Zoning regulations specify whether zones can be used for residential,commercial, institutional or open space purposes, that may also regulate lot size, placement, bulk (or density) and the height of structures.
Zoning consists of dividing a particular region of land into districts or zones and specifying the types of land uses that are allowed and prohibited for each zone. This is performed by the County and is typically specific to certain unincorporated areas. Zoning, in its basic form, attempts to separate residential property use from other property uses.
An ordinance was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on October 8th, 2024, that repeals Division VI (Planning and Subdivision Regulations), Division VII (Building Regulations), and Division VIII (Natural Resources Protection) of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code and replaces those provisions with Title 8 -Development Code, Title 9 - Subdivision Regulations, and Title 10 - Building Regulations. The purpose of the project is to reorganize the Planning and Building regulations and reincorporate them into the current County Ordinance Code, which is codified as Titles 1 through 7 and hosted and maintained by the Municode company. For more information, please review our County Ordinance Code Update page.