The lowest point of finished or natural grade within five feet of the building perimeter. The reference point from which building height is measured.
Plan Check Language Library
The Language of Plan Check,
Defined.
A reference library of the technical terms and code citations that LADBS plan checkers use day-to-day. Each entry is a building designer’s plain-English read on a term that appears repeatedly in correction sheets, with the code citation, what triggers it, and links to related concepts.
City of Los Angeles
Encroachment Plane
An invisible 45-degree plane sloping inward from the required front and side yard setbacks. Buildings cannot intersect it.
City of Los Angeles
Hillside Grading Area
The geographic area where stricter grading rules apply. Triggers haul route hearings, grading bonds, and pre-inspection reports.
City of Los Angeles
Maximum Envelope Height
The vertical distance from Hillside Area Grade to a projected plane at the roof. The Baseline Hillside Ordinance height ceiling.
City of Los Angeles
Prevailing Setback
A required front yard setback determined by averaging the setbacks of nearby existing homes on the block. Replaces the zone’s default in many cases.
City of Los Angeles
Residential Floor Area (RFA)
The total floor area count that determines whether a project meets the Baseline Mansionization or Baseline Hillside Ordinance size cap. Includes attics over 7 feet, parking, basements, and more.
City of Los Angeles
RFA Bonus
A 20 percent increase to the maximum Residential Floor Area, available through one of several design-discipline options. Only one bonus per property.
City of Los Angeles
Side Wall Plane Break
The five-foot offset required on side walls taller than 14 feet and longer than 45 feet, in any City of LA R1 zone. The rule that reshapes second-story additions.
City of Los Angeles
Slope Band Analysis
A topographic study that classifies a hillside lot’s area into slope categories. Determines the Maximum Residential Floor Area under the Baseline Hillside Ordinance.
City of Los Angeles
Substandard Hillside Limited Street
A street with reduced roadway width that triggers tighter setbacks, smaller grading limits, fire sprinkler requirements, and discretionary review.