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

West Covina | Zoning Districts

West Covina, California Zoning Districts: R-A, R-1, the Four MF Zones, Mixed-Use Zones, Overlays and the Downtown Plan

A zoning district, or zone, is an area of the city where one set of rules decides what may be built and used. West Covina rewrote all of its zoning rules in 2024. The result is Chapter 26 of the Municipal Code, which Section 26-1 names the "Development Code of West Covina, California." This page lists every zone that allows homes, how many homes each one allows, the overlays that change those numbers, and the separate code that applies Downtown. The West Covina overview has the summary.

West Covina zoning in six facts

The 2024 Development Code

The City Council adopted the Development Code by Ordinance No. 2519 on February 20, 2024, and every section in Chapter 26 carries that ordinance in its history note. The staff report for the adoption said the ordinance would take effect "on or about March 21, 2024." The City's Development Code Update page says some sections of the earlier code "were not updated since the last comprehensive update in 1980." A June 2026 staff report describes the 2024 ordinance as "merging the Subdivision Code (Chapter 20) and the Zoning Code (Chapter 26) into one unified Development Code," and the Municode table of contents now lists Chapter 20 as reserved.

The Council has made one broad amendment since. Ordinance No. 2525, adopted March 18, 2025, was a clean-up that also made changes the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) asked for. Chapter 26 has eight articles: enactment and definitions, zones, rules for all zones, rules for specific uses, nonconforming uses, permit procedures, administration, and subdivisions.

  • The map. Section 26-14 makes the "Official Zoning Map" part of the code. The City's Zoning page sends readers to its GIS Data Hub "to view the most up to date zoning web map."
  • When rules conflict. Section 26-3 says that if the Development Code conflicts with another City rule or with state law, "the most restrictive shall apply." Where a specific plan or development agreement conflicts with the code, the plan or agreement applies. State housing laws such as the ADU law set minimums that a city rule must meet, so the pages in this guide name each place where the statute decides.
  • How current the online copy is. The Municode copy is Supplement 94. Its Supplement History Table ends at Ordinance No. 2532 of July 15, 2025. Two later ordinances that amend Chapter 26 are not printed there yet: No. 2533 on existing drive-through restaurants, which was on the Council's October 21, 2025 agenda for adoption, and No. 2540, adopted June 16, 2026.

The Six Residential Zones

Section 26-44 sets up the residential zones, and Table 2-2 in Section 26-45 says which uses each one allows. In that table an "X" means "Allowed by Right," which is a use that needs no use permit, "CUP" means a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission, and a blank means "Use not permitted." The code measures density, the number of homes on a given area of land, "per net acre." Net lot area leaves out access easements such as an alley or street and the narrow access strip of a flag lot.

Zone Full name Homes allowed by right Lot size or density
R-A Residential Agricultural A single-family residence, plus ADUs; farming and animal keeping 6,000 sq ft minimum lot, or the area shown in the zone name
R-1 Single-Family Residential A single-family residence, plus ADUs; a second main home under SB 9 6,000, 7,500, 9,450, 14,400, 20,000 or 40,000 sq ft
MF-8 Multi-Family Residential Houses, duplexes, apartments 8 homes per net acre
MF-15 Multi-Family Residential Duplexes, apartments 15 homes per net acre
MF-20 Multi-Family Residential Duplexes, apartments 20 homes per net acre
MF-45 Multi-Family Residential Duplexes, apartments 45 homes per net acre

Sources: West Covina Municipal Code Sec. 26-44 (Table 2-1), 26-45 (Table 2-2), 26-46 (Table 2-3) and 26-48 (Table 2-6), Supplement 94.

  • R-A and R-1. Both allow a "Single-family residence" by right. The R-A purpose statement describes large parcels "where limited numbers of livestock may be raised and crops may be grown." Table 2-2 has no "X" for duplexes or multi-family residences in either zone.
  • Reading the zone name. Section 26-46 says "A number following and connected by a hyphen with the district symbol shall designate the minimum required building site area," in square feet when the number is over 100. R-1-9,450 is a single-family zone with 9,450 square foot lots. A number in front of the symbol sets a minimum lot width.
  • The MF zones. "Duplexes," "Multi-family residence," "Micro-units, efficiency units" and "Mobile home park" are allowed by right in all four. A single-family residence is allowed in MF-8 only.
  • Every residential zone. ADUs and junior ADUs, home occupations, small and large family day care, group homes of one to six persons, supportive housing, transitional housing and senior citizen housing are marked "X" in all six columns.
  • Uses that need a hearing. A roominghouse needs a conditional use permit in every residential zone, and so does converting apartments to condominiums in the MF zones.
  • Short-term rentals. The "Short term rental" row is blank in all six zones. The code defines the term as a rental "for a period of fewer than thirty (30) consecutive days."

The Four MF Zones Side by Side

Section 26-48 holds the multi-family standards. Ordinance No. 2525 set the minimum site at 20,000 square feet in all four zones. The staff report lists that change among those "required by HCD in order for the City to obtain Housing Element certification."

Rule MF-8 MF-15 MF-20 MF-45
Minimum site 20,000 sq ft 20,000 sq ft 20,000 sq ft 20,000 sq ft
Minimum width 150 ft 150 ft 150 ft 100 ft at the street line
Homes per net acre 8 15 20 45
Building coverage 45 percent 55 percent 55 percent 70 percent
Height 30 ft 45 ft 45 ft 55 ft
Height within 100 ft of a single-family zone 25 ft 25 ft 35 ft 40 ft

Source: West Covina Municipal Code Sec. 26-48, Tables 2-5, 2-6 and 2-7 and subsection (c), Supplement 94.

On the minimum 20,000 square foot site, those densities work out to 3.67 homes in MF-8, 6.89 in MF-15, 9.18 in MF-20 and 20.66 in MF-45 when the whole site counts as net area (VanPlex arithmetic from Table 2-6). Section 26-48 states no rounding rule, so ask the Planning Division how it rounds. The three or more homes page covers unit sizes, open space, the design standards and how these projects are approved.

Mixed-Use Zones

A mixed-use zone allows homes together with shops or offices. The 2024 code added housing to the office and commercial zones. The Development Code Update page says the City "Incorporated the mixed-use overlay within the zoning districts and incorporated residential development standards within the mixed-use zones." Four zones result: Office-Professional Mixed-Use (OPMU), Neighborhood-Commercial Mixed-Use (NMU), Regional-Commercial Mixed-Use (RMU) and Service-Commercial Mixed-Use (SMU).

  • Homes allowed. Table 2-12 marks duplexes, multi-family residences, live/work units, micro-units, mobile home parks, senior citizen housing, supportive housing and transitional housing "X" in OPMU, NMU, RMU and SMU. The Manufacturing (M-1) column is blank for all of them.
  • Density. Section 26-54 says "The maximum number of dwelling units shall not exceed twenty (20) units per gross acre." In ordinary planning use a gross acre counts the whole site before streets and easements are taken out; the code does not define the term.
  • Commercial floor area. A project must keep "a minimum gross floor area ratio of 0.15 of leasable commercial square footage." Floor area ratio is building floor area divided by lot area, so a one-acre site needs 6,534 square feet of commercial space (VanPlex arithmetic).
  • Height. A building with any residential use is limited to 45 feet. The area known as Eastland Center, bounded by Citrus Street, Workman Street, Barranca Avenue and Interstate 10, may reach "seven (7) stories or eighty-five (85) feet."
  • Site size. Table 2-13 requires 15,000 square feet in NMU, OPMU and SMU and 30 acres in RMU, and lets a center combine parcels to reach the size.

Specific Plans and Overlay Zones

A specific plan is a plan the City Council adopts for one area, with its own uses and building standards. Section 26-55 says the uses and standards in a Specific Plan (S-P) zone "are those permitted by the Specific Plan adopted for that area," and that each plan "shall be sequentially numbered." The City's Specific Plans page points to the GIS Data Hub for the map. The most recent is Specific Plan No. 33, the Del Norte Specific Plan, which Ordinance No. 2541 applied to a former school site at 1501 W. Del Norte Street. The minutes of July 7, 2026 record its adoption with four votes in favor and one against.

An overlay zone adds rules to those of the base zone for a mapped area. Section 26-58 says overlays apply "in addition to standards set forth for the underlying base zoning district." The overlays are:

  • Hillside (H). One home per gross acre at most, with rules on slopes and grading. See the hillside, trees and fire zones page.
  • Planned residential development (PRD). Section 26-60 allows it on land zoned R-1, MF-15, MF-20 or MF-45, shown on the map as, for example, "R-1 PRD." Lots may be as narrow as 24 feet, side yards may be omitted, and the Planning Commission may raise the homes per net acre "by up to 30 percent" as long as the gross density stays within the zone's figure.
  • Planned community development. The same section requires "A minimum of one hundred (100) acres" and a community master plan approved by the City Council.
  • Auto plaza and animal keeping. These two overlays deal with car dealerships and with keeping animals, and add no homes.

Downtown: A Separate Code

The City's Zoning page says "The General Plan and Downtown Plan and Code were adopted by the City Council at its Regular Meeting on December 20, 2016," and that the Downtown Plan and Code "is now the zoning for the Downtown area." The Downtown Plan and Code uses zones named for a scale of building intensity. It describes the plan area as framed by the San Bernardino Freeway, Cameron Avenue, South Glendora Avenue and West Covina Parkway.

Downtown zone Form and height Homes
T-5 Urban Center Block scale, up to five stories, 70 ft maximum Residential is a permitted use; flex, court, hybrid court, liner and live-work buildings
T-4 General Urban Block scale, three stories, 40 ft maximum Residential is a permitted use; rowhouses are added to the building types
T-4 Urban Neighborhood House scale, three stories, 40 ft maximum Court, live-work, rowhouse, rosewalk or bungalow court, duplex and multiplex buildings

Source: City of West Covina, Downtown Plan and Code, Table 4.2.1, Table 4.3.1 and Sections 4.1 to 4.3, the copy posted on the City's Zoning page.

  • Building types. The Downtown Code regulates by building type. A "Multiplex" there is a building of three to six "side-by-side and/or stacked dwelling units," on a lot 50 to 75 feet wide and 100 to 150 feet deep. It is listed in the T-4 Urban Neighborhood zone.
  • Parking. Each Downtown zone asks for 1.5 spaces for a studio or one-bedroom home and 2 spaces for a home with two or more bedrooms.
  • Next to houses. In both T-4 zones, building height is "limited to 25 ft. when within 50 ft., and 35 ft. when within 100 ft., of a property zoned or developed as single-family residential."
  • Later amendments. The title of Ordinance No. 2519 ends with the words "AND AMENDING THE DOWNTOWN PLAN AND CODE." The PDF posted on the Zoning page is marked "Adopted by City Council, December 2016," so ask the Planning Division whether a newer text applies to a Downtown lot.

How to Find the Zone for a Lot

  • Open the zoning web map on the City's GIS Data Hub and find the parcel. Note the base zone, any suffix and any overlay letters.
  • Check whether the lot is inside the Downtown Plan area or a numbered specific plan. If it is, that plan's standards replace the citywide tables.
  • Call the Planning Division at 626-939-8422 to confirm. The City's fee schedule lists a Zoning Verification Letter at $505.89 from January 1, 2026.
  • Ask whether an ordinance adopted after July 15, 2025 changes the rule you plan to use, because the online code stops there.

Best For

  • ✓ MF-20 and MF-45 sites of 20,000 square feet or more, at 20 and 45 homes per net acre.
  • ✓ Mixed-use sites of 15,000 square feet or more in OPMU, NMU or SMU, at 20 homes per gross acre.
  • ✓ R-1 lots, through ADUs and an SB 9 second home.

Usually Fails When

  • ✕ A duplex is planned on an R-1 lot under zoning alone; Table 2-2 does not allow it.
  • ✕ A house is planned in MF-15, MF-20 or MF-45, where a single-family residence is not listed.
  • ✕ A Downtown lot is designed to the citywide tables in place of the Downtown Code.

What To Verify Before Spending Money

  • → The base zone, suffix, overlays and any specific plan on the City GIS Data Hub.
  • → Whether an ordinance adopted after July 15, 2025 changed the section you rely on.
  • → Net lot area, since MF density is counted per net acre.

Where to Go Next

Lot Size and Subdivisions
Lot sizes by zone, maps and lot splits.
Three or More Homes
How MF and mixed-use projects are approved.
Parking, Setbacks and Height
The numbers for each zone.

Related on VanPlex: the West Covina overview, the SB 9 page and the duplex to fourplex guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the residential zones in West Covina? +
West Covina has six residential zones under Section 26-44 of its Development Code: R-A (Residential Agricultural), R-1 (Single-Family Residential) and four Multi-Family Residential zones named MF-8, MF-15, MF-20 and MF-45. The number in each MF name is the maximum number of homes per net acre. R-1 lots carry a suffix from 6,000 to 40,000 that gives the minimum lot area in square feet.
Does West Covina have a duplex zone? +
West Covina has no zone only for duplexes. Table 2-2 in Section 26-45 lists duplexes as allowed by right in MF-8, MF-15, MF-20 and MF-45, and Table 2-12 allows them in the OPMU, NMU, RMU and SMU mixed-use zones. The table leaves the R-A and R-1 columns blank for duplexes, so a second main home on an R-1 lot comes through SB 9.
What does R-1-7,500 mean on the West Covina zoning map? +
R-1-7,500 means a West Covina single-family lot must have at least 7,500 square feet. Section 26-46 says a number after the district symbol gives the minimum building site area, in square feet when it is over 100 and in net acres when it is under 100. Table 2-3 sets a 60-foot minimum width and 105-foot minimum depth for that zone.
Can I build a house in a West Covina multi-family zone? +
Only in MF-8. Table 2-2 of the West Covina Development Code marks a single-family residence as allowed by right in R-A, R-1 and MF-8, and leaves MF-15, MF-20 and MF-45 blank. Duplexes, multi-family residences, micro-units and mobile home parks are allowed by right in all four MF zones, each on a site of at least 20,000 square feet.
Are homes allowed in West Covina commercial zones? +
Yes, in four of them. The West Covina Development Code renamed its office and commercial zones as mixed-use zones: OPMU, NMU, RMU and SMU. Table 2-12 allows duplexes, multi-family residences, live/work units and micro-units by right in all four. Section 26-54 caps homes at 20 per gross acre and requires leasable commercial floor area equal to at least 0.15 of the site.
Where is the West Covina zoning map? +
The West Covina zoning map is on the City's GIS Data Hub, which the City Zoning page names as the place to view the most up to date zoning web map. Section 26-14 of the Development Code makes the Official Zoning Map part of the code. The Planning Division, at 626-939-8422, can confirm the zone and any overlay or specific plan for an address.
What is the West Covina Downtown Plan and Code? +
The West Covina Downtown Plan and Code is the zoning for the Downtown area, adopted by the City Council on December 20, 2016. Its code part has three zones: T-5 Urban Center at up to five stories and 70 feet, and T-4 General Urban and T-4 Urban Neighborhood at three stories and 40 feet. Residential use is permitted in all three.
What is a specific plan zone in West Covina? +
A West Covina Specific Plan (S-P) zone is land whose uses and building standards come from an adopted specific plan in place of the citywide tables, under Section 26-55. Each plan is numbered. The newest is Specific Plan No. 33, the Del Norte Specific Plan, which the City Council put in place by Ordinance No. 2541 on July 7, 2026 for a 232-home project.
Are short-term rentals allowed in West Covina homes? +
No. Table 2-2 of the West Covina Development Code lists short term rental with a blank in every residential zone, and the legend of the table says a blank means the use is not permitted. The code defines a short term rental as a rental of a dwelling for fewer than thirty consecutive days. The City's Development Code Update page says the same.
Is the West Covina zoning code on Municode current? +
The Municode copy of the West Covina code is Supplement 94, and its Supplement History Table ends at Ordinance No. 2532 of July 15, 2025. Chapter 26 there includes the March 2025 clean-up, Ordinance No. 2525. Two later ordinances are missing from it: No. 2533 on drive-throughs, on the October 21, 2025 agenda, and No. 2540 of June 16, 2026.

Official sources (checked October 2026)

West Covina Municipal Code, Chapter 26, the Development Code (Supplement 94)
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO
West Covina Municipal Code, Supplement History Table
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=SUHITA
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-1, title
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIENAP_DIV1PUAPDECO_S26-1TI
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-14, official zoning map
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIENAP_DIV1PUAPDECO_S26-14OFZOMA
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-44, residential zones
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV1REZOMFMFMF_S26-44PUINREZO
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-45, residential uses (Table 2-2)
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV1REZOMFMFMF_S26-45LAUSREALUS
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-46, R-A and R-1 standards
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV1REZOMFMFMF_S26-46DESTZO
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-48, multi-family standards
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV1REZOMFMFMF_S26-48DESTMUMIZO
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-50, mixed-use zone purposes
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV2COMIEOFMIEMAZOOPNMSMRMM-_S26-50PUINZO
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-51, mixed-use uses (Table 2-12)
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV2COMIEOFMIEMAZOOPNMSMRMM-_S26-51LAUSREALUS
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-52, mixed-use site standards
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV2COMIEOFMIEMAZOOPNMSMRMM-_S26-52DEST
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-54, homes in mixed-use zones
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV2COMIEOFMIEMAZOOPNMSMRMM-_S26-54DESTREDEMIEZO
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-55, special purpose zones
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV3SPPUZO_S26-55PUINSPPUZO
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-59, hillside overlay
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV4OVZOHIPLCOREDEAUPLANKE_S26-59HIOV
West Covina Municipal Code, Section 26-60, planned development overlays
https://library.municode.com/ca/west_covina/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MUCO_CH26ZO_ARTIIZOALUSDEST_DIV4OVZOHIPLCOREDEAUPLANKE_S26-60PLCOREDEOV
City of West Covina, Zoning page
https://www.westcovina.gov/242/Zoning
City of West Covina, Development Code Update page
https://www.westcovina.gov/255/Development-Code-Update
City of West Covina, Specific Plans page
https://www.westcovina.gov/253/Specific-Plans
City of West Covina, GIS Data Hub
https://city-of-west-covina-gis-hub-westcovina.hub.arcgis.com/
City of West Covina, Downtown Plan and Code (PDF)
https://www.westcovina.gov/DocumentCenter/View/790/Downtown-Plan-PDF
City Council staff report, Ordinance No. 2519, February 20, 2024
https://public.destinyhosted.com/93782/agenda/agenda-item.cfm?seq=2364&rev=0
City Council staff report, Ordinance No. 2541 (Del Norte Specific Plan), July 7, 2026
https://public.destinyhosted.com/93782/agenda/agenda-item.cfm?seq=3164&rev=0
City Council minutes, July 7, 2026
https://public.destinyhosted.com/93782/agenda/minutes.cfm?meetingId=834
City Council staff report, Ordinance No. 2540, June 16, 2026
https://public.destinyhosted.com/93782/agenda/agenda-item.cfm?seq=3133&rev=0
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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