Victorville | Three or More Homes
Victorville Three or More Homes: Apartments, Mixed Use, PUDs and the Density Bonus
In Victorville, a project of three or more homes on one lot is a multiple-family project, which the code defines as "a building containing two or more dwelling units," and it goes in the R-2, R-3, R-4, MDR and mixed use districts at set densities. Larger sites can use a planned unit development, a specific plan or the infill overlay, and the state density bonus and small-lot laws add more routes. This page walks through each. The Victorville overview gives the short version.
Three or more homes in Victorville in six facts
- Table 7-1 permits multiple-family homes at 5.1 to 12 per acre in R-2, 12.1 to 20 in R-3 and 20.1 to 30 in R-4. Source: VMC Table 7-1
- Table 8-1 sets minimum apartment sizes of 500 square feet for a studio, 600 for one bedroom and 800 for two bedrooms. Source: VMC Table 8-1
- Height limits are 35 feet in R-2, 45 in R-3 and 55 in R-4, but a building within 100 feet of an existing house is held to one story. Source: VMC Table 8-2, note 1
- Every new residential development needs site plan review, and the Planning Commission decides a site plan on a new site. Source: VMC Sec. 16-3.01.020, Table 5-1
- A planned unit development cannot be used on a site of less than ten acres, and the City Council adopts it by ordinance. Source: VMC Sec. 16-3.16.030, 16-3.16.070
- Government Code 65915 gives a density bonus to a housing development of five or more units that sets aside affordable homes. Source: Gov. Code 65915
Districts That Allow Apartments
| District | Homes per acre | Minimum lot | Height | Open space per home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-2 | 5.1 to 12 | 10,000 sq ft | 35 ft | 900 sq ft (150 private ground floor, 75 upper floor, 700 common) |
| R-3 | 12.1 to 20 | 10,000 sq ft | 45 ft | 350 sq ft (150 private ground floor, 75 upper floor, 200 common) |
| R-4 | 20.1 to 30 | 5 acres | 55 ft | 300 sq ft (100 private ground floor, 60 upper floor, 200 common) |
| MDR | 2 to 15 | 7,200 sq ft | 35 ft | R-3 standards for multiple-family projects |
| MU-1 | Up to 15 | 10,000 sq ft | 45 ft | 350 sq ft |
| MU-2 | Up to 30 | 5 acres | 55 ft | 300 sq ft |
Sources: Victorville Municipal Code Table 7-1, Table 8-2 and Table 9-2.
Table 7-1 sets each density as a band, so a project should land inside it: 5.1 to 12 homes per acre in R-2, 12.1 to 20 in R-3 and 20.1 to 30 in R-4. MDR permits multiple-family homes at 2 to 15 per acre and also permits houses; a note to Table 8-2 says multiple-family projects in MDR "shall comply with the provisions of the R-3 District." As a worked example (VanPlex arithmetic), four homes at R-2's cap of 12 per gross acre need at least one third of an acre, which is 14,520 square feet. The R-2 minimum lot of 10,000 square feet works out to 2.75 homes at that cap, so two homes.
A house on its own is not a permitted use in R-2, R-3 or R-4, so a project on that land should be planned as multiple-family from the start. Table 8-1 sets minimum apartment sizes: 500 square feet for a studio, 600 for one bedroom and 800 for two bedrooms.
Height and the One-Story Rule
R-2 allows 35 feet, R-3 45 feet and R-4 55 feet. Each of those limits carries note 1: "No principal building shall exceed a height of one story when located within one hundred feet of an existing single-family residence." On a site next to house lots, draw a 100 foot line from each existing house before you plan the second floor.
Above the second floor, Table 8-2 adds a step-back. At the third story and higher, walls must sit 10 feet back facing property lines and 5 feet back facing interior space, and note 11 says floors above the second story may not exceed "85% of the floor area of the floor immediately below." The multi-family design guidelines repeat the idea for units next to property lines, with a third floor set back at least 10 feet from the walls below. The parking, setbacks and height page has the ground-floor setbacks.
Site Plan Review
Section 16-3.01.020 requires site plan review for "All new residential development, including tract developments, an individual single family dwelling or multi-family dwellings." The review checks the development standards, the design guidelines and the effect on neighboring sites. Under Table 5-1 the Planning Commission decides a site plan, with appeal to the City Council; the Zoning Administrator decides a "Minor Site Plan (existing site)." The Commission may drop a development standard if it finds the change is not harmful and has "no adverse effect on surrounding properties," but only for the use as approved.
A decision takes effect ten days after it is made unless someone appeals. An approved site plan "shall lapse and be void unless the use is established, or plans have been submitted and accepted by the building division for building permit processing within thirty-six months." After a denial, the same plan may not be filed again for one year. The permits and fees page covers appeals.
Multi-Family Design Rules
Section 16-3.08.100 holds the multi-family design guidelines. Rules written with "shall" are mandatory and rules with "should" are guidance. The ones that shape a site plan:
- Recreation. A set number of recreational facilities by project size, shown in the table below.
- Trees. "Every site shall contain at least one 24-inch box size tree for each dwelling unit." The landscape standards in Section 16-3.24.030 add at least two 24-inch box trees for each half acre and cap decorative rock at 25 percent of the landscape area.
- Garages. Garages "should not comprise more than 33% of a building's street frontage," and one listed option is to recess street-facing garages behind the front wall of the building.
- Entries. "Up to 25% of all units" may have entries that do not face a street or common open space.
- Common space. At least 75 percent of common open spaces "shall be bounded by building walls with windows," by low walls or trellises, by landscape features, or by a mix of these.
- Walls. Section 16-3.08.030 requires a six-foot decorative masonry wall around all new residential developments, and bans chain link fencing "on any new multi-family development."
| Homes in the complex | Facilities in R-2, R-3, MU-1 | Facilities in R-4, MU-2 |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 24 | 1 | 2 |
| 25 to 50 | 2 | 3 |
| 51 to 75 | 3 | 4 |
| 76 to 99 | 4 | 5 |
| 100 to 200 | 5 | 6 |
Source: Victorville Municipal Code Sec. 16-3.08.100. Above 200 homes, the table adds 4 facilities in R-2, R-3 and MU-1, or 5 in R-4 and MU-2, for each further 100 homes.
Condominiums and Townhomes
A condominium is a building where each home is owned separately and the land and shared parts are owned in common. Table 7-1 requires a conditional use permit for condominiums in R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and MDR, which the Planning Commission hears. Table 21-1 sets parking for a condominium or town house at "2 covered spaces per unit (1 space for one bedroom units)" plus "1 uncovered space per 2 units." Section 16-3.08.070 bans asphalt roof shingles "with the concurrent construction of two or more houses by the same developer."
Planned Unit Developments and Specific Plans
A planned unit development (PUD) replaces the base district rules with standards written for one project. Section 16-3.16.030 says the procedure "shall not apply to any site having a gross area of less than ten acres." The application includes a site plan, written development standards and a tentative map. The Planning Commission recommends approval only for "a superior level of development which could not otherwise have been achieved" under the base district, using findings such as reduced street area and open space beyond what the base district requires. The City Council adopts the PUD, and "The adoption of the Planned Unit Development constitutes a zone reclassification."
Single-family PUDs with lots under 7,200 square feet must set aside common open space: 20 percent of the planning area where lots are under 5,000 square feet and 10 percent where they are 5,000 to 7,199 square feet, plus a set number of major and minor recreation facilities. Specific plans, which apply only to sites of forty or more gross acres, carry the same open space tables. Section 16-3.16.020 also notes that some land pre-zoned PUD is "currently subdivided into long and narrow parcels which are undevelopable as single parcels"; a single owner there must at least submit a master plan showing how the neighboring PUD parcels could develop.
The Health and Wellness Overlay allows multi-family housing "with a density of up to 30 units per acre for health care workers, seniors, and others" on C-2 and MU-2 land, and the Low Density Residential Infill Overlay allows up to 9 homes per acre on R-1 land with a PUD. The zoning districts page covers both.
The Density Bonus
A density bonus is extra homes, above the zoning cap, given to a project that includes affordable homes. Section 16-3.08.040 grants one when a developer builds "at least twenty-five percent of the total units" for low and moderate income households or "ten percent of the total units" for lower income households, and limits it to R-2, R-3, R-4 and residential specific plans. It also asks the owner to submit proposed rent increases "at least sixty days prior" for Planning Commission approval, and a bonus lapses if building plans are not accepted within twenty-four months.
The state law is wider. Government Code 65915 applies to any "development project for five or more residential units, including mixed-use developments," and grants one incentive for a project with "at least 10 percent of the total units for lower income households, at least 5 percent for very low income households," or 10 percent moderate income homes in a for-sale project. The statute also says each city "shall adopt an ordinance that specifies how compliance with this section will be implemented." Where the 25 percent figure and the district list in Section 16-3.08.040 are stricter than Government Code 65915, the statute controls.
Small-Lot Maps and SB 79
The state small-lot laws, SB 684 and SB 1123, allow up to 10 homes on up to 10 lots with staff approval. Victorville carries them out in Section 16-3.08.050 and Table 8-5, which set a minimum density of 20 homes per gross acre and lots of 600 square feet on multifamily land. The lot size and subdivisions page has the details.
SB 79 raises zoning near qualifying rail and bus stops. HCD's advisory says its upzoning provisions took effect on July 1, 2026 "in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Diego Counties." San Bernardino County is not on that list, so SB 79 adds nothing in Victorville today. See the SB 79 page.
Best For
- ✓ R-3 and R-4 sites more than 100 feet from existing houses, where height limits of 45 and 55 feet apply.
- ✓ MDR lots, where both houses and apartments are permitted.
- ✓ Sites of ten acres or more that can carry a planned unit development.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The plan puts a second story within 100 feet of an existing house.
- ✕ The density falls below the district's band, such as under 12.1 homes per acre in R-3.
- ✕ The budget leaves out the perimeter masonry wall and recreation facilities.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → Distances from the planned buildings to every existing house within 100 feet.
- → The gross acreage used to compute density.
- → Whether a PUD, specific plan or overlay already governs the site.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the Victorville overview, the duplex to fourplex guide and the California rent and tenant rules page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I build a fourplex in Victorville?
How big must an apartment be in Victorville?
Why does Victorville limit some apartment buildings to one story?
Who approves an apartment project in Victorville?
Does Victorville give a density bonus for affordable housing?
What is a planned unit development in Victorville?
How many recreation amenities does a Victorville apartment complex need?
Do condominiums need special approval in Victorville?
Does Victorville require masonry walls around new apartments?
Does Victorville have an inclusionary housing rule?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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