Bolthole Index

San Mateo County, California

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Pacifica, California

Inside Pacifica, California, the City of Pacifica runs building permits through its Building Division and sets zoning through its Planning Division123. San Mateo County leaves permitting inside incorporated cities to the cities4. Septic permits and well permits in San Mateo County come from County Environmental Health56; how that applies to a specific Pacifica lot is something we could not confirm.

At a glance

Building permits
Issued by the City of Pacifica Building Division, with the 2025 California Residential Code adopted72
Zoning
City zoning under Title 9, Chapter 4 of the Pacifica Code1
R-1 minimum lot
5,000 sq ft building site, 50 ft wide8
R-M minimum lot
5 acres9
Septic and wells
County Environmental Health permits septic systems and wells countywide56
RV living
State rule limits RVs to parks unless a local ordinance allows more; Pacifica's private-land rule unconfirmed10
Owner-builder
State licensing exemption exists; it does not remove the permit requirement11

Who to call

Building permits

City of Pacifica Community Development, Building Division

Building permit applications, plan review and inspections inside Pacifica city limits

650-738-7341

permittech@pacifica.gov

1800 Francisco Boulevard Pacifica, CA 94044

Zoning

City of Pacifica Community Development, Planning Division

Zoning, planning permits and the zoning ordinance inside Pacifica city limits

650-738-7341

planningdivision@pacifica.gov

1800 Francisco Boulevard Pacifica, CA 94044

Septic permits

San Mateo County Environmental Health Services

Septic (OWTS) permits and water-well drilling permits in San Mateo County

(650) 372-6200

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Pacifica, California have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The City of Pacifica sets its own zoning for land inside city limits, codified in Title 9, Chapter 4 of the Pacifica Code1. San Mateo County's own zoning maps cover only unincorporated land, and the county tells city residents to contact the city's Planning Department12.

Standards depend on the district. In the R-1 Single-Family Residential District, the minimum building site is 5,000 square feet and the minimum lot width is 50 feet8. R-1 lots need a front setback of 15 feet, or 20 feet to a garage entrance13, and structures may cover at most 40 percent of the lot14. The maximum height is 35 feet, or 12 feet for a detached accessory building15.

In the R-M Resource Management District, the minimum lot size is 5 acres, with density limited by slope, flood, landslide, fault and remoteness criteria9. R-M yards are 50 feet at the front and 20 feet at the sides and rear16, and the height limit is 35 feet17.

Do you need a building permit in Pacifica, and who issues it?

Inside Pacifica city limits, the city issues building permits, not San Mateo County; the county states that incorporated cities and towns administer their own permitting4. Pacifica has adopted the California Residential Code, 2025 Edition, with city amendments7. The Building Division says most building permits can be applied for online through the city's online permit portal2.

The code sections we reviewed do not list which small projects are exempt from a building permit, so ask the Building Division before starting any work. California's owner-builder exemption covers contractor licensing only and does not itself remove a building-permit requirement11.

How do you reach the Pacifica Building Division and Planning Division?

The Pacifica Building Division and Planning Division both list the office at 1800 Francisco Boulevard and the phone number 650-738-734123. Email permittech@pacifica.gov for building permits2 and planningdivision@pacifica.gov for planning and zoning questions3.

Building inspections are scheduled by calling the Building Inspection Hotline at (650) 737-10002. Planning applications that need a hearing go to the zoning administrator3.

How do septic permits work inside Pacifica?

San Mateo County Environmental Health, not the City of Pacifica's Building Division, issues septic permits in the county: anyone installing an individual sewage disposal system needs an Environmental Health permit5. Environmental Health also observes and approves installation, repair, alteration or destruction work18. The county says the only approved on-site system in San Mateo County is a septic system where no municipal sewer exists19.

We could not confirm whether a particular Pacifica address is on the municipal sewer, so ask Environmental Health at (650) 372-6200 before relying on a septic system20. Well drilling in the county also needs an Environmental Health permit6.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Pacifica?

We could not confirm Pacifica's rule for living in an RV on private land inside city limits. Under state guidance, RVs generally may be occupied only in mobilehome parks or special occupancy parks unless a local ordinance allows otherwise10. Ask the Planning Division whether any Pacifica ordinance allows it.

For tiny homes, Pacifica's adopted residential code includes Appendix BB (Tiny Homes)7, but we could not find the zoning rule on where a tiny home may be occupied. Confirm with the Planning Division before buying. Flood rules also apply to anything built in a mapped flood hazard area21.

Building a home in Pacifica: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district (R-1, R-M or another) with the Planning Division, and check lot size and setbacks13.
  2. Ask whether the lot is on the municipal sewer; if not, contact County Environmental Health about a septic permit520.
  3. Check flood hazard mapping, because development in flood hazard areas carries city standards21.
  4. Apply for the building permit through the city's online permit portal2.
  5. Schedule inspections through the Building Inspection Hotline2.

What stays with San Mateo County, and what to check before you buy in Pacifica?

County Environmental Health keeps septic and well permits56. For land outside Pacifica's city limits, the county's own rules apply; see the San Mateo County page.

On cost, San Mateo County's effective property tax rate is about 0.6 percent22. Before you buy, confirm the zoning district, sewer status, flood zone and permit exemptions with the offices above.

Watch-outs

  • Inside Pacifica, San Mateo County's unincorporated-area zoning and building rules do not apply; use the city's Planning and Building Divisions123.
  • We could not confirm Pacifica's rules for living in an RV or tiny home on private land, so ask the Planning Division before relying on either10.
  • Larger developments in flood hazard areas must identify the special flood hazard area and base flood elevation21.

Sources

  1. Pacifica Code Sec. 9-4.402 R-1 Development regulations (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Pacifica Community Development, Building Division (cityofpacifica.org)
  3. City of Pacifica Community Development, Planning Division (cityofpacifica.org)
  4. Apply for a Permit, quoted and re-checked
  5. Land Use, Septic & Wells, quoted and re-checked
  6. Land Use, Septic & Wells, quoted and re-checked
  7. Pacifica Code Sec. 8-7.5.01 Adoption of the California Residential Code (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  8. Pacifica Code Sec. 9-4.402 R-1 Development regulations (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  9. Pacifica Code Sec. 9-4.2152 R-M Development regulations (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  10. hcd.ca.gov (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Owner-Builder Overview, quoted and re-checked
  12. Get Zoning Information, quoted and re-checked
  13. Pacifica Code Sec. 9-4.402 R-1 Development regulations (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  14. Pacifica Code Sec. 9-4.402 R-1 Development regulations (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  15. Pacifica Code Sec. 9-4.402 R-1 Development regulations (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  16. Pacifica Code Sec. 9-4.2152 R-M Development regulations (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  17. Pacifica Code Sec. 9-4.2152 R-M Development regulations (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  18. Land Use, Septic & Wells, quoted and re-checked
  19. Land Use, Septic & Wells, quoted and re-checked
  20. San Mateo County Environmental Health Services (smcgov.org)
  21. Pacifica Code Sec. 7-5.503 Flood standards for subdivisions and other development (Pacifica), quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Pacifica

Pacifica’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Residential buildings inside Pacifica city

    • Adopted with city amendments, additions and deletions
    • Appendices BF, BO, BG, BB (Tiny Homes), CI and CJ included
    • Adopted subject to amendments by the Building Standards Commission
    “of that certain code designated as the California Residential Code, 2025 Edition [Title 24, California Code of Regulations, Part 2.5]”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Pacifica city limits

    • Zoning codified at Title 9, Chapter 4 of the Pacifica Code
    “Development regulations in the R-1 District shall be as follows:”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Pacifica city

    • Minimum lot width 50 feet
    • Nonconforming lots see Sec. 9-4.3002

    minimum building site area: >= 5000 sq ft

    “(a) Minimum building site area: 5,000 square feet; (b) Minimum lot area per dwelling unit: 5,000 square feet; (c) Minimum lot width: fifty (50′) feet;”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Pacifica city

    • Side 5 ft; corner-lot exterior side 10 ft (street side entrance 20 ft); rear 20 ft
    • Nondwelling accessory buildings 1.5 ft from side/rear line within rear setback

    front setback: >= 15 ft (20 ft to garage entrance)

    “(d) Minimum front setback: fifteen (15′) feet; however, the minimum front setback to a garage entrance shall be twenty (20′) feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Pacifica city

    • Minimum landscaped area 20 percent

    maximum lot coverage by all structures: <= 40 percent

    “(h) Maximum lot coverage by all structures: forty (40%) percent; (i) Minimum landscaped area: twenty (20%) percent.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Pacifica city

    • Detached accessory building maximum 12 ft

    maximum height: <= 35 ft (12 ft for detached accessory building)

    “(j) Maximum height: thirty-five (35′) feet; however, the maximum height for a detached accessory building shall be twelve (12′) feet;”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Subdivisions and development in flood hazard areas inside Pacifica city

    • Proposals greater than four lots or one-half acre must identify SFHA and BFE (Sec. 7-5.503(a))
    “(a) All new subdivision proposals and other proposed development, including proposals for manufactured home parks and subdivisions, greater than four (4) lots or one-half (½) acre, whichever is the lesser, shall: (1) Identify the special flood hazard areas (SFHA) and base flood elevations (BFE).”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Pacifica or San Mateo County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Pacifica city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder inside Pacifica city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Pacifica city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Pacifica city
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Pacifica city
16 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Pacifica publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. San Mateo County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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