Commercial Real Estate in Richmond: Industrial Districts, the Port, Corridors and the City Transfer Tax

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

Richmond has more industrial land than any other city in west Contra Costa County. The waterfront holds the Port of Richmond, marine terminals and heavy industry. Inland, Macdonald Avenue, San Pablo Avenue and 23rd Street carry the city’s main commercial corridors, and Hilltop serves regional shoppers. Richmond also adds its own transfer tax on every sale, which changes the math on larger deals. Confirm city limits, the zoning district and any overlay for each parcel.

Who controls the parcel

The City of Richmond Planning Division applies Chapter 15.04, the city’s combined zoning and subdivision code. It has base districts, overlays, a form-based code for the corridors, and planned area districts.

The city boundary is irregular. North Richmond is unincorporated and follows Contra Costa County zoning, and El Sobrante, Kensington and parts of the hills are county areas too. A "Richmond" mailing address does not prove city jurisdiction. Check the assessor’s tax rate area. For county rules, see our Contra Costa County commercial page and our El Sobrante and San Pablo pages.

Richmond zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

District	Intended uses	Key standards
CG General Commercial	Retail, services, offices, R&D, limited industry	55 ft, FAR 2.0. No housing. Hotels and liquor stores need a CUP
CR Regional Commercial	Regional shopping centers and mid-rise mixed use	55 ft, FAR 2.0. Upper-floor housing permitted
CC Coastal Commercial	Waterfront retail and services	35 ft, FAR 0.6. Public shoreline access required
CM-1 to CM-3 Commercial Mixed-Use	Corridor and neighborhood retail with housing	45 to 55 ft, 10 to 50 units per acre
CM-4 Gateway/Node	Mid-rise at gateways	55 ft, FAR 2.0, 30 to 82.5 units per acre
CM-5 Activity Center	Mid- and high-rise at major centers	135 ft, 12 stories, FAR 5.0, 40 to 135 units per acre
LW Live-Work	Artisan, office and storefront with living space	55 ft, 15 to 50 units per acre
ILL, IB, IL	Light industry, R&D, biotech, flex, warehousing	25 to 55 ft. IL FAR up to 3.0 with a CUP
IG General Industrial	Broad industry, refining, manufacturing	55 ft. Petroleum refining needs a CUP
IW Water-Related Industrial	Port of Richmond manufacturing, distribution, marine services	100 ft, FAR 0.5 (1.0 with CUP)

The online table text is hard to align in places, so confirm figures with Planning. Ordinance 06-21 (April 2021) raised CM-4 and CM-5 densities in response to the Housing Crisis Act of 2019.

The port, the corridors and the form-based code

Port and industrial waterfront. The IW district exists specifically for the Port of Richmond. Processing equipment tied to the port and to oil and gas refining may exceed height limits in IG and IW. Where industrial land meets housing, the code steps heights down to 35 to 50 feet near residential districts. It also requires 15-foot setbacks and a 10-foot landscaped strip, and keeps truck docks at least 20 feet from residential zones. An Industrial Buffer Zone on the zoning map bars caretaker units. Article 15.04.615 bans the storage and handling of coal and petroleum coke, which matters to bulk terminal buyers.

Livable Corridors Form-Based Code. The City Council adopted this code on April 18, 2023. It covers parts of Macdonald Avenue, San Pablo Avenue and 23rd Street, including the Central Richmond Priority Development Area. The city relied on an addendum to the 2012 General Plan 2030 EIR rather than a new EIR. Parcels in the regulating plan follow transect zones and building and frontage types in Series 400 rather than conventional districts.

San Pablo Avenue. Where CM-3 along San Pablo Avenue abuts single-family zoning, buildings are limited to 35 feet and three stories.

Mixed-use ground floors. Commercial ground floors need 15 feet of height and 12 feet of clear ceiling. Walls near the street need windows across 60% of the pedestrian zone, and residential entrances must be separate.

Overlays and special rules

Series 300 sets six overlays: Creek Protection, Historic Districts and Landmarks, Interim Study, Neighborhood Conservation and Shoreline, plus general provisions. Check the overlay map for any parcel near a creek, the shoreline or an older commercial block. Waterfront parcels may also need state and regional shoreline permits.

Other items to check:

Planned Area Districts (Article 15.04.810) for large sites with custom standards.
Community Benefits Policy (Article 15.04.816) on larger entitlements.
Transportation Demand Management (Article 15.04.612) and the West County subregional transportation fee in Chapter 15.12.
Inclusionary housing and linkage fee (Article 15.04.603), which can reach commercial projects through linkage fees. We did not verify fee amounts.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Richmond adds a city documentary transfer tax on top of the county’s $0.55 per $500. The Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder collects it at these rates:

Price	Richmond tax per $1,000
Under $1 million	$7.00
$1 million to $3 million	$12.50
$3 million to $10 million	$25.00
Over $10 million	$30.00

The tiers are in Chapter 13.40, last amended by Ordinance 31-18 in November 2018. The Recorder says the tax applies to full value. On a $5 million industrial building, the city tax alone would be $125,000, before the county tax. Model it before you set price and terms.

Business licensing is in Chapter 7.04, and hotels pay transient occupancy tax under Chapter 7.88. We did not verify the rates. A sale is generally a Proposition 13 change of ownership.

Due diligence that matters in Richmond

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm city versus unincorporated North Richmond or county status.
Pull the base district, any overlay, and whether the form-based code regulating plan applies.
Budget the city transfer tax at the tier for your price.
For industrial sites, check residential adjacency setbacks, the Industrial Buffer Zone and the coal and petcoke ban.
On shoreline parcels, confirm public access duties and outside agency permits.
Order Phase I and, where needed, Phase II environmental work on former industrial land.

Questions people ask

Does Richmond have a city transfer tax?

Yes. It runs from $7 to $30 per $1,000 depending on price, on top of the county tax.

What zoning covers the Port of Richmond?

The IW Water-Related Industrial district, which allows buildings up to 100 feet.

Is petroleum refining allowed by right?

No. In the IG district, refining and related oil and gas uses need a conditional use permit.

Where does the form-based code apply?

Parts of Macdonald Avenue, San Pablo Avenue and 23rd Street. It was adopted April 18, 2023.

Can I build housing on commercial land?

In CR and the CM districts, yes. CG and CC do not allow housing.

How tall can buildings be at major activity centers?

Up to 135 feet and 12 stories in CM-5.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Richmond?

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

Sources & notes

Richmond Municipal Code Chapter 15.04 (GoCodebook): Articles 15.04.202, .203, .204, .615 and the chapter index
Richmond Chapter 13.40, Documentary Stamp Tax
Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder, City of Richmond transfer tax
City of Richmond, Livable Corridors Form-Based Code
CEQAnet, Form-Based Code NOD (SCH 2023040478)

Note: Parcel-level districts, the form-based code regulating plan, overlay boundaries, linkage fees and business license rates were not verified.

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

Inquire about a listing or to schedule a meeting

Matthew Martinez

Your inquiry is processed through our iHomefinder service. Review the form’s contact choices before submitting. Privacy Policy · Terms of Use.