one on a lot of at least 13,000 square feet.
• Specific plans. Section 18.58.020 says the chapter does not override the parking rules of the Agua Mansa, Northwest Rialto, Central Area and Gateway specific plans, or of any later specific plan.

Where State Law Reduces Parking

• Near major transit. Government Code 65863.2 says a city "shall not impose or enforce any minimum automobile parking requirement" on a project "within one-half mile of public transit," which the section defines as a major transit stop. An existing rail station counts. The Housing Element places the Rialto Metrolink Station beside its Central Area sites and lists Program 3H, "Amend the Zoning Code to comply with the requirements established by AB 2097."
• ADUs. Section 18.10.070 requires one space per ADU or per bedroom, whichever is less, allows it as tandem parking "on an existing driveway," and requires none for an ADU within one-half mile walking distance of public transit, inside the existing house or an accessory building, in a historic district, where street parking permits are not offered to the occupant, or within one block of a car share vehicle.
• SB 9 homes. Chapter 18.113 asks for one space per new home "within a fully enclosed garage" of ten by twenty feet, and none within one-half mile walking distance of a bus corridor with service every fifteen minutes at peak hours, a rail or bus rapid transit station, or within one block of a car share location.
• Density bonus projects. On request, Section 18.101.100 caps parking at one space for a home with up to one bedroom, two for two or three bedrooms and two and one-half for four or more, and tandem or uncovered spaces count.

The Housing Element (Program 4B) commits the City to "Conduct a study of parking requirements" and to "reduce or revise parking requirements, particularly for studio and one-bedroom units." Chapter 18.58 in Supplement 39 does not yet reflect that work.

Setbacks, Coverage and Height by Zone

Sources: Rialto Municipal Code Sec. 18.10.030, 18.08.030, 18.18.060, 18.22.030, 18.24.030, 18.80.070 and 18.90.070 (Supplement 39); Ordinance No. 1709.

How the R-1 Yards Work

• Front yard. Twenty-five feet. Where lots making up half or more of a block face already have deeper front yards, "the average of such front yard establishes the front yard depth" for that side of the block.
• Interior side yards. "Not less than ten percent of the width of the lot, but need not exceed five feet nor may it be less than three feet." An 80-foot lot therefore needs five feet on each side. Each story above the second adds two feet.
• Corner lots. The street side yard is twenty percent of the lot width, "but need not exceed fifteen feet nor may it be less than ten feet." A garage that opens onto the side street "shall be at least eighteen feet from the side property line."
• Rear yard. Twenty feet. On a corner lot part of the house may extend into the rear yard if the average rear yard is still twenty feet.
• Coverage and height. "Maximum building coverage is thirty percent of the lot area," and the height limit is "two and one-half stories, and not exceeding thirty-five feet."

On an 8,400 square foot R-1A lot, 30 percent coverage is 2,520 square feet of building footprint for the house, garage and accessory buildings together (VanPlex arithmetic). Section 18.10.070 gives ADUs relief: they keep a four-foot side and rear setback, and if coverage "would prevent the approval" of an ADU of at least 800 square feet, the owner may still build one of up to 800 square feet. SB 9 homes keep the zone's front yard but may use four-foot side and rear setbacks where needed to fit two homes of 800 square feet.

Apartment Zones

R-3. Front and rear yards are fifteen feet, interior side yards five feet, and a side yard next to a street or alley fifteen feet. An entry that opens onto a side yard must be at least seven feet from the side lot line. "For buildings greater than one story in height, the second floor and above shall be set back a minimum of thirty-five feet from the ultimate street right-of-way," the full planned width of the public street, and the Planning Commission may modify that rule and the front and street side yards based on the size of the building. Buildings on one lot must be ten feet apart, and thirty-five feet where front entries face each other. All yards must be landscaped with automatic irrigation.

R-4 and the Housing Opportunity District. R-4 front and rear yards are fifteen feet and side yards follow the R-1A rule, with seven feet at an entry. Coverage is 60 percent and height "six stories or seventy-five feet." Ordinance No. 1709 applies the R-4 rules to homes in the Housing Opportunity District but sets coverage at 70 percent and height at five stories or 60 feet.

PRD-A. Front yards are twenty-five feet, with the second story and above forty feet from the property line. Next to a single-family zone, height drops to "sixteen feet or one story within twenty-five feet of property lines abutting said zone."

Accessory Buildings, Patio Covers and Fences

• Accessory buildings. Section 18.52.030 lets detached accessory buildings cover "not more than twenty-five percent of a rear yard," provided coverage on a house lot stays within thirty percent. One may sit "within five feet of any interior property line adjacent to the rear yard area." A building with more than 120 square feet of roof must be ten feet from the house.
• Patio covers. Section 18.52.040 keeps patio covers and enclosures at least "five feet from the side lot line or ten feet from the rear lot line."
• Fences and walls. Section 18.56.030 allows six feet in side and rear yards. In the front yard setback a solid fence or wall may be three and one-half feet high, and a hedge, chain link or wrought iron fence six feet. On a corner lot a fence along the street must be twelve feet from the curb face.
• Height measurement. Section 18.04.170 measures building height "from the average finished ground level of the site covered by the building to the highest point of the structure exclusive of chimneys and ventilators."

Variances and Minor Variances

A variance is permission to depart from a standard because of a special condition of the property. Section 18.64.020 requires four findings, including "exceptional circumstances or conditions applicable to the property involved." Section 18.58.020 lets the Planning Commission reduce required parking "by approval of a variance" when enough off-street parking will still be provided. For small changes, Section 18.64.090 lets the Director of Development Services grant a minor variance that does "not result in a deviation of more than ten percent from a measurable standard." The Director decides whether the application is complete within thirty days and notifies owners of adjacent parcels and parcels directly across the street. The City's planning fee schedule lists $1,329.00 for a variance review.

Where the Code Disagrees With Itself

• Section 18.10.030 says "For location of accessory buildings, see Section 18.54.030," but Section 18.54.030 covers through lots, which run from one street to another. The accessory building rule is Section 18.52.030.
• Section 18.61.240, a citywide design guideline, calls for private open space of at least 200 square feet per home. Section 18.22.030 requires 100 square feet for a ground floor R-3 home and a 60 square foot balcony above.
• Section 18.10.070 caps ADU height at 16 feet or one story. Government Code 66321 requires at least 18 feet for a detached ADU near major transit and up to 25 feet for an attached ADU. The statute controls.
• Section 18.64.090 sends minor variance appeals to "Chapter 16.68, Appeals, of this title." Title 18's appeals chapter is Chapter 18.68.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the Rialto overview, the California ADU law page and the duplex to fourplex guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)