Palo Alto's Eichler design guidelines are the city's own handbook for changing an Eichler without losing what makes it one. The Palo Alto Eichler Neighborhood Design Guidelines were adopted on April 2, 2018 (Resolution No. 9748), and they cover additions, second stories, rooflines, glass, siding, doors, roofing, solar panels and skylights.
This guide reads the adopted 2018 document and quotes it directly, so you can see the wording the city chose and where it is advice rather than a rule.
What the guidelines are, and where they came from
The guidelines say the effort began in 2016, when the City Council directed staff to work with the community after a series of owner-initiated Single Story Overlay rezonings and state legislation on accessory dwelling units. The stated purpose is "to supplement Palo Alto's existing discretionary review and zoning framework by establishing guidelines that manage change while also maintaining the qualities that are most important to the Eichler neighborhoods' character."
A few scope points from the document:
They address only properties in R-1 (single-family residential) zoning, and not properties in the RM-15, RM-30 and RM-40 zones "even if built by Eichler."
The document's tract map numbers 31 areas, from University Gardens (1949–1950) to Los Arboles Addition No. 2 (1974); a few are listed as "No Name" tracts.
Architectural Control Committees, the neighbor groups that review projects under some tracts' CC&Rs, "are encouraged to use the Design Guidelines in their review process."
Are Palo Alto's Eichler guidelines mandatory?
As of the 2018 adopted guidelines, no. The 2018 document's own FAQ asks whether the guidelines are mandatory and answers: "No, the Design Guidelines are voluntary. Since the Design Guidelines are voluntary, there is no 'retroactive' application of the Guidelines." Its how-to-use section repeats that they "are advisory (voluntary), unless regulatory (zoning) changes are adopted by the Palo Alto City Council to impose them as a requirement."
The same FAQ says the Council may amend Zoning Code Chapter 18.12 so that staff use the guidelines, or part of them, alongside the Individual Review Guidelines when reviewing new two-story homes and second-floor additions, and that such an amendment needs public hearings. Chapter 8 says use of the guidelines in any discretionary process "will be as established by Council in Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 18.12."
We could not read the current text of Chapter 18.12 for this post, so we can't tell you whether any part of the guidelines has since been written into code. As of November 2026, ask Palo Alto's Planning and Development Services department whether anything has since been written into the zoning code, and whether the guidelines apply to your project, before you design around them or ignore them.
Read the wording, too: "encouraged", "preferred", "generally discouraged", "strongly discouraged" and "not appropriate" show how strongly the authors felt, but none is a code requirement in the adopted document.
Which reviews and neighborhoods they touch
The 2018 guidelines describe Palo Alto's Individual Review (IR) process under Municipal Code section 18.12.110: new two-story homes, new second-story additions and expansions of an existing second story by more than 150 square feet in R-1 are subject to discretionary IR. New one-story homes and first-floor additions to non-historic homes are excluded, needing only a building permit. The document adds that IR "is not a design review process, and does not prescribe specific architectural style." Those thresholds are the 2018 document's; confirm today's with the city.
Some points on who the guidelines speak to:
Non-Eichler homes inside an Eichler tract. The FAQ says Chapter 4 (additions and infill, as related to privacy) and Chapter 6 (streetscape and neighborhood cohesion) both apply to non-Eichler homes within Eichler neighborhoods.
The two National Register districts. Owners in Greenmeadow and Green Gables "may consider a stricter interpretation of the guidance, particularly in Chapter 5," to keep the districts eligible for their listing. Our Green Gables history covers one of them.
Single Story Overlay tracts. Owners there "can disregard guidance related to two-story additions and new construction."
Additions and second stories
Section 4.1 notes that most Palo Alto Eichlers were built as one-story houses. Its main advice:
Go out before you go up. "As a first course of action, explore opportunities to construct a first-story addition rather than a second-story addition."
Keep the roof down. "Design new first-story additions so that their roofs do not rise above the height of the original residence. Additions should be equal to or subordinate to the primary house volume."
Respect the street's setbacks. Avoid a front addition that "projects substantially ahead of other residences within the surrounding block."
Enclosures count. Enclosing an atrium, courtyard or carport is named as one way to add living space without a new addition, planned "with care" so the result supports the house's modern style. Our atrium cover guide looks at the options.
Second stories. "Second story additions are generally discouraged." If an owner builds one anyway, the guidelines ask for setbacks from the side façades nearest the neighbors and from the front, no windows that look into neighboring rear yards, and placement on only one portion of a composite flat-and-shed roof. They add that a second story may not be appropriate on houses with more steeply pitched center gables, naming the Community Center and Los Arboles Addition neighborhoods.
Style. Use post-and-beam construction for additions, "Avoid box-like second floor additions that look like they are stacked on top of the original house," and skip revival styles: "Historicist or revival architectural styles (for instance, Mediterranean Revival) are not appropriate."
Rooflines and roofing
For additions, section 4.1.6 says the most appropriate strategy is to use the same roof form as the original house. "Generally, low slopes are appropriate," "Avoid using steep pitches," and "Consider using a 3:12 slope, which is found on many gable- and shed-roofed Eichlers." "Arched roof forms are not appropriate in Eichler neighborhoods," and "Standing-seam metal is not appropriate for Eichlers." If an addition's roof can't match the original form, a flat roof "may be the most appropriate strategy."
For upkeep, section 5.3 asks owners to:
avoid raising a roof above its original height, which "is not preferred";
keep the narrow roof edges, overhanging eaves, exposed beam ends, exposed soffits and fascia boards, and avoid boxing in beam ends or covering wood fascia with aluminum or vinyl;
use plain roofing, listing "tar and gravel, single-ply, foam, and composite shingles," and re-roof with shingles where shingles were original, as in the Community Center tract;
keep solar panels flat on the roof or as far to the rear as possible, and put skylights on a non-street-facing slope with "as low a profile as possible."
Glass, doors, siding and color
Windows and doors
Section 5.2.1 asks owners to keep the original fenestration pattern: "Generally speaking, this means keeping limited amounts of glass at the front façade, with expansive windows placed at the rear façade." Repair in place when you can; if not, "in-kind" replacement matching the original sash material, configuration and openings is preferred. The section also says:
"Do not divide windows into smaller units," especially fixed clerestories and full-height rear windows.
"New vinyl windows are discouraged," as are aluminum windows whose sash layout clearly differs from the original.
Projecting bay windows and garden windows are "strongly discouraged."
Swapping clear glass for non-clear or reflective glass "is generally discouraged," except where privacy calls for it.
For additions, section 4.1.8 says "Full-pane glass is most appropriate for Eichler homes," and divided-lite or simulated divided-lite windows "are not appropriate." On energy, section 5.2.2 lets owners explore swapping single-pane windows for insulated ones and encourages reusing the existing sash and frames when double-pane glass goes in.
For doors, section 5.2.3 prefers simple, flat entry doors with no or minimal glazing and no panels. Keeping the original retractable garage door is preferred, but "a roll-up garage door may be acceptable if it features a simple flush material, and no glazing."
Siding and color
Section 5.1.1 names "Vertical wood board or vertical scored plywood" as the characteristic Eichler cladding, and new vertical wood board is "encouraged" when siding is replaced. Owners should "Avoid adding stone, brick, shingles, and other materials to exterior walls." Horizontal boards "are acceptable when they have a generally flat and smooth profile," but sawtooth-profile clapboard "is not appropriate for Eichlers." For additions, section 4.1.7 wants cladding that is compatible but not an exact copy, so the addition reads as "compatible but clearly not original."
On paint, the guidelines say "The use of specific original colors is not required," prefer muted colors on the main walls, and save bright colors for accents such as doors.
How the guidelines relate to single-story overlays
They are separate tools. The FAQ is direct: "The Design Guidelines do not, in any way, affect Single Story Overlay (SSO) zoning; nor do the Design Guidelines have any impact on the process for attaining or removing SSO zoning." The document says Palo Alto's overlay districts overlap with eleven Eichler tracts. For how overlays work and how to check a street, read our guide to single-story overlay districts.
This is general information as of November 2026, not legal advice. Palo Alto's code and review process can change, so confirm with the city's planning department, a licensed architect or contractor, or an attorney before you design.
Frequently asked questions
Can Palo Alto deny my Eichler remodel for not following the guidelines?
As adopted in 2018, the guidelines call themselves voluntary and advisory unless the City Council writes them into the zoning code. Other rules still apply, such as the Individual Review process for second stories, overlay zoning and your tract's CC&Rs. Ask the planning department what applies to your lot as of November 2026.
Do the guidelines ban second stories on Palo Alto Eichlers?
No. They say "Second story additions are generally discouraged" and give advice on setbacks, windows and roof placement for owners who build one anyway. A Single Story Overlay is what limits a house to one story, and the guidelines tell owners in overlay tracts they can disregard the second-story guidance.
Do the guidelines apply if my house isn't an Eichler?
Partly, if it sits inside an Eichler neighborhood. The FAQ says the privacy and streetscape chapters apply to non-Eichler homes within Eichler neighborhoods. Outside an Eichler neighborhood, they don't apply.
Related reading
Mid-Century Modern Window Replacement: Retrofit, Film and Title 24
Eichler Siding Replacement: Grooved Plywood, Redwood and Your Options
Palo Alto Eichler Neighborhoods: A Guide to Every Tract We Cover
More guides on this topic: Owning & Renovating a Mid-Century Modern Home
Planning an addition or exterior change on a Palo Alto Eichler you own or want to buy? Call or text the Boyenga Team at Compass at (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or contact the Boyenga Team to talk it through.
