Zoning › California › Sacramento County › Sacramento

Sacramento, CA Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 32 districts · 6 overlays · 6 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed

Sacramento Title 17 uses a mix of conventions: (1) legacy letter-number residential codes (R-1, R-1A, R-1B, R-2, R-2A, R-2B, R-3, R-4, R-5, RE) where R-2–R-5 are density-encoded ranges; (2) commercial by intensity tier (C-1, C-2, C-3 CBD, C-4, OB/OB-2/OB-3, SC, HC); (3) mixed-use named districts (RMX Residential Mixed-Use, RO Residential Office); (4) industrial tiers with sensitivity suffix (M-1, M-1(S), M-2, M-2(S), MIP, MRD, M-T); (5) Railyards Specific Plan subzones with -SPD suffix (C-3-SPD, M-2-T-SPD) and internal mixed-use modules (RMUD, CMUD-1, CMUD-2, CSD, RCRD, TR, OS, PU). Missing Middle Housing Ord. 2024-0027 (first CA city to allow 2-4 unit housing in all SF zones) overlays on R-1/R-1A/R-1B/R-2. | naming_convention_raw=hybrid-legacy-with-named-districts ; sub_flags_raw=[state-capital, missing-middle-2024, specific-plan-heavy, historic-district-dense, light-rail-anchored]

Worth knowing
  • State capital context — significant CA state-owned property (Capitol grounds, state agencies, courts, Railyards portions) intermixed with private parcels throughout downtown and Midtown. State buildings subject to sovereign immunity from city zoning; parking/height/use exceptions common for state projects. Creates de facto overlay zone across downtown/Capitol Park area where city jurisdiction is limited.
  • Old Sacramento TRIPLE JURISDICTION — simultaneously a federal National Historic Landmark District (NPS jurisdiction), CA State Historic Park (CDPR jurisdiction), and city HP overlay. Design review must satisfy THREE regulatory sets; state/federal often stricter than city. Most heavily regulated historic area in California. Certificate of Appropriateness nearly always required for exterior work.
  • Missing Middle Housing Ord. 2024-0027 — Sacramento was the FIRST California city to allow 2-4 unit housing by-right in all single-family zones. Small-lot subdivision enabled on 1,200-2,899 sf lots in R-1/R-1A/R-1B/R-2. This is a LOCAL preemption of the city's own SF zoning (not a state preemption). Stacks with SB 9 — developers may choose either pathway. Eliminates most traditional SF-only regulation citywide; effectively retires R-1 as single-unit-only.

+ 8 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

ind 7com 6res_sf 5res_mf 5off 4spec 3mu 2
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-1Single-Unit Dwellingres_sf5,200 sf[4]30 ft[5]0.5[6]—1[7]2[8]20[1] / 5[2] / 15[3]
R-1ASingle-Unit Dwelling Alternateres_sf5,000 sf[12]35 ft[13]0.55[14]—2[15]2[16]15[9] / 3[10] / 10[11]
R-1BSingle-Unit Small Lotres_sf1,200 sf[20]35 ft[21]0.6[22]——2[23]10[17] / 3[18] / 10[19]
R-2Duplex Dwellingres_sf5,200 sf[27]30 ft[28]——2[29]2[30]15[24] / 5[25] / 15[26]
R-2AMulti-Unit Dwelling (Low)res_mf5,000 sf[34]35 ft[35]0.5[36]—15[37]2[38]15[31] / 5[32] / 10[33]
R-2BMulti-Unit Dwelling (Medium)res_mf5,000 sf[42]35 ft[43]0.5[44]—22[45]1.5[46]15[39] / 5[40] / 10[41]
R-3Multi-Unit Dwelling (High)res_mf5,000 sf[50]45 ft[51]0.55[52]—30[53]1.5[54]10[47] / 5[48] / 10[49]
R-4Multi-Unit Dwelling (Very High)res_mf5,000 sf[58]65 ft[59]——45[60]1[61]10[55] / 5[56] / 10[57]
R-5High-Rise Residentialres_mf5,000 sf[65]150 ft[66]——100[67]1[68]10[62] / 5[63] / 10[64]
RERural Estatesres_sf21,780 sf[72]35 ft[73]0.3[74]—2[75]2[76]25[69] / 10[70] / 20[71]
C-1Limited Commercialcom—35 ft[77]—1[78]——— / — / —
C-2General Commercialcom—85 ft[79]—2[80]——[81]— / — / —
C-3Central Business Districtcom—85 ft[84]—4[85]——[86]0[82] / 0[83] / —
C-4Heavy Commercialcom———2[87]——[88]— / — / —
SCShopping Centercom——————— / — / —
OBOffice Businessoff—45 ft[89]————— / — / —
OB-2Office Business (Mid-Rise)off—65 ft[90]————— / — / —
OB-3Office Business (High-Rise)off—85 ft[91]————— / — / —
RMXResidential Mixed-Usemu—65 ft[92]————— / — / —
ROResidential Officemu——————— / — / —
ECEmployment Centeroff——————— / — / —
HCHighway Commercialcom——————— / — / —
M-1Light Industrialind——————— / — / —
M-1(S)Light Industrial (Sensitive)ind——————— / — / —
M-2Heavy Industrialind——————— / — / —
M-2(S)Heavy Industrial (Sensitive)ind——————— / — / —
MIPManufacturing-Industrial Parkind——————— / — / —
MRDManufacturing Research and Developmentind——————— / — / —
M-TIndustrial-Transitind——————— / — / —
AAgriculturalspec——————— / — / —
POSParks and Open Spacespec——————— / — / —
PUPublic Utilitiesspec——————— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

HP
Historic Preservation Overlay
SPEC
Sacramento City Code Title 17 §17.604 (Heritage & Design Review); multiple locally designated historic districts via separate ordinances.

Locally designated historic districts including Old Sacramento (National Historic Landmark District + CA State Historic Park + city HP overlay — triple jurisdiction), Midtown Historic District, Curtis Park Historic District, Newton Booth Historic District, Boulevard Park Historic District, Poverty Ridge Historic District, and individually landmarked properties citywide.

certificate_of_appropriateness_required1[93]
old_sacramento_triple_jurisdiction1[94]
design_guidelines_per_district_plan1[95]
setback_height_lot_coverage_exceptions_via_coa1[96]
sb9_historic_district_exclusion1
TO
Transit-Oriented Development Overlay
TOD
Sacramento City Code Title 17 TO Zone provisions; aligned with General Plan 2040 transit corridors.

Within ½ mile of SacRT (Sacramento Regional Transit) light rail stations on the Gold Line (Folsom/Gold Country to downtown), Blue Line (Meadowview to downtown and Watt/I-80), and Green Line (Downtown/Richards). Includes downtown, Midtown, Oak Park, Curtis Park, Fruitridge/Florin, Meadowview, and Watt/I-80 corridor stations.

higher_density_encouraged1
parking_minimums_waived_near_transit1
setback_height_reductions_permitted1
mixed_use_by_right_or_streamlined1
density_bonus_stacks_via_gc_659151
F
Floodplain Overlay
FP
Sacramento City Code Title 17 F Zone provisions; Sacramento County Drainage Ordinance; FEMA NFIP compliance.

100-year floodplain (FEMA Zone A/AE) and 200-year floodplain per CA Central Valley Flood Protection Board standards. Sacramento sits at confluence of Sacramento River and American River — levee-protected urban areas and upstream natural channels (Steelhead Creek, Morrison Creek, Arcade Creek, Dry Creek) carry F overlay.

first_floor_elevation_minimumBFE + freeboard per Sac County Drainage Ord.
flood_resistant_construction_required1
200_year_floodplain_state_requirement1
variance_available_with_technical_justification1
sb9_sfha_exclusion1
DR
Design Review Overlay
SPEC
Sacramento City Code Title 17 §17.604 (Heritage & Design Review); Single-Unit Dwelling and Duplex Dwelling Design Guidelines (citywide).

Commercial corridors (Broadway, Franklin Blvd, Stockton Blvd, Freeport Blvd, J Street, Alhambra Blvd), downtown Central City, Midtown, mixed-use districts, and residential areas subject to adopted Specific or Master Plans. Citywide Single-Unit/Duplex Design Guidelines apply to all SF and duplex projects.

setback_height_coverage_deviations_via_review1[97]
objective_design_standards_apply1[98]
single_unit_duplex_design_guidelines_citywide1
certificate_of_design_required_for_new_construction_in_dr_corridors1
SPD-RAILYARDS
Railyards Specific Plan Overlay
SPD
Sacramento Railyards Specific Plan (originally adopted 2007; major update 2016; 2021 amendments); CEQA EIR and subsequent addenda.

244-acre former Union Pacific Railyards site immediately north of downtown Sacramento, bounded by the American River, I-5, 7th Street, and the Sacramento Valley Station. Largest urban infill redevelopment project in California.

subzones_with_custom_standards['C-3-SPD', 'M-2-T-SPD', 'M-2-SPD(C)', 'M-2-SPD(W)', 'OB-SPD', 'TC-SPD']
mixed_use_modules['RMUD', 'CMUD-1', 'CMUD-2', 'CSD', 'RCRD', 'TR', 'OS', 'PU']
max_density_rmud250-450 du/ac
development_programup to 10,000 residential units, ~5.6M sf office/retail/historic, 1,100 hotel rooms, 1.2M sf medical campus, potential MLS stadium (12,000 seat)
parking_not_required1
separate_entitlement_process1
height_limits_per_subzonevaries
AI
Airport Influence Overlay
MIL
Sacramento County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) Compatibility Plan for Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC); referenced via CA Public Utilities Code §21670 and incorporated through General Plan consistency.

Noise and safety compatibility zones around Sacramento International Airport (SMF, ~10 mi NW of downtown; FAA Class C airspace) and Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC, south Sacramento, GA). Parts of northern Sacramento (Natomas, North Sacramento) and south Sacramento (Freeport, Meadowview) fall within compatibility zones.

height_restrictions_per_part_77_and_aluc1
noise_compatibility_restrictions1
safety_zone_use_restrictions1
aluc_consistency_review_required_for_general_plan_amendments1

State preemptions

CA-ADU-GC§66411.7-66411.8applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide CA preemption on residential and mixed-use zoning. Sacramento R-1, R-1A, R-1B, R-2, R-2A, R-2B, R-3, R-4, R-5, RE, RMX, RO permit ADUs/JADUs ministerially per state law. Sacramento city code implements ADU provisions in Title 17 (ADU-specific chapter; implementation amended post-SB 897/AB 2221 2022 and SB 1211 eff. 2025-01-01). | title=Accessory Dwelling Units / JADUs ; effect_on_city=Ministerial approval with 60-day shot clock. Up to 1,200 sf detached ADU; up to 500 sf JADU. No owner-occupancy required (state sunset). No minimum lot size; no connection fees >$0 for units <750 sf. SB 1211 (eff. 2025-01-01) permits up to 8 ADUs on qualifying multifamily lots. Historic district parcels require CoA but ADU itself remains ministerial within design guidelines. No parking required within ½ mi of transit / in historic district / within existing structure.
CA-SB9-GC§65852.21-66411.7applies
Qualifying condition
Sacramento is a CA charter city with R-1, R-1A, R-1B, R-2 single-family equivalent districts. SB 9 applies per-parcel conditional on exclusions: (1) FEMA SFHA — Sacramento has extensive FEMA mapped areas along American River, Sacramento River, and tributary creeks (Steelhead/Morrison/Arcade/Dry Creek corridors) — F overlay per-parcel excludes qualifying parcels; (2) locally designated historic districts are SB 9 excluded per GC §65852.21(a)(2) — Old Sacramento, Midtown, Curtis Park, Newton Booth, Boulevard Park, Poverty Ridge, and any individually landmarked parcels excluded; (3) no CalFire VHFHSZ within Sacramento city limits (flat Central Valley floor; not wildland-urban interface); (4) no coastal zone (inland, ~90 mi from coast). Missing Middle Housing Ord. 2024-0027 provides a LOCAL pathway that often exceeds SB 9 (up to 4 units by-right on any SF parcel) — developers may choose the more favorable pathway. | title=SB 9 — California HOME Act (Lot Splits + Duplex Conversion) ; effect_on_city=Ministerial up-to-4-units on qualifying R-1/R-1A/R-1B/R-2 parcels (lot split + duplex on each resulting lot). City cannot require lot size >40% of original, setback >4 ft side/rear, FAR <0.8. SB 450 (2024) strengthens procedural limits effective 2024-07-01. IMPORTANT: Sacramento's Missing Middle Housing Ord. 2024-0027 is a LOCAL preemption of its own SF zoning (not a state preemption), permitting 2-4 unit by-right without the 3-year owner-occupancy of SB 9 lot-split prong — SB 9 remains alternative pathway with lot-split prong. ; per_parcel_conditional=True ; exclusions=['FEMA SFHA (F overlay — American River / Sacramento River / tributaries)', 'locally designated historic districts (Old Sacramento, Midtown, Curtis Park, Newton Booth, Boulevard Park, Poverty Ridge)', 'CalFire VHFHSZ (N/A — no VHFHSZ in city limits)', 'coastal zone (N/A — inland)']
CA-DensityBonus-GC§65915applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide applicability. Sacramento projects meeting affordability thresholds (5% VLI, 10% LI, 10% moderate for-sale, 100% affordable) qualify for bonuses up to 80% (single-tier) or up to 100% AB 1287 stacked. Most valuable on R-3/R-4/R-5 residential, RMX mixed-use, and CBD/OB tiers. Frequently used in downtown, Midtown, and SacRT transit corridors (Blue/Gold/Green Line). | title=State Density Bonus Law + AB 1287 (2023) ; effect_on_city=Up to 100% density bonus (AB 1287 stacked) on qualifying affordable projects. Waives max du_ac, partial max_height_ft, and base setbacks as concessions/incentives (1 per 10% VLI, 2 per 20%, 3 per 30%). State §65915(p) parking ratios preempt local (0.5 studios/1BR; 1.0 2-3BR; 1.5 4+BR affordable component). Stacks cleanly with Sacramento TOD overlay and AB 2097 parking waiver — combined produces very aggressive incentive envelope near SacRT stations.
CA-AB2097applies
Qualifying condition
Sacramento has the most extensive AB 2097 coverage of any CA city in this batch. Qualifying major transit stops include: (1) SacRT light rail — Gold Line (Folsom Corridor to downtown, 13th St, 16th St, 23rd St, 29th St, 39th St, 48th St, Butterfield, Mather Field/Mills, Sunrise, Cordova Town Center, Hazel, Iron Point, Glenn, Historic Folsom); Blue Line (downtown to Meadowview and Watt/I-80 branches — Alkali Flat, 7th+Capitol, 8th+Capitol, 8th+O, 13th St, 16th St, 23rd St, Broadway, 4th Ave, City College, Fruitridge, 47th Ave, Florin, Meadowview; Arden/Del Paso, Marconi/Arcade, Royal Oaks, Watt/I-80); Green Line (downtown to Township 9 / Richards Blvd). (2) Sacramento Valley Station (multi-modal — Amtrak California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, San Joaquins; future California High-Speed Rail) qualifies as major transit stop. (3) SacRT 15-min-peak-headway bus corridors (select routes). Virtually all of downtown, Midtown, Oak Park, Curtis Park, Land Park, Fruitridge, Meadowview fall within ½ mi of qualifying stops. | title=AB 2097 — Parking Mandate Elimination Near Transit ; effect_on_city=No minimum parking for residential, commercial, or mixed-use within ½ mi of qualifying stops. Preempts Sacramento City Code §17.608 parking table in those buffers — estimated 60-70%+ of city area. Remains strongest single lever for downtown/Midtown infill economics. Waivers do not prohibit voluntary parking provision — only eliminate the mandate.
CA-SB423-GC§65913.4applies
Qualifying condition
Per HCD SB 35/423 Determination dataset (Wave-4 lookup at _cache/hcd-sb35-determination.csv), Sacramento is at the 10% tier — subject to SB 423 streamlined ministerial approval for qualifying multifamily projects with ≥10% affordable (low income rental) or ≥10% moderate income (for-sale). 6th-cycle SACOG RHNA allocation (2021-2029) total: 45,580 units (Sacramento's share ~24,101 units per HCD SB 35 5th-cycle full-period evaluation; 33.9% lower-income completion, 56.1% above-moderate completion per most-recent APR status 'Successful'). Applies to residential and mixed-use zoned sites including R-3/R-4/R-5, RMX, and CBD/OB tiers per GC §65913.4(a)(2). | title=SB 423 — Streamlined Ministerial Multifamily Approval (extends SB 35, 2024-2036) ; effect_on_city=Ministerial by-right approval for qualifying multifamily ≥10% LI rental / moderate for-sale. 50%+ affordable bypasses design review entirely. Prevailing wage and skilled-and-trained workforce requirements apply to 10+ unit projects. Excluded: Sacramento historic districts (Old Sacramento, Midtown, Curtis Park), FEMA SFHA, sites with existing tenant displacement within 10 years. Interacts with Railyards SPD (SPD projects use their own entitlement process; SB 423 pathway remains available for SPD-boundary multifamily meeting criteria). ; tier=10% ; source_url=https://data.ca.gov/dataset/sb-35-data ; evidence=HCD SB 35/423 Determination CSV (2026-04-18 snapshot): 10% tier flag = Yes; Exempt = No; 50% = No; most_recent_apr_status = Successful; rhna_total 24,101; total_permits 15,456; lower_pct_complete 33.9%; above_mod_pct_complete 56.1%.
CA-AB2011-GC§65912.100applies
Qualifying condition
Sacramento has extensive commercially-zoned parcels along corridors qualifying as 'commercial corridors' under AB 2011. Qualifying corridors include: Broadway, Stockton Blvd, Florin Rd, Freeport Blvd, Franklin Blvd, Alhambra Blvd, J St, Capitol Ave, Fulton Ave frontage (to city limit), Auburn Blvd, Del Paso Blvd, Arden Way (to city limit), Folsom Blvd, Riverside Blvd, 16th St, 19th St, 21st St, 29th St, MLK Blvd. 100% affordable projects by-right on any commercial site (C-1/C-2/C-3/C-4/HC/SC) across the city; mixed-income by-right on defined corridor sites (excluding industrial and office-only zones). | title=AB 2011 — Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act ; effect_on_city=Ministerial approval for qualifying multifamily on C-1/C-2/C-3/C-4/HC/SC and mixed-use corridor sites. 100% affordable bypasses discretionary review. Minimum density cannot be less than Sacramento's default density for the area (typically 20-45 du/ac in downtown/Midtown commercial context). Prevailing wage required. Overlaps with SB 423 — developers choose pathway. Combined with AB 2097 waiver, AB 2011 corridor projects near SacRT stations have very favorable entitlement path.
Non-applicable laws (2)
CA-BuildersRemedy-GC§65589.5(d)(5)under_review
Qualifying condition
Per HCD Housing Element Compliance Report dataset (Wave-4 lookup at _cache/hcd-housing-element-compliance.csv), Sacramento 6th-cycle Housing Element was reviewed 2021-12-22 with review_status = 'In' and compliance_status = 'In'. Housing Element IS certified by HCD. Therefore Builder's Remedy is NOT active for Sacramento in the current cycle. Sacramento was NOT on Governor Newsom's March 2026 final-warning list of 15 noncompliant jurisdictions — consistent with continued substantive compliance. | title=Builder's Remedy (Housing Accountability Act) ; effect_on_city=Currently dormant. Builder's Remedy would re-activate only if HCD decertifies the Housing Element (e.g., via APR non-compliance finding or missed RHNA milestones triggering enforcement). If re-activated: projects with 20% LI or 100% moderate-income would bypass all local zoning (height, density, FAR, use restrictions). Monitor HCD dashboard for status changes during 6th-cycle window (2021-2029). ; source_url=https://data.ca.gov/dataset/housing-element-compliance-report ; evidence=HCD Housing Element Compliance Report (2026-04-18 snapshot): review_status=In; compliance_status=In; cycle=6th; reviewed_date=2021-12-22.
CA-SB10under_review
Qualifying condition
SB 10 is permissive — authorizes but does not require cities to upzone to 10 units/parcel near transit or urban infill via simple resolution (CEQA-exempt). No evidence Sacramento has adopted an SB 10 resolution. Missing Middle Housing Ord. 2024-0027 (the city's landmark 2024 2-4 unit authorization) was adopted via standard rezone/ordinance procedure, NOT SB 10. Railyards Specific Plan also uses standard SPD entitlement, not SB 10. | title=SB 10 — Local Upzoning Authorization ; effect_on_city=None unless/until Sacramento adopts an SB 10 resolution. Missing Middle Housing Ord. 2024-0027 achieves similar density goals without the SB 10 procedural tool.

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

  • State capital context — significant CA state-owned property (Capitol grounds, state agencies, courts, Railyards portions) intermixed with private parcels throughout downtown and Midtown. State buildings subject to sovereign immunity from city zoning; parking/height/use exceptions common for state projects. Creates de facto overlay zone across downtown/Capitol Park area where city jurisdiction is limited.
  • Old Sacramento TRIPLE JURISDICTION — simultaneously a federal National Historic Landmark District (NPS jurisdiction), CA State Historic Park (CDPR jurisdiction), and city HP overlay. Design review must satisfy THREE regulatory sets; state/federal often stricter than city. Most heavily regulated historic area in California. Certificate of Appropriateness nearly always required for exterior work.
  • Missing Middle Housing Ord. 2024-0027 — Sacramento was the FIRST California city to allow 2-4 unit housing by-right in all single-family zones. Small-lot subdivision enabled on 1,200-2,899 sf lots in R-1/R-1A/R-1B/R-2. This is a LOCAL preemption of the city's own SF zoning (not a state preemption). Stacks with SB 9 — developers may choose either pathway. Eliminates most traditional SF-only regulation citywide; effectively retires R-1 as single-unit-only.
  • Railyards Specific Plan — 244-acre former UP Railyards site, LARGEST urban infill redevelopment project in California. Sub-overlay mixed-use zoning (RMUD, CMUD-1, CMUD-2, CSD, RCRD, TR) not used elsewhere in city. RMUD permits up to 250-450 du/ac — among highest densities in CA. Designed as car-light/car-free neighborhood (parking not required). Separate entitlement process from base Title 17. Development program: 10,000 residential units, 5.6M sf office/retail, 1,100 hotel rooms, 1.2M sf medical campus, potential MLS stadium.
  • Extensive SacRT light rail coverage — Gold Line (Folsom Corridor), Blue Line (Meadowview + Watt/I-80 branches), Green Line (Richards Blvd/Township 9). Creates very extensive AB 2097 parking-elimination buffer — estimated 60-70%+ of city area within ½ mi of qualifying transit stop. Plus Sacramento Valley Station multi-modal hub (Amtrak California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, San Joaquins) qualifying and future CA High-Speed Rail endpoint.
  • Historic district density — Sacramento has more locally designated historic districts than most CA cities (Old Sacramento, Midtown, Curtis Park, Newton Booth, Boulevard Park, Poverty Ridge) creating a complex overlay pattern across the Central City core. Each has its own Historic District Plan + adopted design guidelines layered on citywide Standards & Criteria baseline.
  • Setback reductions via Design Review — Standard setbacks (e.g., 20 ft front in R-1) can be reduced via Design Review process per §17.604. Encourages infill development on smaller parcels. Post-SB 330/AB 2097 era: objective design standards apply; not discretionary for qualifying streamlined projects (SB 423, AB 2011, Missing Middle Housing).
  • Sacramento + American River confluence — major flood exposure; F overlay covers both rivers plus tributaries (Steelhead Creek, Morrison Creek, Arcade Creek, Dry Creek). Subject to CA 200-year flood protection standard (SB 5, 2007) stricter than federal 100-year baseline. Affects Natomas (200-year non-compliant until levee upgrades), Pocket, South Sacramento, and river-adjacent parcels.
  • amlegal.com 403 platform behavior — codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/sacramentoca returns 403 Forbidden to scripted WebFetch (CA amlegal platform set, same behavior as downey-ca, long-beach-ca). Section text retrievable via WebSearch snippets and city planning PDFs; master dimensional tables (§17.204, §17.208, §17.440, §17.444, §17.608) require browser-based retrieval.
  • SMF + SAC airport ALUC overlay — Sacramento International (SMF, ~10 mi NW) and Sacramento Executive (SAC, south Sacramento) impose ALUC compatibility zones affecting portions of Natomas, North Sacramento, Freeport, and Meadowview. Height restrictions per FAA Part 77 and ALUC plan; noise/safety zone use restrictions for sensitive uses.
  • General Plan 2040 alignment — recent zoning code updates (Missing Middle Housing, TOD expansion, ADU amendments) align with 2040 General Plan growth and sustainability targets. Emphasis on infill, walkability, transit access, housing diversity. Creates occasional tension between neighborhood character (historic districts) and growth mandates — mitigated post-SB 330 via objective standards.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Grade to highest point of structure per §17.820 definitions; mechanical/rooftop appurtenances exclusions typical.
lot_coverage
Building footprint as % of lot area; primary + accessory structures typically included.
far
Gross floor area divided by lot area. Title 17 controls intensity primarily via density-encoded residential ranges and height/setback/FAR in commercial/CBD tiers; Railyards SPD uses custom FAR per module.
du_ac
Dwelling units per gross acre. R-2 through R-5 are density ranges; R-5 High-Rise has no upper cap in Missing Middle Housing context. Railyards RMUD permits 250–450 du/ac.
parking
Per-unit (residential) or per-1,000 GSF (commercial). Sacramento has extensive AB 2097 coverage via SacRT Gold/Blue/Green light rail lines — most of downtown, Midtown, Curtis Park, Oak Park, Fruitridge, and South Sacramento corridors fall within ½-mi of qualifying rail stops.
setback_front
Property line to nearest building face; Design Review can reduce for infill per §17.604.
setback_side
Property line to nearest building face.
setback_rear
Property line to nearest building face.

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage
max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far
buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2
buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft
missing_middle_override
Ord. 2024-0027 permits 2-4 unit housing by-right in R-1/R-1A/R-1B/R-2 on lots ≥1,200 sf; small-lot subdivision enabled. Stacks with SB 9.
railyards_spd_override
Within Railyards Specific Plan boundary, custom dimensional standards per subzone (RMUD, CMUD-1, CMUD-2, CSD, RCRD) supersede base Title 17 districts. RMUD max density 250–450 du/ac.

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

Sources & references

Primary source
Sacramento City Code Title 17 — Planning and Development Code
amlegal latest; through 2026 ordinances (incl. Ord. 2024-0027 Missing Middle Housing) · retrieved 2026-04-19
Citations
  1. [1] §17.204
  2. [2] §17.204
  3. [3] §17.204
  4. [4] §17.204
  5. [5] §17.204
  6. [6] §17.204
  7. [7] §17.204
  8. [8] §17.608
  9. [9] §17.204.310
  10. [10] §17.204.310
  11. [11] §17.204.310
  12. [12] §17.204.310
  13. [13] §17.204.310
  14. [14] §17.204.310
  15. [15] §17.204.310
  16. [16] §17.608
  17. [17] §17.204
  18. [18] §17.204
  19. [19] §17.204
  20. [20] (Ord. 2024-0027)
  21. [21] §17.204
  22. [22] §17.204
  23. [23] §17.608
  24. [24] §17.204.510
  25. [25] §17.204.510
  26. [26] §17.204.510
  27. [27] §17.204.510
  28. [28] §17.204.510
  29. [29] §17.204.510
  30. [30] §17.608
  31. [31] §17.208.110
  32. [32] §17.208.110
  33. [33] §17.208.110
  34. [34] §17.208.110
  35. [35] §17.208.110
  36. [36] §17.208.110
  37. [37] §17.208.110
  38. [38] §17.608
  39. [39] §17.208.210
  40. [40] §17.208.210
  41. [41] §17.208.210
  42. [42] §17.208.210
  43. [43] §17.208.210
  44. [44] §17.208.210
  45. [45] §17.208.210
  46. [46] §17.608
  47. [47] §17.208.310
  48. [48] §17.208.310
  49. [49] §17.208.310
  50. [50] §17.208.310
  51. [51] §17.208.310
  52. [52] §17.208.310
  53. [53] §17.208.310
  54. [54] §17.608
  55. [55] §17.208
  56. [56] §17.208
  57. [57] §17.208
  58. [58] §17.208
  59. [59] §17.208
  60. [60] §17.208
  61. [61] §17.608
  62. [62] §17.208
  63. [63] §17.208
  64. [64] §17.208
  65. [65] §17.208
  66. [66] §17.208
  67. [67] §17.208
  68. [68] §17.608
  69. [69] §17.204
  70. [70] §17.204
  71. [71] §17.204
  72. [72] §17.204
  73. [73] §17.204
  74. [74] §17.204
  75. [75] §17.204
  76. [76] §17.608
  77. [77] §17.440.060
  78. [78] §17.440.060
  79. [79] §17.444.090
  80. [80] §17.444.090
  81. [81] §17.608
  82. [82] §17.444.091
  83. [83] §17.444.091
  84. [84] §17.444.091
  85. [85] §17.444.091
  86. [86] §17.608
  87. [87] §17.444.110
  88. [88] §17.608
  89. [89] §17.444
  90. [90] §17.444
  91. [91] §17.444
  92. [92] §17.444.120
  93. [93] §17.604
  94. [94] §17.604
  95. [95] §17.604
  96. [96] §17.604
  97. [97] §17.604
  98. [98] §17.604

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedsource.primary_url = https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/sacramentoca/latest/sacramento_ca ; canonical codified source (amlegal 403-gated to scripted fetch but is the authoritative publisher URL); fallback at cityofsacramento.gov/community-development/planning; not an aggregator domain.
no aggregator citedpassedRecord scan found no Zoneomics/Steadily/SitePlanGuide/SitePlanCreator/Propwire/Zonara/Unzoned references. All citations point to Title 17 §-references, California Government Code, CA Public Utilities Code, CA HCD datasets, Railyards Specific Plan, or official city/county domains.
confidence tags full formpassedAll confirmed claims carry c§X.XX form (c§17.204, c§17.204.310, c§17.204.510, c§17.440.060, c§17.440.090, c§17.440.104, c§17.444.090, c§17.444.110, c§17.604) or GC §-form for state-preemption entries. Partial claims carry explicit p§ tokens; inferred carry i§ tokens. No bare [confirmed] tags.
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed6/6 overlays (HP, TO, F, DR, SPD-Railyards, AI) have non-empty parameters object (≥4 keys each), explicit geographic_trigger string, explicit status, explicit citation. 3/6 status=confirmed (HP, F, DR); 3/6 status=partial with search_performed + retrieval_failure_reason narratives (TO, SPD-Railyards, AI).
preempt section city specificpassedstate_preemptions_applicable[] contains 8 per-law CA entries (ADU, SB 9, Density Bonus, AB 2097, SB 423, AB 2011, Builder's Remedy, SB 10). Each has qualifying_condition_checked narrative specific to Sacramento (SacRT Gold/Blue/Green Line station list, Sacramento Valley Station multi-modal hub, American/Sacramento River + tributary F overlay, Old Sacramento triple jurisdiction + five additional historic districts, Missing Middle Housing Ord. 2024-0027 local preemption interaction, Railyards SPD, SACOG 6th-cycle RHNA 24,101 allocation, HCD In/In certification). SB 423 tier 10% and Builder's Remedy not-applicable both sourced from HCD dataset primary data (not roster trust). Not a link-stub (>>500 chars).

Data quality

55%completeness28 confirmed24 partial8 inferred
Documented gaps
  • Full §17.204 residential base-district dimensional tables (R-2, R-2A, R-2B, R-3, R-4, R-5 detailed du/ac ranges, height caps, setbacks) not retrieved live — amlegal 403 blocks chapter-level fetch.
  • §17.208 multifamily dimensional table not retrieved live.
  • §17.440 / §17.444 commercial and industrial dimensional tables (C-3 CBD height/FAR detail, OB-1/2/3 breakdown, RMX detail, M-1/M-2 detail) not retrieved live.
  • §17.608 parking ratios by use type — full matrix not retrieved live.
  • §17.604 Design Review procedural detail — Design Review Board jurisdiction, Planning Director admin level triggers not retrieved live.
  • Railyards Specific Plan per-subzone dimensional tables (RMUD/CMUD-1/CMUD-2 height, FAR, setback caps) not retrieved live — SPD document is multi-hundred-page PDF requiring browser retrieval.
  • Sacramento County ALUC Compatibility Plan zone boundaries within city limits not retrieved live.
  • Historic District Plan dimensional standards (per-district CoA criteria — height, setback, massing exceptions) not retrieved live for each of six locally designated districts.
  • Missing Middle Housing Ord. 2024-0027 detailed implementing regulations (small-lot subdivision dimensional criteria, design standards) not retrieved live from full ordinance text.

Known issues

cohort:needs-dom-retrievalfreshness:volatileblocker:amlegaldata:gaps-present

Verification

last_verified_at2026-04-19T00:00:00Z
verifier_specialistverification-pass
verifier_version1.0
verification_resultpassed
atomic_claims_checked52
atomic_claims_passed52
atomic_claims_failed0
failed_claims
narrative_refnarratives/sacramento-ca/sac-2026-04-19-v2.json

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