Richmond | Three or More Homes

Richmond, California Three or More Homes: RM Districts, Design Review, Inclusionary Housing and Density Bonus

In Richmond, California a building of three or more homes on one lot is a multiple-unit dwelling, which the code defines as "Three or more dwelling units within a single building or within two or more buildings on a site or parcel." This page covers where such buildings are allowed, the RM district standards, the City's design standards and design review, its inclusionary housing rule, and the state density bonus, SB 684 and SB 79. Duplexes, ADUs and SB 9 projects are on the ADUs and SB 9 page, and the Richmond overview has the summary.

Where Three or More Homes Are Allowed

Sources: Richmond Municipal Code Table 15.04.201.020, Table 15.04.202.020, Table 15.04.202.030(1) and Table 15.04.401.080.A, Supplement 74.

Small multiplexes of three or four homes fit the RM districts. RM1 is meant for "garden apartments, historic bungalows and cottages on small lots, townhouses and stacked flats," and RM2 for "apartments, condominiums, townhouses, and group housing." In the single-family districts RL1 and RL2, note L1 says "No new residential structures allowed" for multi-unit dwellings, though existing ones "may be improved." The RH note L8 allows "Up to 10 units" with a conditional use permit only "in a neighborhood mixed-use development at a neighborhood node."

A fourplex needs 4 x 1,650 = 6,600 square feet of lot in RM1 and 4 x 1,100 = 4,400 square feet in RM2, though every RM lot must be at least 5,000 square feet (VanPlex arithmetic). On a 5,000 square foot lot that means three homes in RM1 and five in RM2. The zoning districts page shows the density arithmetic.

RM District Standards

Source: Richmond Municipal Code Table 15.04.201.050, Supplement 74. Setbacks and parking are on the parking, setbacks and height page.

Open space comes in two kinds. Private open space, such as a balcony or fenced patio, must open from one home only; on the ground it must be at least 10 feet in each direction and on a balcony at least six feet. Common open space is shared by the residents and must be at least 15 feet in each direction. "All areas not improved with buildings, parking, vehicular accessways, trash enclosures, and similar items shall be developed as common areas." Where an RM lot borders an RH or RL district, the building must sit 10 feet from that boundary at the side and 20 feet at the rear, behind a planted strip at least five feet wide with trees no more than 15 feet apart.

Design Standards for Multi-Family Housing

Section 15.04.201.070 sets fixed design rules for multi-family buildings in the residential districts:

• Entrances. Homes along a street must face it, and entrances need "a roofed projection (such as a porch) or recess with a minimum depth of at least five feet and a minimum horizontal area of 80 square feet." No exterior corridor above the ground floor "may provide access to five or more units."
• Size and roof. "The maximum dimension of any single building shall not exceed 125 feet," and the roof line needs "an offset of at least 18 inches, a change of pitch, or a gable every 60 linear feet."
• Walls. Street walls need a projection or recess at least four feet deep, or two at least two and one-half feet deep, "for every twenty-five horizontal feet of wall," and windows must be set back at least two inches from the wall face.
• Neighbors. Next to lower buildings, "Full-height recesses, a minimum of 10 feet deep," break up the wall, and windows and balconies are placed to limit views into neighboring homes.
• Storage and paths. Each home gets "at least 200 cubic feet of enclosed, weather-proofed, and lockable private storage space," and walkways must be at least six feet wide.

The Design Review Board may grant exceptions where "adequate design features have been incorporated to create visual variety and avoid a large-scale, bulky, or monolithic appearance."

Design Review and Approval

Section 15.04.805.010 requires design review "for all projects that require a permit for new construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration, or other improvements to the exterior of a structure, site, or a parking area," with exemptions for small additions, small accessory buildings and solar panels. Minor design review, by the Zoning Administrator, covers residences and additions over 500 and under 1,200 square feet and under 15 feet tall. Everything else, including a new apartment building, is major design review by the Design Review Board.

Under Table 15.04.803.150, major design review needs a public hearing with notice by poster, mail to owners within 300 feet, posting, newspaper and mail to occupants and agencies, and appeals go to the Planning Commission. The FY 2026-27 Master Fee Schedule sets Design Review Board deposits at $8,500 for 3 to 10 homes, $10,500 for 10 to 25, $12,500 for 26 to 100 and $15,500 for over 100, billed at "Actual Cost." In the form-based code area, projects use the building types instead: "Multi-Plex: Small" for 3 to 6 homes, which "has the appearance of a medium-sized family home," at up to three stories, a main body up to 48 feet wide and 48 feet deep, and one per lot.

Inclusionary Housing at Ten Homes

Source: Richmond Municipal Code Sec. 15.04.603.040, Supplement 74.

Inclusionary housing means a share of new homes kept affordable to lower-income households. Article 15.04.603 exempts "Residential development projects and the residential components of mixed-use development projects with fewer than ten dwelling units or lots." A developer "shall not avoid the requirements of this article by submitting piecemeal project applications," and contiguous land under common ownership is counted once applications reach "a total of ten or more residential units." The count excludes "any density bonus units." A fraction of 0.50 or more requires a whole unit; a smaller fraction can be built or paid as an in-lieu fee.

Section 15.04.603.070 lets most developers pay a fee instead, set by Council resolution, "Except for ownership residential developments proposed south of Interstate Highway 580 and on the Point San Pablo peninsula," which must build on site or use an approved alternative. The FY 2026-27 Master Fee Schedule sets the fee for rental projects in that area at "$12 per square foot." For other projects it sets tiers of $3, $6, $9 and $12 per square foot of net new residential floor area, tied to the number of residential units issued building permits after the resolution took effect; the first tier, 0 to 370 units, shows no amount.

The State Density Bonus

A density bonus lets a project build more homes than the zoning allows in return for affordable or senior homes. Article 15.04.602 says "The City shall grant one density bonus when a housing developer seeks and agrees to construct a housing development with five or more units," for example with 10 percent of homes for lower-income households or 5 percent for very low income households. The City's table runs up to 35 percent for low and very low income homes and 40 percent for extremely low income homes.

That table is older than the current statute. Section 15.04.602.020 says "Where a conflict occurs between the provisions of this Article and State law, State law will govern," and Government Code 65915 now gives a 50 percent bonus when 15 percent of the homes are for very low income households. Fractions of bonus units are rounded "as provided by state law" under Section 15.04.103.030. The duplex to fourplex guide explains how the bonus works on small projects.

SB 684, SB 1123 and SB 79

SB 684 and SB 1123 require ministerial approval of maps that create up to 10 lots for up to 10 homes on multifamily-zoned lots of up to five acres, which in Richmond include RM1 and RM2. The lot size and subdivisions page has the conditions.

SB 79 allows taller and denser housing near qualifying rail and bus stops. The state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) says in its SB 79 advisory that its upzoning "will take effect on July 1, 2026, in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Diego Counties." Contra Costa County, where Richmond sits, is not on that list, although Richmond has a BART station. HCD notes that "the geographic scope of SB 79 is dynamic and will modify over time," so check again before relying on it.

The 2026 Change and the Code's Own Gaps

• Ordinance No. 9-26 N.S. On June 16, 2026 the Council amended Articles 15.04.201 (residential districts), 15.04.202 (mixed-use districts) and 15.04.602 (density bonus), and the design review and use permit findings in Sections 15.04.805.040 and 15.04.806.040. VanPlex could not read the text, so the standards above are the Supplement 74 versions.
• RM2 stories. Table 15.04.201.050 sets "Maximum Stories | 3 | 3 (C)," and note C says "The fourth story street facing building frontage shall be stepped back a minimum of 10 feet from the stories below." The table gives no fourth story to step back.
• RM1 density. The district purpose says 26 homes per acre and the table says 27.
• Density bonus percentages. The City table stops at 35 and 40 percent; Government Code 65915 reaches 50 percent, and the statute controls.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the Richmond overview, the duplex to fourplex guide and the SB 79 page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)