YARD REQUIREMENTS AND EXCEPTIONS

Riverside Municipal Code tit. 19, art. VIII, ch. 19.630

in effect

Riverside Municipal Code § 19.630.010 Purpose.

19.630.010 - Purpose. This chapter establishes standards for setback measurement and required yard areas. These provisions, in conjunction with other applicable provisions of this title, are intended to ensure open areas around primary structures; maintain clear visibility for traffic safety and pedestrian access; buffer incompatible land uses; and establish natural and visual light and air space for privacy, landscaping, and recreation. (Ord. 7331 §99, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)

Riverside Municipal Code § 19.630.020 Required yard areas by zones.

19.630.020 - Required yard areas by zones. The required yard area (front, interior side, street side, and rear) of a lot is the horizontal area between the property line and the minimum building setback distance required for the specific zone in question. Except as otherwise specified in this title, required yard areas shall be kept open and unobstructed from the ground upwards, free of any buildings and structures. (Ord. 7331 §99, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)

Riverside Municipal Code § 19.630.030 Building setback measurements.

19.630.030 - Building setback measurements. A. General. Except as otherwise specified in this section, all building setback distances shall be measured at right angles from the designated property line, and the building setback line shall be drawn parallel to the designated property line at the required building setback distance. [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 19.630.030.A Building Setback Measurements B. Front yard setbacks. The front setback building line is a line parallel to the front property line abutting the street, at a minimum distance specified by the base zone measured at right angles from the front property line, except as follows: [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 19.630.030 B Front Yard Setbacks 1. Corner lots. The front yard setback shall be measured from the narrowest street frontage, subject to approval of the Community & Economic Development Director or his/her designee. Where a lot or parcel of land at the junction of two intersecting streets in any residential zone has frontage on each street over 130 feet in length, front yards of the depth required in the appropriate zone shall be required on both frontages. The Community & Economic Development Director or his/her designee may determine that the front setback shall be established from the longer street frontage if the primary orientation of the building is to that frontage. 2. Flag lots. Regardless of the orientation of the main building, the measurement shall be taken from a parallel line established where the access strip meets the buildable area of the parcel closest to the public street or right-of-way. 3. Through lots. The front yard setback on the street side of a through lot is a line parallel to the property line abutting both streets. In other words, a through lot has two front yards. [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 19.630.030.B Front Yard Setbacks 4. Averaging. For the R-1-7000 Zone, where lots comprising 50 percent or more of the frontage on one side of a street between intersecting streets are developed with front yards setbacks of a greater depth. The average of such front yard setbacks shall establish the front yard setback for the entire frontage on that side of the street within that block. C. Side yard setbacks. The side setback building lines are the lines parallel to the side yard property lines and perpendicular to the front and rear property lines, at a minimum distance specified by the base zone and measured horizontally from the nearest part of the side lot line to the main building. [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 19.630.030.C Side Yard Setbacks D. Rear yard setback. The rear setback building line is a line parallel to the rear property line, at a minimum distance specified by the base zone measured at right angles from the rear property line, that extends between the side yards, except as follows: 1. Irregular, triangular or gore shaped lots. The rear yard setback is measured from a line that is opposite, parallel to and at a maximum distance form the front building setback line, having a length of not less than 10 feet. [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 19.630.030.D.2 Rear Yard Setback—Gore Lot (Ord. 7331 §99, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)

Riverside Municipal Code § 19.630.040 Permitted projections into required yards.

19.630.040 - Permitted projections into required yards. A. Cornices, eaves, belt courses, sills bay windows, buttresses, or other similar architectural features may project up to four feet into a required front yard area and may project into a required side or rear yard area up to four inches per one foot of width of such yard. B. Fire escapes may project up to four feet into any required yard area. C. Open, unenclosed, and uncovered staircases or balconies may project up to two and one-half feet into any required yard area. D. Single-story porches may encroach into the required front yard up to 20 percent of the yard length or six feet, whichever is less. E. Permitted projections into required yards for RA-5, RE, RR and R-1 Zones. 1. Flexible yard setbacks. a. In the R-1 Zones, on local streets only, where the residential structure has the garage set back ten or more feet from the required front yard setback, the habitable portion of the residential structure may extend into the front setback up to a maximum of five feet. b. In conjunction with the consideration of a tentative tract or parcel map in the R-1-7000 Zone, interior side yard setbacks may be reduced to five feet provided a minimum distance of 15 feet is maintained between adjacent dwellings. c. In the R-1 Zones, portions of the dwelling may encroach up to ten feet into the required rear yard setback provided that the encroachment does not exceed 500 square feet in total area. 2. Additions to established dwellings. For lawfully established dwellings that do not conform to the side yards required in the RC, RR, RE and R-1 Zones additions may be constructed within such required side yards if such additions are located not closer to the side lot line than the existing dwelling; provided, that in no case shall such additions be located closer than five feet to interior side lot lines or ten feet to street side lot lines. 3. Garage in the R-1-7000 Zone. In the R-1-7000 Zone, a garage that is an integral part of the main dwelling may be located not closer than five feet to any interior side lot line. F. A minimum distance of three feet shall be maintained between all projections and any property line. (Ord. 7652 § 13, 2023; Ord. 7331 §99, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)

Riverside Municipal Code § 19.630.050 Residential rear yard paving requirements.

19.630.050 - Residential rear yard paving requirements. No more than 1,000 square feet of the rear yard shall be paved, or 25 percent of the rear yard area, which ever is less, for parking purposes. A paved driveway must extend to the parking area from a public street or alley. Parking areas greater than 25 percent of the rear yard area or 1,000 square feet which ever is less may be considered under a Minor Conditional Use Permit. (Ord. 7331 §99, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)

Source: City of Riverside, California, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TIT19ZO_ARTVIIISIPLGEDEPR_CH19.630YAREEXFetched: 11/1/2026