Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Arcadia, California

Arcadia’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Arcadia city limits; city Development Code (Municipal Code Article IX, Division 9 Chapter 1)

  “New land uses and structures, and alterations to existing land uses and structures, shall be designed, constructed, and/or established in compliance with the requirements in Tables 2-1”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Residential zones inside Arcadia city

  • Mixed Use Zones and Residential Flex Overlay zones are separate from the residential zones.

  residential zones: R-M, R-0, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-3-R

  “Residential Zones include R-M, R-0, R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-3-R, but do not include Mixed Use Zones or Residential Flex Overlay zones.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 single-family residential zone inside Arcadia city (R-1-15,000, R-1-10,000, R-1-7,500 sub-zones)

  • Minimum lot width at front property line is 75 ft (44 ft for cul-de-sac lots).
  • Minimum lot depth is 100 ft.
  • R-M has a 15,000 sq ft minimum, and R-0 sub-zones run from 12,500 to 30,000 sq ft.

  R-1 minimum lot area: 7,500 / 10,000 / 15,000 by sub-zone sq ft

  “R-1-15,000: 15,000 R-1-10,000: 10,000 R-1-7,500: 7,500”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 single-family residential zone inside Arcadia city

  • Setbacks differ in R-M and R-0 (front 25 ft and 35 ft).
  • Additional rear setback applies for lots deeper than 150 ft.
  • See Subsections 9102.01.040, 9103.01.060 and 9102.01.050 for exceptions and projections.

  R-1 front setback: >= 25 ft · R-1 rear setback, first/single story: >= 25 ft · R-1 rear setback, second story: >= 35 ft

  “rear - first or single story 25 ft 35 ft 25 ft additional rear setback of one foot required on each story for every 10 feet above 150 feet of lot depth.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-M, R-0 and R-1 single-family zones inside Arcadia city (same limits in all three)

  • A separate maximum floor area schedule also applies, with different tables north and south of Huntington Drive and in named HOA areas.

  max lot coverage, 1-story dwellings: <= 45 percent · max lot coverage, 2-story dwellings: <= 35 percent

  “maximum lot coverage 1-story dwellings 45% 45% 45% 2-story dwellings 35% 35% 35%”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 single-family residential zone inside Arcadia city

  • Maximum 2 stories; exposed basements count as a story.
  • R-M height is graduated by lot width, up to 35 ft.

  R-1 max height, lot width under 75 ft: <= 25 ft · R-1 max height, lot width 75 ft or more: <= 30 ft

  “citywide: 25 ft for lots with less than 75-foot lot width; 30 ft for lots with 75-foot width or greater”

• Camping on your landProhibited

  Camping on PUBLIC property inside Arcadia city

  • Applies to public property only, except as otherwise provided in the chapter or mandated by applicable law.
  • Camping on private land is not addressed in the supplied sections.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, use camp paraphernalia, or use public utilities on any public property within the City”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  All proposed construction or development inside Arcadia city, including placement of manufactured homes

  • The permit is used to determine whether the development is within flood-prone areas.
  • Subdivisions and new development in flood-prone areas must minimize flood damage and provide adequate drainage (Sec. 3023).

  “A development permit shall be obtained for all proposed construction or other development in the City, including the placement of manufactured homes”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Arcadia or Los Angeles County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside Arcadia city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder rules inside Arcadia city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Arcadia city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Arcadia city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Arcadia city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.