Commercial Real Estate in Galt: Highway Commercial, Downtown Districts and Industrial Land

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Galt is an incorporated city in southern Sacramento County, so its commercial property is governed by the Galt Development Code (Title 18), not the County Zoning Code. Business land falls into four groups: neighborhood and freeway-oriented commercial zones, an office-professional zone, a set of downtown districts around the historic core, and two industrial zones. Confirm the zone and any planned development overlay for each parcel with Galt’s Community Development Department before relying on this page.

Who controls the parcel

Inside city limits, the Galt Development Code controls use and design. The farmland around the city is unincorporated, so a parcel just outside the line follows Sacramento County agricultural zoning, County business licensing and County permit review instead; see our Sacramento County commercial guide. Check the assessor parcel number against the city zoning map rather than trusting a Galt mailing address.

Chapter 18.12 sets up residential, commercial, mixed-use, downtown, industrial and special-purpose base districts. Six are commercial or industrial (C, HC, OP, LM, M and the downtown DC), MU and DMU mix housing with business, and the only combining district is PD, planned development, which can tailor standards for a specific project.

Galt zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

District	Intended uses	Notes
C Commercial	Low to medium intensity retail, office, entertainment and services for nearby neighborhoods	50 ft. Hotels permitted. Apartments of 3+ units and live/work by conditional use permit
HC Highway Commercial	Larger lots on freeway frontage roads and at ramps: regional shopping, restaurants, hotels	50 ft. Auto repair permitted; car wash by minor use permit; RV park by CUP. No housing
OP Office-Professional	Offices, R&D and business parks in a campus setting on arterials and collectors	50 ft. Retail only in support of offices. Bars by CUP
DC Downtown Commercial	Retail and office for residents and visitors, centered on the historic core	Restaurants, bars, hotels and offices permitted. Gas stations and car washes by CUP
DMU Downtown Mixed Use	Apartments combined with small offices and services	Generally 8–14 units per acre. Gas stations and car washes prohibited
LM Light Industrial	Light manufacturing of mostly finished materials, auto service, construction trades, outdoor storage	100 ft. 10,000 sq ft lots. Major manufacturing and truck terminals by CUP
M Industrial	Medium to heavy processing and assembly warehousing	100 ft. Truck terminals and major manufacturing permitted. No housing

Highway Commercial, the C zone and office land

Chapter 18.20 was repealed and replaced by Ordinance 2015-05 on June 16, 2015. Its use table makes the three districts noticeably different for buyers:

Shopping centers and big boxes. Shopping centers are permitted in C and HC but not OP. A superstore over 100,000 square feet is permitted in C and HC subject to design review. Discount, grocery and liquor stores need a conditional use permit in both.
Food and drink. Cafes and fast food without a drive-through are permitted in all three districts, but a drive-through needs a conditional use permit everywhere. Bars, taverns, breweries and wine tasting are permitted in C and HC; a winery or distillery needs a CUP in C and is not allowed in HC.
Auto uses. Auto and RV sales and gas stations are permitted in C and HC. Auto repair is permitted in HC but needs a CUP in C.
Lodging. Hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts are permitted in C and HC.

Design and operations. Facades longer than 50 feet need projections or recesses, and at least 60% of a ground-floor street facade needs windows, arcades, awnings or similar features. Deliveries, loading and trash collection are barred between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. unless noise at the property line stays at 45 dB or less. Existing centers must meet these standards when a renovation exceeds 50% of market value, which matters for anyone planning a major repositioning.

Downtown Galt and the industrial districts

Downtown districts. Chapter 18.28 replaced the city’s former Downtown Revitalization and Historic Preservation Plan, and its use table was last amended by Ordinance 2022-09 on December 6, 2022. Medical marijuana dispensaries and hookah bars are prohibited in all four downtown districts, and chain-link, barbed wire and plain block fencing are not allowed.

Downtown parking relief. Existing DC buildings need no new parking for a change of use, a more intensive use within the same structure, or an expansion of up to 25% of floor area. DC commercial parking requirements are otherwise halved, off-site parking may be up to 500 feet away, and on-street spaces within 100 feet can count. A parking structure on C Street, Fourth Street or Lincoln Way must have usable retail or office space on the ground floor.

Industrial land. Wholesale and distribution, minor manufacturing, research and development and mini-storage are permitted in both LM and M. Manufacturing within 500 feet of a residential district needs a conditional use permit, and outdoor operations generally must be enclosed or screened by a view-obscuring fence. Retail in the industrial zones is limited to an incidental share of no more than 25% of the principal use’s building area, and agricultural products processing needs a CUP in both. Railroad depots are permitted, and transit centers need a CUP.

Cannabis. Chapter 18.58 addresses marijuana cultivation separately; we did not review it, so confirm current cannabis rules with the city.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

The Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder collects documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value, less assumed loans, and identifies only the City of Sacramento as levying an additional city tax, so a Galt sale should carry the County rate alone. Confirm the figure on the escrow estimate.

Galt’s transient occupancy tax is 10% of rent under Section 3.36.030, collected by the operator from each guest, which matters for hotel and motel acquisitions in C, HC and DC. The County’s general business license is aimed at the unincorporated area, so a Galt business should confirm the city’s own license requirements. A sale generally triggers Proposition 13 reassessment.

Due diligence that matters in Galt

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm city limits versus unincorporated County, and whether a PD combining district modifies the base zone.
For any drive-through, grocery, liquor or discount store, pull the conditional use permit and its conditions.
For a renovation of an older center, check whether costs will exceed 50% of market value and trigger the Chapter 18.20 design standards.
Downtown, confirm the parking exemption applies and whether any planned expansion stays within 25% of floor area.
For industrial property, measure the distance to residential zoning; within 500 feet, manufacturing needs a CUP.
Check flood exposure; Chapter 18.20 restricts development below base flood elevation.

Questions people ask

Is Galt part of the City of Sacramento or the County?

Neither. Galt is its own incorporated city with its own development code; only land outside city limits follows County zoning.

Can a drive-through restaurant open in Galt?

Only with a conditional use permit, in C, HC or OP. Fast food without a drive-through is permitted in all three.

Where can a hotel go in Galt?

Hotels and motels are permitted in C, HC and the downtown DC district. They are not listed for OP.

Does downtown Galt require new parking for a change of use?

Not for an existing DC building with a change of use or an expansion up to 25% of floor area. Other DC commercial parking is halved.

Is there a Galt city transfer tax?

The County Clerk-Recorder lists only the City of Sacramento as adding a city tax, so Galt sales generally pay the County’s $0.55 per $500. Confirm with escrow.

How tall can an industrial building be in Galt?

Up to 100 feet in LM and M, with setbacks matching any adjoining residential district.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Galt?

Contact Matthew Martinez to discuss buying, selling or leasing commercial property in Galt.

Sources & notes

Note: We did not review the MU Mixed Use chapter (18.24), the marijuana cultivation chapter (18.58) or Galt’s business license chapter. The downtown chapter does not define its boundaries in text; confirm district lines on the city zoning map.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

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