Caldwell Zoning Guide

R-1 Single-Family Residential District permits single-family detached dwellings on minimum 6,000 sq ft lots with 50-foot minimum width. Minimum setbacks: 20 feet front, 5 feet side, 20 feet rear. Maximum height 35 feet.

Investor implication: R-1 is the baseline single-family district across most of North Caldwell and the College of Idaho area. Lot-split plays require 12,000+ sq ft parent parcels to yield two conforming lots.

R-2 Medium-Density Residential District permits single-family detached, duplexes, and townhomes. Minimum lot size 5,000 sq ft for single-family, 3,000 sq ft per unit for duplex. Setbacks: 15 feet front, 5 feet side, 15 feet rear. Maximum height 35 feet.

Investor implication: R-2 unlocks duplex-by-right on 6,000+ sq ft lots. Downtown Caldwell and the Cleveland Boulevard corridor carry R-2 pockets where duplex infill pencils at $180-$220/sqft delivered basis.

RM Residential Multi-Family District permits single-family, duplex, townhomes, and multi-family up to 20 units per acre. Minimum lot size 2,500 sq ft per unit. Setbacks: 15 feet front, 10 feet side (20 feet if adjacent to single-family), 15 feet rear. Maximum height 45 feet.

Investor implication: RM is the primary multifamily entitlement district. Downtown Caldwell redevelopment overlay permits RM up to 4 stories; 2-4 unit small-format product is the dominant investor play at 6.5-7.5% stabilized caps.

CC Community Commercial District permits retail, office, service commercial, and mixed-use residential above ground floor. Residential density up to 20 units per acre when combined with commercial. No minimum lot size for commercial; 2,500 sq ft per unit for residential component. Maximum height 45 feet (60 feet with conditional use permit).

Investor implication: CC anchors the Indian Creek Plaza district and Cleveland Boulevard commercial corridor. Mixed-use residential-over-retail is permitted by-right; the 60-foot CUP height allowance unlocks 4-story product in the downtown core.

A Agricultural District permits agricultural uses, single-family dwellings on minimum 1-acre lots, and farm-related structures. Residential density limited to 1 unit per acre unless rezoned or annexed with approved development plan.

Investor implication: A-zoned parcels dominate the southern expansion edge along Highway 20-26 and Lake Avenue. Entitlement path requires annexation into city limits plus rezone to R-1, R-2, or RM. Water rights and Pioneer Irrigation / Black Canyon standing are the top diligence lines before any ag-to-residential conversion.

Downtown Redevelopment Overlay permits mixed-use development up to 4 stories (60 feet) by-right in the Indian Creek Plaza district. Ground-floor commercial required on primary street frontages. Residential density up to 30 units per acre. Reduced parking requirements: 1 space per residential unit, 1 space per 400 sq ft commercial.

Investor implication: The overlay unlocks the highest-density infill product in Caldwell. Indian Creek Plaza phase-2 expansion and the brewery-row corridor are the active deal zones; reduced parking requirements materially improve pro formas on constrained downtown parcels.

When a parcel is split by two or more zoning districts, the regulations of each district apply to the respective portions of the parcel. Subdivision or lot split creating new parcels must result in each new parcel being entirely within one zoning district unless approved through planned unit development process.

Investor implication: Split-zoned parcels on the R-1/R-2 boundary or A/R-1 transition edge require careful subdivision design. The PUD path adds 90-180 days to entitlement but unlocks flexibility when the zoning line bisects an otherwise viable development parcel.

Article 12 ADU regulations updated July 2025 to remove owner-occupancy requirement and cap detached ADUs at 900 sq ft or 2 bedrooms, whichever is more restrictive. Up to 2 ADUs permitted per lot in R-1, R-2, and RM districts. Junior ADUs (attached, up to 500 sq ft) permitted in addition to detached ADU.

Investor implication: The owner-occupancy removal unlocks ADU plays on investor-owned rental stock. The 900 sqft / 2BR cap is tighter than Boise's 70%-of-primary rule but still pencils on standard 1,400-1,600 sqft North Caldwell SFH product.