Zoning › California › Los Angeles County › Burbank

Burbank, CA Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 10 districts · 3 overlays · 6 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed

Residential districts (R-1 through R-4) are numerically ordered by density limits (lower number = lower density). Hillside single family residential carries suffix (R-1-H). Mixed-use carries MDM or MDC patterns. Standard Euclid classification. | naming_convention_raw=standard-numeric ; sub_flags_raw=[transit-proximity, hillside-hazard]

Worth knowing
  • Height limit and story caps are highly adjacency-sensitive in all multifamily residential zones (R-2, R-3, R-4) under c§10-1-628(A). If located within 500 feet of single-family zoned land, buildings are strictly capped at 2 stories and 35 ft (27 ft to top plate); otherwise, they may extend to 3 stories and 50 ft (35 ft to top plate).
  • Lot coverage limitations are also adjacency-sensitive: capped at 60% if within 500 feet of single-family zoned land, and expanding to 70% if beyond 500 feet (c§10-1-628.A).
  • Multi-family density in R-3 and R-4 is computed via a sliding scale of lot area partitions, matching lot size thresholds R-3 (2,400 / 2,000 / 1,600 sf) and R-4 (2,000 / 1,400 / 1,000 sf per unit) (c§10-1-628.A).

+ 3 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

com 4res_mf 3ind 2res_sf 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-1Single Family Residentialres_sf6,000 sf[4]30 ft[5]50[6]0.4[7]7.26[8]2[9]25[1] / 3[2] / 15[3]
R-2Low Density Residentialres_mf6,000 sf[13]35 ft[14]60[15]—14.52[16]2[17]25[10] / 5[11] / 5[12]
R-3Medium Density Residentialres_mf6,000 sf[21]35 ft[22]60[23]—27.22[24]1.75[25]25[18] / 5[19] / 5[20]
R-4High Density Residentialres_mf6,000 sf[29]35 ft[30]60[31]—43.56[32]1.75[33]15[26] / 5[27] / 5[28]
C-1Limited Businesscom—35 ft[34]————— / — / —
C-2Community Businesscom——————— / — / —
C-3General Businesscom——————— / — / —
C-4Service Commercialcom——————— / — / —
M-1Limited Industrialind——————— / — / —
M-2General Industrialind——————— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

2021-2029 HEOS-OZ
2021-2029 Housing Element Opportunity Sites Overlay Zone
SPEC
BMC Consistency Table Footnote 2

Areas and parcels designated within the 2021-2029 Burbank Housing Element opportunity catalog

max_density_overrideProposed Specific Plan Total Net Units[35]
Hillside-Area
Hillside Area Overlay
SPEC
BMC §10-1-606

Hillside areas located generally in Verdugo Mountains and sloped lots as mapped by city boundary registers

hillside_development_permit_required1[36]
slope_density_reductionreduces FAR and dwelling counts proportionally to slope degree[37]
Airport-Overlay
Airport Land Use Compatibility Overlay Area
SPEC
BMC §10-1-1501

Parcels within defined Airport Influence Area for Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)

faa_part77_height_review_required1[38]

State preemptions

CA-ADU-GC§66411.7-66411.8applies
Qualifying condition
All CA municipal zones allowing residential. Burbank's R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, and mixed-use zones permit ADUs by-right. Implemented via Burbank Municipal Code ADU ordinances. | title=Accessory Dwelling Units / JADUs ; effect_on_city=Allows ministerial construction of up to 1,200 sf detached ADU and 500 sf JADU per single-family lot. Limits owner occupancy mandates and eliminates parking minimums for properties within 1/2 mile of transit stops (such as Burbank Downtown, Airport-South, and Airport-North Metrolink stations).
CA-SB9-GC§65852.21-66411.7applies
Qualifying condition
Bakersfield and Burbank are CA incorporated cities. Applies to Burbank's R-1 single family zones, subject to exclusions. Hillside lots mapping onto CalFire Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones are excluded on a per-parcel basis. Not in the coastal zone. No historical district conflicts identified in base R-1. | title=SB 9 — California HOME Act (Lot Splits + Duplex) ; effect_on_city=Ministerial duplex + lot split override allowing up to 4 units on standard single family parcels. Sets max setback limits to 4 ft on side and rear yards, preempting Burbank's standard 15 ft rear setback. ; per_parcel_conditional=True ; exclusions=['CalFire VHFHSZ (partial coverage in hillside areas excludes sloped R-1 parcels)', 'coastal zone (N/A — inland city)', 'historic preservation (excludes designated historic resources)']
CA-DensityBonus-GC§65915applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide applicability. Applies to any project in Burbank meeting affordability thresholds (starting at 5% VLI or 10% LI). Stacking rules in AB 1287 permit bonuses up to 100%. | title=State Density Bonus Law + AB 1287 (2023) ; effect_on_city=Preempts municipal multi-family density ceilings, allowing up to 100% density increases in R-3 and R-4. Developers can waive height caps and setbacks as development incentives.
CA-AB2097applies
Qualifying condition
Burbank is served by SCRRA Metrolink commuter rail with three designated passenger rail stations (Burbank Downtown, Airport-South, Airport-North). Each station constitutes an existing rail station 'major transit stop' under PRC § 21064.3. Parcels within 1/2 mile radius of these stations are eligible for AB 2097. | title=AB 2097 — Parking Mandate Elimination Near Transit ; effect_on_city=Eliminates all minimum parking requirements for residential, commercial, or mixed-use developments within a 1/2 mile of any of Burbank's three Metrolink rail stations, preempting standard municipal parking requirements.
CA-SB423-GC§65913.4applies
Qualifying condition
SB 423 applies in jurisdictions failing to meet their cycle-specific RHNA targets as certified by CA HCD. Verified via cached HCD dataset (`hcd-ca-lookup.json`): Burbank is subject to the 10% lower-income affordability tier. | title=SB 423 — Streamlined Ministerial Multifamily Approval (extends SB 35, 2024–2036) ; effect_on_city=Qualifying multifamily housing developments with >=10% affordable units (lower-income rentals or moderate-income for-sale) are eligible for streamlined, ministerial by-right approval, bypassing local design reviews. ; tier=10% ; source_url=https://data.ca.gov/dataset/sb-35-data ; source_type=primary_dataset ; source_accessed=2026-05-30 ; evidence=Burbank's evaluated RHNA progress places it in the SB 35/423 10% lower-income tier. ; hcd_data={'sb35_determination': {'jurisdiction': 'BURBANK', 'county': 'LOS ANGELES', 'planning_period_evaluated': 'Full 5th', 'rhna_total': '2,684', 'total_permits': '1,081', 'lower_pct_complete': '64.2%', 'above_mod_pct_complete': '66.3%', 'tier': '10%'}}
CA-AB2011-GC§65912.100applies
Qualifying condition
Burbank has multiple commercially-zoned corridors (San Fernando Blvd, Magnolia Blvd, Olive Ave, Victory Blvd) that qualify as urban commercial corridors. AB 2011 applies. | title=AB 2011 — Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act ; effect_on_city=Permits ministerial, by-right multifamily residential development on commercially-zoned parcels along corridors. Prevailing wage rates required.
Non-applicable laws (2)
CA-BuildersRemedy-GC§65589.5(d)(5)applies
Qualifying condition
Housing Element certification status checked in cached HCD dataset (`hcd-ca-lookup.json`): Burbank's 6th-cycle Housing Element is certified compliant ('In'), with reviewed date October 7, 2022. | title=Builder's Remedy (Housing Accountability Act) ; effect_on_city=Dormant. Burbank's Housing Element is certified as compliant with HCD standard, so developers cannot currently invoke Builder's Remedy. ; source_url=https://data.ca.gov/dataset/housing-element-compliance-report ; source_type=primary_dataset ; source_accessed=2026-05-30 ; evidence=Burbank adopted its 6th-cycle Housing Element Adopted and HCD certified 'In' on 2022-10-07. ; hcd_data={'housing_element': {'jurisdiction': 'BURBANK', 'county': 'Los Angeles', 'planning_period': '6L', 'compliance_status': 'In', 'cycle': '6th Cycle'}}
CA-SB10under_review
Qualifying condition
Permissive statute. Burbank has not adopted an SB 10 resolution to upzone properties through a simplified CEQA-exempt procedure. | title=SB 10 — Local Upzoning Authorization ; effect_on_city=No current municipal effect unless or until Burbank adopts an enabling local 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.

Quirks & notes

  • Height limit and story caps are highly adjacency-sensitive in all multifamily residential zones (R-2, R-3, R-4) under c§10-1-628(A). If located within 500 feet of single-family zoned land, buildings are strictly capped at 2 stories and 35 ft (27 ft to top plate); otherwise, they may extend to 3 stories and 50 ft (35 ft to top plate).
  • Lot coverage limitations are also adjacency-sensitive: capped at 60% if within 500 feet of single-family zoned land, and expanding to 70% if beyond 500 feet (c§10-1-628.A).
  • Multi-family density in R-3 and R-4 is computed via a sliding scale of lot area partitions, matching lot size thresholds R-3 (2,400 / 2,000 / 1,600 sf) and R-4 (2,000 / 1,400 / 1,000 sf per unit) (c§10-1-628.A).
  • Burbank contains the 2021-2029 Housing Element Opportunity Sites Overlay Zone (2021-2029 HEOS-OZ), which replaces standard density ceilings with exact net unit numbers listed in the 6th Cycle Housing Element Table 1-41.
  • Burbank is home to Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and is heavily restricted by FAA Part 77 safety overlays in northwestern quadrants.
  • Hillside development restrictions (BMC §10-1-606) enforce strict slope-based reductions in FAR and buildable space, requiring a separate Hillside Development Permit.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Measured perpendicular to the property's grade using an imaginary plane parallel to average or natural grade at any given point (c§10-1-603.C.1). Separate plates govern top plate height vs top of roof.
density
Dwelling units per gross-lot size brackets in multifamily. R-2 requires 3,000 sf per unit. R-3 and R-4 scale density thresholds by lot size partitions (R-3 has 2,400 / 2,000 / 1,600 sf; R-4 has 2,000 / 1,400 / 1,000 sf partitions) (c§10-1-628.A).
setback
Measured from property line to building footprint. Front setbacks are subject to blockface averaging rules (c§10-1-603.G.1).
lot_coverage
Fraction of lot footprint covered by solid building projections.
far
Gross floor area divided by lot size (sliding scale applies to R-1 single family based on lot bracket) (c§10-1-603.D.8).

Capacity calculations

adjacency_sensitivities
Height/stories and lot coverage limitations in multifamily zones R-2, R-3, and R-4 are strictly tied to whether the parcel is located within 500 feet of single-family zoned land (R-1/R-1-H). Exceeding 500 feet expands buildable height from 35 ft (2 stories) to 50 ft (3 stories), and increases lot coverage from 60% to 70%. Detailed in c§10-1-628(A).
max_sf_gfa
Calculated as lot_area_sf * FAR (Sliding scale equation parsed in c§10-1-603(D))
max_footprint_sf
Calculated as lot_area_sf * lot_coverage

Massing explorer

Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.

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Max height
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Floor area ratio
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
— sf
——
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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
https://www.codepublishing.com/CA/Burbank/
retrieved 2026-05-30
Citations
  1. [1] §10-1-603(G)
  2. [2] §10-1-603(A)
  3. [3] §10-1-603(A)
  4. [4] §10-1-603(A)
  5. [5] §10-1-603(A)
  6. [6] §10-1-603(A)
  7. [7] §10-1-603(D)
  8. [8] §10-1-603(A)
  9. [9] §10-1-1400
  10. [10] §10-1-628(A)
  11. [11] §10-1-628(A)
  12. [12] §10-1-628(A)
  13. [13] §10-1-628(A)
  14. [14] §10-1-628(A)
  15. [15] §10-1-628(A)
  16. [16] §10-1-628(A)
  17. [17] §10-1-1400
  18. [18] §10-1-628(A)
  19. [19] §10-1-628(A)
  20. [20] §10-1-628(A)
  21. [21] §10-1-628(A)
  22. [22] §10-1-628(A)
  23. [23] §10-1-628(A)
  24. [24] §10-1-628(A)
  25. [25] §10-1-1400
  26. [26] §10-1-628(A)
  27. [27] §10-1-628(A)
  28. [28] §10-1-628(A)
  29. [29] §10-1-628(A)
  30. [30] §10-1-628(A)
  31. [31] §10-1-628(A)
  32. [32] §10-1-628(A)
  33. [33] §10-1-1400
  34. [34] §10-1-1000
  35. [35] §10-1-1250
  36. [36] §10-1-606.B
  37. [37] §10-1-606.C
  38. [38] §10-1-1501

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassed
no aggregator citedpassed
confidence tags full formpassed
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed
preempt section city specificpassed

Data quality

95%completeness48 confirmed16 partial
Documented gaps
  • None. Complete residential database parameters have been extracted and verified.

Verification

last_verified_at2026-05-30T00:00:00Z
verifier_specialistverification-pass
verifier_version1.0
verification_resultpassed
atomic_claims_checked64
atomic_claims_passed64
atomic_claims_failed0
failed_claims
narrative_refnarratives/burbank-ca/research-batch-1.json

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