Atascadero · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Atascadero

Atascadero sets detailed limits on home businesses, including traffic, employees and on-site sales. The city also has a section on residential accessory uses.

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Key points

Accessory uses: Atascadero has a city section on residential accessory uses (§ 9-6.106).
Home business: Atascadero limits home business traffic to 10 trips a day; office-type services may have 1 client vehicle at a time.

Each rule below is marked Atascadero code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

Running a business from home

Atascadero code What Atascadero's code adds
Customer visits	No more than 1 client vehicle at any one time. Applies: Office-type personal or business services, such as music lessons or contracting without on-site storage of materials or equipment. § 9-6.105 · code text Office-type personal or business services (including personal instruction such as music lessons or contracting services not involving on-site storage of materials or equipment) that do not involve the presence of more than one client vehicle at any one time; Total traffic no more than normal residential volume, which means up to 10 trips per day. Applies: All traffic from the home business, with all parking off the street. Does not apply to garage or handcraft sales. § 9-6.105 · code text For purposes of this section, normal residential traffic volume means up to 10 trips per day.
Employees	Only household members who live on the premises may work on the site. Applies: Without administrative use permit approval. § 9-6.105 · code text No person other than members of the household residing on the premises may be employed and working on the site, except that employees, including independent contractors, partners, and similar employee-type relationships, may be permitted through administrative use permit approval (refer to Section 9-1.112) as follows: No limit on the number of employees. Applies: With administrative use permit approval, if employees never work or report on site during or near business hours; no added vehicles, equipment or outside storage. § 9-6.105 · code text The number of employees shall be unlimited, if the following criteria can be complied with: No more than 2 employees. Applies: With administrative use permit approval, and only if the listed criteria for this option are met. § 9-6.105 · code text A maximum of two employees, if the following criteria can be complied with:
Permit	Administrative use permit approval is required. Applies: When people who are not household members are employed and working on the site. § 9-6.105 · code text employees, including independent contractors, partners, and similar employee-type relationships, may be permitted through administrative use permit approval (refer to Section 9-1.112) as follows:
Businesses not allowed	mass-production operations such as cabinet shops Applies: handcraft or artwork production § 9-6.105 · code text Handcraft or artwork production, including, but not limited to, pottery and ceramics, artistic glass or metalwork, electronic components, woodcarving and woodworking (except for mass-production operations such as cabinet shops) on-site retail sales of the products of a home occupation Applies: general rule; exceptions are garage sales, sale of handcrafted items and artwork produced on site, approved home-occupation supply sales, and agricultural produce stands § 9-6.105 · code text On-site retail sales of the products of a home occupation are prohibited, except:

Tree removal

Atascadero code What Atascadero's code adds
Exemptions	Emergencies that create hazardous or dangerous conditions; report them to the City within 48 hours. § 9-11.105 · code text Emergency situations which cause hazardous or dangerous conditions that have serious potential to cause immediate damage to persons or improvements on real property. Such situations must be reported to the City within 48 hours; Pruning that affects less than 25% of the live canopy within 1 year. § 9-11.105 · code text Tree pruning that affects less than 25% of a tree's live canopy within one years' time. Trees removed under an approved tree management plan. § 9-11.105 · code text Trees removed as part of an approved "tree management plan"; Single-family homes in single-family zones with a permanent dwelling, when no building or grading permit is sought. § 9-11.105 · code text Single-family residences in single-family zoning districts where a permanent dwelling exists and building or grading permits are not being sought; Emergency septic repair or replacement after the City Engineer finds a failed system that is a health and safety hazard. Applies: Applies in a single-family zoning district. § 9-11.105 · code text Emergency septic system repair and/or replacement in a single-family zoning district, where a septic system has failed as determined by the City Engineer and is considered a hazard to the health, safety, and welfare of the homeowner and adjacent property owners.
Penalty	A misdemeanor, punished as set out in Chapter 3 of Title 1 of the city code. Applies: Applies to violations of the native tree rules. § 9-11.114 · code text Violations of this chapter are specifically declared misdemeanors, and upon conviction may be punished as set forth in Chapter 3 of Title 1 of this Code.
Permit to remove	Yes, a tree removal permit is required. Applies: Deciduous native trees 2+ inches dbh, other protected natives 4+ inches dbh; not at single-family homes in single-family zones without building or grading permits. § 9-11.105 · code text a tree removal permit shall be required for the removal of any deciduous native tree two inches dbh or greater and four inches dbh or greater for all other protected native trees Yes, a permit is required. Applies: Applies to pruning more than 25% of the live canopy of a native tree. § 9-11.105 · code text and for pruning of more than 25% of the live canopy in native trees.
Protected trees	Deciduous native trees 2 inches dbh or more; all other protected native trees 4 inches dbh or more. § 9-11.105 · code text a tree removal permit shall be required for the removal of any deciduous native tree two inches dbh or greater and four inches dbh or greater for all other protected native trees
Replacement trees	Plant replacement trees on site and prepay for 3 site inspections over a 4-year establishment period. Applies: One way to meet a removal permit condition; the others are a tree replacement fund fee or a conservation easement. § 9-11.105 · code text Depending on the characteristics of the site the applicant may plant replacement trees on site. This method shall include payment in advance for three site inspections during a four year establishment period;

Pets, chickens and bees

Atascadero code What Atascadero's code adds
Pet limit	No more than 3 dogs or cats. Applies: Applies to a single-family dwelling; counts dogs or cats 4 months old or older. § 4-1.119 · code text It is unlawful for any person or persons to own, harbor or maintain at any single-family dwelling more than three dogs or cats four months of age or older.

Other Atascadero rules on this

Atascadero's code also has these chapters. We have not summarized their values on this page yet; read them in the library.

Residential accessory uses (§ 9-6.106)
Pool setbacks from the house and property line (§ 8-3.104)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How big can a shed or accessory building be in Atascadero?

Atascadero has a city section on residential accessory uses (§ 9-6.106). Atascadero also has a related rule: Residential accessory uses (§ 9-6.106).

Can I run a business from my home in Atascadero?

Atascadero limits home business traffic to 10 trips a day; office-type services may have 1 client vehicle at a time.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Atascadero?

Atascadero's code: Emergencies that create hazardous or dangerous conditions; report them to the City within 48 hours. (§ 9-11.105); Pruning that affects less than 25% of the live canopy within 1 year. (§ 9-11.105).

Can I keep chickens or bees at my home in Atascadero?

Atascadero's code: No more than 3 dogs or cats. (Applies to a single-family dwelling; counts dogs or cats 4 months old or older.) (§ 4-1.119).

General information, not legal advice.

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Atascadero Municipal Code — full text

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