West Covina Municipal Code § 26-71 Permit requirements

Sec. 26-70. - Purpose and applicability.¶

(a) The following development standards shall apply to all detached accessory structures, not including accessory dwelling units governed by the requirements of article IV, division 2. The purpose of this division is to protect the public health, safety and welfare by maintaining safe distances between structures, establish architectural compatibility between primary structures and certain types of accessory structures, and minimizing potential impacts associated with lot coverage, privacy, and maintenance of light and air space.

(b) The development standards contained in this division shall apply to accessory structures on private property and shall be in addition to other applicable development standards contained in the Development Code. In the event of a conflict between the provisions set forth in this division and any other provisions of this Development Code, the stricter regulation shall control. This division regulates detached accessory structures that are larger than one hundred twenty (120) square feet in size and/or taller than seven (7) feet in height. Accessory structures shall not contain indoor cooking facilities (combination of a sink, cooking apparatus, and refrigeration appliance) and should not be designed for full time living or rental purposes. Guesthouses, pool houses, accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units that conform to the requirements of this chapter are permitted.

(Ord. No. 2519, § 5(Exh. A), 2-20-24)

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Sec. 26-71. - Permit requirements and exemptions.¶

(a) Certain accessory structures located in single-family zones referenced within this section (division 2 accessory structures) and within section 26-46 as requiring an administrative permit, and all accessory structures located in multi-family, mixed-use, commercial and industrial zones shall require an administrative permit, pursuant to the procedures and findings outlined in article VI, division 6.

(b) The following structures located in the single-family and multi-family zones are exempt from planning entitlements provided they comply with the requirements listed below and standards set forth in section 2672. Exempt accessory structures may require building permits to maintain conformance with the California Building Code adopted by the City.

(1) Accessory structures that are less than one hundred twenty (120) square feet in size and no portion of the structure is seven (7) feet or greater in height, provided that no more than two (2) of such structures are located within the same lot or site.

(2) A detached structure typically used for decorative or landscape design purposes such as a fountain, water wall, bird bath and similar features that are less than one hundred twenty (120) square feet in size and no portion of the feature is six (6) feet in height or greater.

(3) Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units pursuant to article IV, division 2 (accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units).

(Ord. No. 2519, § 5(Exh. A), 2-20-24; Ord. No. 2525, § 19, 3-18-25)

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Sec. 26-72. - Development standards.¶

(a) The development standards listed in table 3-1 are intended to supplement the requirements in the applicable zone for types of accessory structures. In the event of a conflict between these requirements and the requirements of the underlying zone, the requirements of this section shall apply. The following requirements shall apply to all accessory structures, both exempt and non-exempt under section 26-71.

(b) Minimum setback distances for accessory structures from property lines and between all structures shall include all portions of the structure(s).

(c) Accessory structures may be constructed in conjunction with or subsequent to the construction of the primary structure(s) on the site.

Table 3-1 Development Standards for Accessory Structures

Type of Accessory Structure	Minimum Setback Requirements	Minimum Setback Requirements	Minimum Setback Requirements	Minimum Setback Requirements	Maximum Height
Type of Accessory Structure	Front	Rear	Side	Street Side	Maximum Height
Pools and spas	Not Permitted*	5 feet	5 feet	Not permitted	n/a
Pool/spa equipment	Not Permitted*	5 feet	5 feet	Not permitted	5ft
Detached accessory structures with open or solid roofing.	Not Permitted	4 feet	4 feet	Not permitted	16 ft
Temporary, portable shade structures	Not Permitted	4 feet	4 feet	Not permitted	10 ft.
Decks/elevated structures greater than 30 inches in height and/or greater than 30 square feet in area	Not Permitted	1.5 times standard building setback of the underlying zone	1.5 times standard building setback of the underlying zone	1.5 times standard building setback of the underlying zone	8 ft
Attached patios, chimneys and fireplaces, and similar structures	Same as required for primary structure	Same as required for primary structure	Same as required for primary structure	Same as required for primary structure
* May be permitted through an administrative permit process per section 26-68 (R-A/R-1 zones only)

(d) Accessory buildings in R-A and R-1 zones.

(1) Accessory buildings, or the sum of accessory buildings, except accessory dwelling units, shall be a maximum of one thousand (1,000) square feet. Accessory buildings which causes the total square footage of accessory buildings to exceed greater than one thousand (1,000) square feet (except accessory dwelling units) may be granted subject to the approval of an administrative permit pursuant to the procedures and findings outlined in article VI, division 6. Required garages are exempt from the administrative permit requirements. Individual accessory buildings with an area greater than the primary dwelling unit shall not be allowed. The area for individual accessory buildings shall be limited to seventy (70) percent of the floor area of the primary dwelling unit.

(Ord. No. 2519, § 5(Exh. A), 2-20-24; Ord. No. 2525, § 20, 3-18-25)

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Sec. 26-73. - Solar energy systems.¶

(a) The purpose of this section is to allow for timely and cost-effective installations of solar energy systems that shall:

(1) Provide for the installation of small to medium solar energy systems to enable the generation of electricity from the sun, for on- and off-site uses.

(2) To minimize potential adverse impacts associated with solar energy systems.

(b) Development standards.

(1) Ground-mounted solar energy collectors. Ground-mounted solar energy collectors shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the following requirements:

a. Location. Ground-mounted solar energy collectors are permitted in all zoning districts. In residential zoning districts, solar energy collectors and their mounting framework shall not be located within the front setback and shall not be visible from the public right-of-way adjacent to the front, or side property line. In nonresidential zoning districts, solar energy collectors may be visible from the public right-of-way with approval of an administrative permit.

b. Height. In residential zoning districts, the height of a ground-mounted solar energy collector system shall not exceed twelve (12) feet. The maximum height shall be twenty-five (25) feet when located on a non-residential property not abutting a residential zone. The maximum height of a ground-mounted solar energy collector system shall be fifteen (15) feet when located on a non-residential property abutting a residential zone.

c. Setbacks. Installations of less than six (6) feet in height may project up to two (2) feet into a required setback. Installations of six (6) feet or more in height shall comply with building setback requirements for patio covers.

(2) Roof-mounted solar energy collectors.

a. Location. It is preferred that photovoltaic solar energy systems in the single-family residential zone on roofs are designed in a way that is flush-mounted and/or are not installed on the portion of the roof that faces the street, and/or are screened from the public right-of-way. If the photovoltaic solar energy systems on roofs are not flush-mounted and/or installed on the portion of the roof that faces the street, and/or is visible from the street, applicant submittal of additional documentation to the planning division is required prior to the first building division inspection to receive inspector sign-off. The required documentation shall be a written analysis prepared by a licensed engineer indicating that all options to redesign the photovoltaic system with a flush-mounted design and/or without utilizing the street facing roof will:

Increase the installation cost by more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00); and
Will cause a drop in energy production by more than ten (10) percent.

b. Height. Photovoltaic solar energy systems on the roof may extend up to five (5) feet above the height limit in the district in which it is located or the roof surface on which they are installed, provided that the height extension is necessary to be within the installation cost and/or energy production thresholds mandated by state law.

c. Solar water or swimming pool heating systems may extend up to seven (7) feet above the height limit in the district in which it is located or the roof surface on which they are installed.

(3) Solar energy collector on carports.

a. Photovoltaic equipment, as defined by section 26-36, "solar energy systems," may be installed on the roof of carports for the purpose of collecting, storing, or transferring solar energy as part of a larger solar energy system installed in structure(s) on the same building site without additional discretionary permit.

b. The maximum height of solar energy collector equipment on carport roofs shall not exceed the maximum height of the underlying district.

(c) Reflection angles and glare. Reflection angles for solar collectors shall be oriented such that they do not project glare onto adjacent properties. Solar collectors shall be designed such that concentrated solar glare does not project onto nearby structures, roadways, or the public right-of-way. Installation of anti-glare panels and/or anti-glare film is preferred. The property owner shall be responsible for mitigating any glare issues discovered after installation.

(Ord. No. 2519, § 5(Exh. A), 2-20-24; Ord. No. 2525, § 21, 3-18-25)

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