Commercial Real Estate in San Ramon: Office Zones, Bishop Ranch, City Center and Specific Plans

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

San Ramon’s commercial real estate is dominated by large suburban office campuses, Bishop Ranch above all, with City Center Bishop Ranch at the city’s core. Retail centers line Crow Canyon Road and Bollinger Canyon Road. The Crow Canyon corridor near I-680 mixes retail, service commercial and light industrial uses. The city has been rezoning office land for mixed use and housing, so zoning on older campuses may have changed recently. Confirm the zone, any specific plan and any height overlay for the parcel.

Who controls the parcel

The City of San Ramon Planning Services Division applies Title D, the zoning ordinance. The city’s zoning map page lists an October 27, 2015 adoption and revisions effective November 13, 2025. If a parcel shows no zone on the map, the zoning is set by a specific plan’s land use map instead.

Some "San Ramon" mailing addresses may be unincorporated and follow Contra Costa County zoning. See our Contra Costa County commercial page and check the tax rate area.

San Ramon zoning for commercial, office and mixed use

The commercial and office zones come from Chapter IV of Division D2, amended by Ordinance 534 effective November 13, 2025. The mixed-use zones are in Chapter III.

District	Intended uses	Key standards
OA Administrative Office	Major office buildings in landscaped settings	FAR 0.45, 55 ft
OL Limited Office	Offices with limited retail near neighborhoods	FAR 0.45, 40 ft
CC Community Commercial	Shopping centers, restaurants, services, service stations	FAR 0.35, 35 ft
CT Thoroughfare Commercial	Hotels, service stations and restaurants near freeways	FAR 0.50, 50 ft
CR Commercial Recreation	Golf, fitness clubs, outdoor recreation	FAR 0.35
MC Mixed Commercial	Integrated retail, services and offices	FAR 0.70. Structured parking may be required
MUX Mixed-Use Commercial Emphasis	Retail or office frontage with housing behind or above	20 to 40 units/acre, FAR 0.7 to 2.0
MUR Mixed-Use Residential Emphasis	Housing-led infill on smaller office and service parcels	20 to 40 units/acre
DMU-N Downtown Mixed-Use North	Housing added to the existing office setting	20 to 60 units/acre, FAR 0.5 to 2.75
DMU-S Downtown Mixed-Use South	Transit-oriented mixed use south of Bollinger Canyon Road	20 to 60 units/acre, FAR 1.25 to 2.75
CCMU City Center Mixed Use	Civic, retail, office and housing at City Center	FAR 0.70 base, up to 1.35 with public benefits

The online height table for CR and MC is garbled, and two more zones appear in the table header without text. Check heights with Planning. Large retail over 50,000 sq ft needs a use permit in CC, CT and MC.

Bishop Ranch, City Center and the Crow Canyon corridor

Bishop Ranch and DMU-N. DMU-N opens parts of the city’s core office area to housing. One example is a September 2024 city approval splitting the 7.63-acre parcel at 1 Annabel Lane, known as Bishop Ranch 12, into two lots. Both its zoning and general plan designation are DMU-N.

City Center. CCMU applies to City Center Bishop Ranch and the adjacent BR-2600 property. Floor area can nearly double, from FAR 0.70 to 1.35, with public benefits, affordable housing or transit access. DMU-S extends that pattern south of Bollinger Canyon Road next to I-680.

North Camino Ramon Specific Plan. The city prepared this plan with an EIR certified in 2012. It has been amended several times, with addenda for City Village in 2021-22 and Iron Horse Village in December 2023. Parcels here follow the plan’s zoning.

Crow Canyon Specific Plan. The city approved a comprehensive update on November 24, 2020, covering about 134 acres and more than 90 parcels. The area is bounded by the Danville city limit, I-680, Crow Canyon Road and Ryan Industrial Court. The update aims for a walkable mixed-use district while letting existing light industrial and service commercial businesses stay.

Height overlay, landmarks and other local rules

Chapter VI adds overlays that matter for office buyers:

-H Height Limit. This applies to OA parcels with buildings over 55 feet and commercial parcels with buildings over 50 feet. Office buildings can reach 75 feet with varied roof planes. A department store in a regional center of 400,000 sq ft or more can reach 70 feet. Existing buildings over 55 feet cannot grow taller without a variance. Approved but unbuilt towers are held to their entitlement.
-IS Interim Study. This adds use permit review while plans are studied, and lapses after two years.
-L Landmark. Alterations and demolition need Commission approval, and demolition can be held for 180 days.
-SH Senior Housing. It applies to projects of 35 or more senior units in residential or mixed-use zones.

Other chapters to check: hillside, creek and ridgeline rules, parking and loading, and the city’s transportation system management chapter, which can apply to large employers.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

The Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder charges $0.55 per $500 in county documentary transfer tax. The Recorder lists added city taxes only for El Cerrito and Richmond. We found no transfer tax chapter in San Ramon’s code index. Hotels pay a city transient occupancy tax, and the city also levies a transactions and use tax. We did not find or verify a business license tax. A sale is generally a Proposition 13 change of ownership.

Due diligence that matters in San Ramon

Use our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Check the zoning map, and if no zone shows, the specific plan land use map.
Confirm whether a campus has been rezoned to DMU-N, MUX or MUR, and what that does to value.
For towers, confirm -H overlay status and entitled height.
In the Crow Canyon plan area, check what the 2020 update allows for your use.
Review CC&Rs and master association rules on large office parks.
Confirm parking ratios and any transportation management duties for big tenants.

Questions people ask

How is Bishop Ranch zoned?

Parts of it are now DMU-N, which adds housing to the office setting. Check each parcel on the map.

How tall can office buildings be?

OA allows 55 feet. Under the -H overlay, office buildings with varied rooflines can reach 75 feet.

What is the Crow Canyon Specific Plan?

A 134-acre plan near I-680 and Crow Canyon Road, updated November 24, 2020, that keeps light industrial uses while adding mixed use.

How much can City Center grow?

CCMU allows FAR 0.70, or up to 1.35 with public benefits, affordable housing or transit access.

When was the zoning last updated?

The city lists revisions effective November 13, 2025.

Is there a city transfer tax?

We found none. Only the county tax of $0.55 per $500 applies.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in San Ramon?

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

Sources & notes

San Ramon Title D, Zoning (GoCodebook): Division D2 Chapters III, IV and VI
City of San Ramon, Zoning Map
CEQAnet: Crow Canyon Specific Plan update (SCH 2003122087), North Camino Ramon Specific Plan (SCH 2010092014), Bishop Ranch 12 (SCH 2024090816)
Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax

Note: Heights for CR, MC and the mixed-use zones, specific plan standards and business license rules were not verified.

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

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