Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Emeryville, California

Emeryville’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Emeryville city limits: the city's own zoning ordinance (Title 9 planning regulations, chapter 9-3 zoning districts) governs the residential zones RM, RMH and RH.

  • Title 9 planning regulations (9-1.101 to 9-8.226) are the city's adopted code on eCode360; zoning sits in chapter 9-3 and development standards in chapter 9-4.
  • Residential uses are allowed in the residential zones only as the zone regulations and conditional use permit findings in chapter 9-3 provide; ground-floor limits apply to listed commercial and institutional uses in those zones.
  • Source text is the eCode360 version through the 06-02-2026 legislation stamp shown on the index page.

  “for purposes of these regulations, the residential zones include the following zoning districts: rm medium density residential rmh medium-high density residential rh high density residential”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Emeryville city limits (base zones, mixed-use zones, office/technology zones, industrial zones, P, M, SM, PUD and UT zones).

  • Residential zones are RM Medium Density Residential, RMH Medium-High Density Residential and RH High Density Residential.
  • Mixed-use zones are MUR, MURS and MUN; office/technology zones are OT and OT/DH; industrial zones are INL and INH.
  • Overlay zones are also established by chapter 9-3 (not fully enumerated here).

  “for purposes of these regulations, the mixed use zones include the following zoning districts: mur mixed use with residential murs mixed use with residential south mun mixed use with nonresidential”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures in the residential zones RM, RMH and RH inside Emeryville city limits, and all other zones; the height limit is set by the general plan height map designation for each parcel, not by zoning name alone.

  • Maximum height is set by the general plan height map designation shown in table 9-4.202(a).
  • Bonus height above the base limit is available only by conditional use permit under section 9-4.204; the city's bonus-height procedure is in that section.
  • If a lot lies in two or more height districts, the limit for each portion applies unless a conditional use permit under 9-4.202(d) allows the whole-lot maximum.

  maximum permitted height, base, map designation 30: 30 feet (no bonus height shown for this designation) · maximum permitted height, base, map designation 30/55: 30 feet (bonus up to 55 feet by conditional use permit) · maximum permitted height, base, map designation 40/75: 40 feet (bonus up to 75 feet by conditional use permit) · maximum permitted height, base, map designation 50/100: 50 feet (bonus up to 100 feet by conditional use permit) · maximum permitted height, base, map designation 75/100+: 75 feet (bonus to over 100 feet by conditional use permit)

  “the maximum height of buildings and structures shall be as prescribed on the general plan height map”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Emeryville or Alameda County directly.

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new dwellings inside Emeryville city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Emeryville city limits.
• Building code adopted — Adoption of building codes inside Emeryville city limits.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Emeryville city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Emeryville city limits.

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Emeryville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.