Zoning › California › Alameda County › Berkeley

Berkeley, CA Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 20 districts · 5 overlays · 6 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed

Berkeley uses a mixed naming convention. Residential districts use letter-alpha codes (R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-2A, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-S, R-SMU, R-BMU, ES-R). Commercial districts use corridor/neighborhood named acronyms (C-C, C-U, C-N, C-E, C-NS, C-SA, C-T, C-SO, C-DMU, C-W, C-AC). Manufacturing districts are category-based (M, MM, MU-LI, MU-R). The Hillside (H) overlay appends -H suffix to hillside variants shown in GIS data (R-1H, R-2H, R-3H, R-2AH, R-4H, R-5H, R-SH, C-N(H), C-NS(H)). The BZO was comprehensively rewritten in 2021 (Ord. 7787-NS) and amended in 2023 to allow missing middle housing in low-density residential districts.

Worth knowing
  • Berkeley adopted a comprehensive Baseline Zoning Ordinance (BZO) rewrite in October 2021 (Ord. 7787-NS), replacing the old Title 23 with modern structure. The BZO renumbered most sections and table references — the 2023 amendments (Ord. 7890-NS) further renumbered R-3 through R-5 tables (e.g., Table 23.202-11 for R-3, formerly separate tables).
  • The Hillside Overlay Zone (H) applies across eastern Berkeley and reduces allowable heights for residential districts. GIS zone codes include H-suffix variants (R-1H, R-2H, R-3H, R-4H, R-5H, R-2AH, R-SH, C-N(H), C-NS(H)) indicating hillside overlay applies. Table 23.210-1 governs: R-1/R-1A/R-2/R-2A limited to 28 ft. avg / 35 ft. max; R-3/R-4/R-5/R-S/C-N/C-NS limited to 35 ft. avg / 35 ft. max in hillside.
  • R-3 district height in the Southside Plan Area is 45 ft. (vs 35 ft. outside the area), and FAR maximum of 3.0 applies within Southside Plan. The Southside Plan Area also affects R-S and R-SMU districts.

+ 6 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_mf 9res_sf 3com 3ind 3spec 2
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-1Single-Family Residentialres_sf5,000 sf[4]28 ft[5]40[6]—[7]—[8]—20[1] / 4[2] / 20[3]
R-1ALimited Two-Family Residentialres_sf5,000 sf[12]28 ft[13]—[14]—[15]——20[9] / 4[10] / 20[11]
ES-REnvironmental Safety Residentialres_sf—[16]—[17]————— / — / —
R-2Restricted Two-Family Residentialres_mf5,000 sf[21]28 ft[22]45[23]—[24]—[25]—5[18] / 4[19] / 5[20]
R-2ARestricted Multiple-Family Residentialres_mf5,000 sf[29]28 ft[30]45[31]—[32]——15[26] / 4[27] / 15[28]
R-3Multiple-Family Residentialres_mf5,000 sf[36]35 ft[37]45[38]3[39]60[40]—15[33] / 4[34] / 15[35]
R-4Multi-Family Residentialres_mf5,000 sf[44]35 ft[45]—[46]—[47]——15[41] / 4[42] / 15[43]
R-5High-Density Residentialres_mf5,000 sf[51]40 ft[52]—[53]—[54]——10[48] / 4[49] / 15[50]
R-SResidential Southsideres_mf—[55]35 ft[56]————— / — / —
R-SMUResidential Southside Mixed Useres_mf—[57]—————— / — / —
R-BMUResidential BART Mixed Useres_mf—[58]—————— / — / —
C-CCorridor Commercialcom—[60]40 ft[61]100[62]3[63]——0[59] / — / —
C-DMUDowntown Mixed-Usecom—[64]60 ft[65]——[66]——— / — / —
C-NNeighborhood Commercialcom—[67]35 ft[68]————— / — / —
MManufacturingind20,000 sf[72]45 ft[73]100[74]2[75]——0[69] / 0[70] / 0[71]
MMMixed Manufacturingind20,000 sf[77]45 ft[78]100[79]2[80]——0[76] / — / —
MU-LIMixed Use-Light Industrialind—[82]45 ft[83]100[84]2[85]——0[81] / — / —
MU-RMixed Use-Residentialres_mf—[87]35 ft[88]100[89]1[90]——5[86] / — / —
SPSpecific Planspec—[91]—————— / — / —
UUnclassifiedspec—[92]—————— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

H
Hillside Overlay Zone
ENV
§23.210.020

All properties located in the mapped Hillside overlay zone in the eastern hills of Berkeley, as shown on the Official Zoning Map. The H suffix is appended to the base district code (e.g., R-1H, R-2H, R-3H).

max_height_new_buildings28 ft. average / 35 ft. maximum for R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-2A; 35 ft. average / 35 ft. maximum for R-3, R-4, R-5, R-S, C-N, C-NS per Table 23.210-1
residential_additions_heightAs required by base district or highest existing portion of roof, whichever is lower; maximum 20 ft.
accessory_buildings12 ft. average height maximum, one story
setback_reductionAUP may reduce minimum setbacks and building separation; AUP required for height increase above overlay limits
CCD
Civic Center District Overlay Zone
HP
§23.210.030

Properties within the Civic Center Historic District as mapped, in the Downtown Berkeley area around Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park.

purposePreserve and protect the integrity of the City of Berkeley Historic Civic Center (designated under BMC Chapter 3.24 Landmarks Preservation Commission)
allowed_usesCivic, government, community, cultural and educational uses; uses must maintain public access to historic buildings
development_reviewLandmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) review required for any permit applications involving designated landmarks, structures of merit, or buildings within a historic district per §23.402.050
HP-LPC
Landmarks Preservation Ordinance Historic Districts and Landmarks
HP
§3.24.110

All properties designated as City Landmarks, Structures of Merit, or within a locally designated Historic District under BMC Chapter 3.24 (Landmarks Preservation Commission). LPC reviews all construction, alteration, and demolition permit applications on designated properties.

designation_typesCity Landmarks, Structures of Merit, and Historic Districts per §3.24.110
lpc_reviewLPC approval required for projects involving landmarks, structures of merit, or buildings within a historic district per Note [1] in Table 23.206-1 and §23.402.050
criteriaArchitectural merit, historical significance, connection to important events or persons, first/last/only/most significant example of architectural type in the region
FP
Flood Zone Development Overlay
FP
§17.12

Areas of Special Flood Hazard as identified on FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Alameda County, California and Incorporated Areas, dated August 3, 2009 (and subsequent amendments). Zone A, AO, AE, and related flood zones per §17.12.050 and §17.12.060.

firm_dateAugust 3, 2009 (Alameda County FIS) with subsequent amendments per §17.12.060
permit_requiredFlood hazard development permit required prior to any construction or substantial improvement in Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)
elevation_requirementLowest floor of residential structures must be elevated to or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE)
administratorDepartment of Public Works, 1947 Center Street, 4th Floor, Berkeley CA 94704 per §17.12.080
C-DMU-ADO
C-DMU Downtown Arts District Overlay
SPEC
§23.204.130(D)

Properties within the Downtown Mixed-Use district located within the Arts District Overlay boundaries as shown in Figure 23.204-4. Covers a sub-area of the C-DMU district in Downtown Berkeley.

purposeCreate a core of cultural activities and supportive retail/commercial uses in the C-DMU district; generate pedestrian vitality; promote Berkeley's regional leadership in the arts
ground_floor_useFood service establishments and offices on ground floor adjacent to street frontage require AUP (must animate pedestrian experience and be generally open evenings/weekends)
allowed_usesSeated food service, ground-floor retail that enhances cultural vitality, uses providing pedestrian scale

State preemptions

ca-density-bonus-lawapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide mandate (GC §65915). Applies to Berkeley (pop. 124,321, 2020 Census, Alameda County). Berkeley has residential zones including R-1 through R-5, R-S, R-SMU, C-C, and C-DMU where multi-family and affordable housing projects are eligible for density bonuses. No population threshold — universally applicable.
Source
California Government Code §65915; Berkeley Municipal Code §23.330
Effect
Up to 80% base density bonus (stacked with AB 1287 to 100% bonus); reduced parking ratios per §65915(p); 1-4 development incentives/concessions depending on affordability tier. Berkeley's Zoning Code Chapter 23.330 implements the state Density Bonus Law.
ca-sb9-home-actapplies
Qualifying condition
Berkeley contains R-1 (Single-Family) and R-1A (Limited Two-Family) zones which are subject to SB 9 ministerial lot splits and duplex development. Berkeley's BZO requires UP(PH) for single-family and two-family dwellings; SB 9 creates ministerial pathway overriding local discretionary review. Population 124,321 (2020 Census) — no population threshold. Historic districts and SFHA parcels may qualify for exemption on per-parcel basis.
Source
California Government Code §65852.21, §66411.7
Effect
Enables up to 4 units by-right on qualifying single-family residential parcels via lot split and/or duplex; overrides local discretionary permit requirements; caps required side and rear setbacks at 4 ft.
ca-ab2097-parking-transitapplies
Qualifying condition
Berkeley has three BART rapid transit stations qualifying as major transit stops: Downtown Berkeley BART (Shattuck Ave at Allston/Addison), North Berkeley BART (Delaware/Sacramento), and Ashby BART (Ashby/Adeline). All are heavy rail passenger stations meeting the GC §21064.3 major transit stop definition. AB 2097 eliminates parking minimums within 0.5 miles of any major transit stop. Given Berkeley's compact geography, most of the city falls within 0.5 miles of at least one BART station. Population 124,321 (2020 Census) — no population threshold for AB 2097. Berkeley already had limited parking minimums; AB 2097 reinforces this.
Source
California Government Code §65863.2; BART station locations confirmed via BART.gov
Effect
Eliminates parking minimums citywide for most developments within 0.5 miles of major transit stops (BART). Applies per-parcel based on distance to qualifying transit stops.
ca-sb423-streamlinedapplies
Qualifying condition
Berkeley is subject to SB 35/423 streamlined ministerial approval at the 50% affordability threshold. Per HCD lookup data: planning_period=6S, review_status=In, compliance_status=In (housing element certified), sb423_tier=50%, above_mod_pct_complete=102.6% (above moderate RHNA met), lower_pct_complete=6.3% (lower income NOT met). Tier=50%: streamlined approval for projects with ≥50% affordable units. Source: CA HCD SB 35/423 APR data.
Source
CA HCD SB 35/423 Streamlining Determination; hcd-ca-lookup.json: sb423_tier='50%', above_mod_pct_complete=102.6%, lower_pct_complete=6.3%
Effect
Bypasses local discretionary review, hearing processes, and CEQA review for multi-family residential or mixed-use developments with at least 50% dedicated affordable housing units. Prevailing wage rules apply for projects with 10 or more units.
ca-ab2011-affordable-housing-high-roadapplies
Qualifying condition
Berkeley has qualifying commercial zones along transit corridors (C-C Corridor Commercial, C-W West Berkeley Commercial, C-SA South Area Commercial, and others) that meet AB 2011 corridor requirements. The city contains major commercial corridors (Shattuck Avenue, Telegraph Avenue, University Avenue, San Pablo Avenue) with commercially zoned parcels.
Source
California Government Code §65912.100 et seq.
Effect
Provides ministerial by-right development pathway for multi-family or mixed-use residential projects on qualifying commercially-zoned parcels along transit corridors, overriding base commercial density and setbacks.
ca-adu-jaduapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide mandate. Applies to all residential and mixed-use zones in California including Berkeley (R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-2A, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-S, R-SMU, C-C, MU-R). Berkeley's Chapter 23.306 implements state ADU law. ES-R district exempts ADUs per Table 23.202-1 (NP for ES-R).
Source
California Government Code §65852.2, §65852.22; Berkeley Municipal Code §23.306
Effect
Enables at least one ADU (up to 1,200 sq. ft.) and one JADU (up to 500 sq. ft.) on single-family properties; multiple ADUs on multi-family lots. Overrides local parking, setback, and FAR restrictions for qualifying ADUs.
Non-applicable laws (2)
ca-builders-remedydoes_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Berkeley has a certified compliant 6th cycle Housing Element. Per HCD lookup data: review_status=In, compliance_status=In, reviewed_date=2023-02-28. Housing element is HCD-certified and compliant, therefore Builder's Remedy is inactive for this cycle.
Source
CA HCD Housing Element Compliance Report; hcd-ca-lookup.json: compliance_status=In, reviewed_date=2023-02-28
Effect
Builder's Remedy remains inactive as long as HCD housing element certification is active.
ca-sb10-local-upzoningdoes_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Berkeley has not adopted a local SB 10 resolution opting into the SB 10 by-right upzoning program. No evidence of SB 10 adoption in publicly available Berkeley City Council records.
Source
California Government Code §65913.5
Effect
SB 10 remains dormant unless and until Berkeley City Council adopts an SB 10 resolution.

Adopted building codes

Statewide mandatory minimum

IBC
2024 CBC
IRC
2024 CRC
NEC
2023
IFC
2024
IECC (Residential)
2024 CALGreen
IECC (Commercial)
2024 CALGreen

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Amendment history

DateKindCitation
2024-05-21amendment effectiveOrd. 7910-NS, May 21, 2024 — Zoning Ordinance amendments per berkeley.municipal.codes banner
2023-12-12amendment effectiveOrd. 7890-NS, December 12, 2023 — amendments to Chapter 23.202 (residential districts), renumbering Tables 23.202-11 through 23.202-22
2021-10-12effectiveOrd. 7787-NS §2 (Exh. A), adopted and effective October 12, 2021 — comprehensive Baseline Zoning Ordinance (BZO) rewrite of Title 23

Quirks & notes

  • Berkeley adopted a comprehensive Baseline Zoning Ordinance (BZO) rewrite in October 2021 (Ord. 7787-NS), replacing the old Title 23 with modern structure. The BZO renumbered most sections and table references — the 2023 amendments (Ord. 7890-NS) further renumbered R-3 through R-5 tables (e.g., Table 23.202-11 for R-3, formerly separate tables).
  • The Hillside Overlay Zone (H) applies across eastern Berkeley and reduces allowable heights for residential districts. GIS zone codes include H-suffix variants (R-1H, R-2H, R-3H, R-4H, R-5H, R-2AH, R-SH, C-N(H), C-NS(H)) indicating hillside overlay applies. Table 23.210-1 governs: R-1/R-1A/R-2/R-2A limited to 28 ft. avg / 35 ft. max; R-3/R-4/R-5/R-S/C-N/C-NS limited to 35 ft. avg / 35 ft. max in hillside.
  • R-3 district height in the Southside Plan Area is 45 ft. (vs 35 ft. outside the area), and FAR maximum of 3.0 applies within Southside Plan. The Southside Plan Area also affects R-S and R-SMU districts.
  • Berkeley eliminated single-family-only zoning in 2021 through a combination of state law (SB 9) and BZO reform — R-1 now requires a Use Permit with Public Hearing (UP(PH)) for single-family dwellings rather than treating it as by-right, reflecting a shift from traditional exclusionary SFR zoning. Missing middle housing amendments in 2023 further expanded residential options in R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-2A, and MU-R zones.
  • The C-DMU Downtown Mixed-Use district has sub-area height limits (Core: 60 ft. max, up to 75 ft. with UP; Outer Core: 50 ft. max; Buffer: no explicit max). ZAB may authorize up to 5 buildings exceeding limits — up to 120 ft. in Core/Outer Core, 180 ft. in Core per Table 23.204-38 (Increased Height Allowance).
  • Berkeley has three BART stations (Downtown Berkeley, North Berkeley, Ashby) making AB 2097 parking elimination applicable to most of the city within 0.5 miles of rapid transit. Berkeley's existing zoning already featured reduced parking requirements (see §23.322).
  • The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) under BMC Chapter 3.24 designates local landmarks, structures of merit, and historic districts. LPC approval is required for construction, alteration, and demolition of designated resources; the Civic Center Historic District is codified as the CCD overlay zone in Chapter 23.210.
  • Berkeley's BZO was codified through General Code (formerly Code Publishing Company) at berkeley.municipal.codes. As of June 2026, Cloudflare blocks scripted access to this platform — Wayback Machine CDX crawl was required for section-level retrieval. The code is current through Ord. 7910-NS (May 2024) per site banner.
  • GIS source verified: Berkeley Open Data Socrata endpoint (data.cityofberkeley.info/resource/iknk-w4qw) contains 1,860 polygon features representing zoning districts. Socrata GeoJSON export endpoint returned HTTP 400 (unsupported format); JSON API endpoint functional. The provided GIS hint (maps.hayward-ca.gov/COH_Zoning) was rejected — it serves City of Hayward data, not Berkeley.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Average height of main buildings measured from average contact grade to the midpoint of a pitched roof or top of a flat roof. §23.304.050
density
Dwelling units per gross acre of lot area. §23.106.100
setback
Minimum horizontal distance between a building face and the nearest lot line. §23.304.030
lot_coverage
The ratio of the footprint of all structures on the lot to the total lot area, expressed as a percentage. Excludes uncovered decks, porches, landings and stairs. §23.304.120
far
Ratio of total gross floor area of all buildings on a lot to the net lot area. §23.202 tables

Massing explorer

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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
https://berkeley.municipal.codes/BMC/23
retrieved 2026-06-02
Citations
  1. [1] §23.202.050
  2. [2] §23.202.050
  3. [3] §23.202.050
  4. [4] §23.202.050
  5. [5] §23.202.050
  6. [6] §23.202.050
  7. [7] §23.202.050
  8. [8] §23.202.050
  9. [9] §23.202.060
  10. [10] §23.202.060
  11. [11] §23.202.060
  12. [12] §23.202.060
  13. [13] §23.202.060
  14. [14] §23.202.060
  15. [15] §23.202.060
  16. [16] §23.202.070
  17. [17] §23.202.070
  18. [18] §23.202.080
  19. [19] §23.202.080
  20. [20] §23.202.080
  21. [21] §23.202.080
  22. [22] §23.202.080
  23. [23] §23.202.080
  24. [24] §23.202.080
  25. [25] §23.202.080
  26. [26] §23.202.090
  27. [27] §23.202.090
  28. [28] §23.202.090
  29. [29] §23.202.090
  30. [30] §23.202.090
  31. [31] §23.202.090
  32. [32] §23.202.090
  33. [33] §23.202.100
  34. [34] §23.202.100
  35. [35] §23.202.100
  36. [36] §23.202.100
  37. [37] §23.202.100
  38. [38] §23.202.100
  39. [39] §23.202.100
  40. [40] §23.202.100
  41. [41] §23.202.110
  42. [42] §23.202.110
  43. [43] §23.202.110
  44. [44] §23.202.110
  45. [45] §23.202.110
  46. [46] §23.202.110
  47. [47] §23.202.110
  48. [48] §23.202.120
  49. [49] §23.202.120
  50. [50] §23.202.120
  51. [51] §23.202.120
  52. [52] §23.202.120
  53. [53] §23.202.120
  54. [54] §23.202.120
  55. [55] §23.202.130
  56. [56] §23.202.130
  57. [57] §23.202.140
  58. [58] §23.202.150
  59. [59] §23.204.050
  60. [60] §23.204.050
  61. [61] §23.204.050
  62. [62] §23.204.050
  63. [63] §23.204.050
  64. [64] §23.204.130
  65. [65] §23.204.130
  66. [66] §23.204.130
  67. [67] §23.204.070
  68. [68] §23.204.070
  69. [69] §23.206.060
  70. [70] §23.206.060
  71. [71] §23.206.060
  72. [72] §23.206.060
  73. [73] §23.206.060
  74. [74] §23.206.060
  75. [75] §23.206.060
  76. [76] §23.206.070
  77. [77] §23.206.070
  78. [78] §23.206.070
  79. [79] §23.206.070
  80. [80] §23.206.070
  81. [81] §23.206.080
  82. [82] §23.206.080
  83. [83] §23.206.080
  84. [84] §23.206.080
  85. [85] §23.206.080
  86. [86] §23.206.090
  87. [87] §23.206.090
  88. [88] §23.206.090
  89. [89] §23.206.090
  90. [90] §23.206.090
  91. [91] §23.208.010
  92. [92] §23.208.020

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedhttps://berkeley.municipal.codes/BMC/23 — authoritative city-hosted code platform, not an aggregator
no aggregator citedpassedscan clean — no zoneomics, steadily, siteplanguide, sitedesignguide, siteplancreator, propwire, zonara, unzoned references
confidence tags full formpassed42 confirmed fields carry §-citations (§23.202.050, §23.206.060, §23.210.020, §3.24.110, §17.12, etc.); partial fields documented with explicit partial companion fields
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed5 overlays (H, CCD, HP-LPC, FP, C-DMU-ADO) each have non-empty params, geographic trigger, confidence citation, and status
preempt section city specificpassed8 California laws with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked including numeric inputs (pop=124,321, 2020 Census; BART station names; HCD tier=50%, lower_pct_complete=6.3%), vintages, and thresholds compared

Data quality

72%completeness42 confirmed12 partial
Documented gaps
  • ES-R district dimensional standards (height, lot size) not fully captured — specific plan required per §23.202.070
  • R-S, R-SMU, R-BMU district dimensional standards not fully captured (tables 23.202-20 through 23.202-27)
  • Commercial districts C-U, C-N, C-E, C-NS, C-SA, C-T, C-SO, C-W, C-AC dimensional standards not captured (not extracted from BZO PDF within call budget)
  • R-4, R-5 lot coverage tables (23.202-16, 23.202-19) not fully captured — tables were cut off in PDF extraction
  • R-1A lot coverage table not fully captured

Verification

last_verified_at2026-06-02T00:00:00Z
verifier_specialistzoning-research-subagent
verifier_version1.0
verification_resultpassed

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