Skip to content

Bradbury · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Bradbury

Bradbury sets fence, hedge and wall heights by yard, with lower limits next to streets and at corners. Building, moving or altering any fence or wall needs city approval.

Ask about building on your lot in Bradbury See coverage

Key points

  • Fence height: Bradbury limits hedges and walls in a yard abutting a street to 3 feet and fences there to 6 feet; rear-yard fences, 6 feet.
  • Permits: Bradbury requires a permit to build, enlarge, relocate or structurally alter any fence, yard wall or retaining wall.

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

Fences and walls

Bradbury code What Bradbury's code adds
Corner visibility
  • No higher than 3 feet above the lowest nearby grade or roadway level, whichever is lower.
    Applies: Triangles at corners and intersections formed by lines 20 feet from the intersection; covers trees, fences, walls, hedges, buildings and other obstructions.
    § 9.100.070 · code text
    Within the area comprising said triangles, any tree, fence, wall, shrub, hedge, building, or other physical obstruction that may be installed shall be and shall be maintained at heights no higher than three feet above the lowest adjacent grade or roadway/path-of-travel level, whichever is the lower.
Height anywhere on the lot
  • Open iron gates may be no more than 7 feet high.
    Applies: Agricultural/residential zones, gates at least 20 feet from the closest property line or street easement line.
    § 9.100.040 · code text
    the height of such gates does not exceed seven feet
  • Open iron gates and attached columns may be up to 2 feet higher than the adjacent fence.
    Applies: A-5 zone only, at least 25 feet from the closest property line or street easement line.
    § 9.100.040 · code text
    may be installed up to a height that does not exceed two feet higher than the adjacent fence
Front yard height
  • No more than 3 feet.
    Applies: Hedges, yard walls and retaining walls in a yard next to a public or private street.
    § 9.100.040 · code text
    Hedges, yard walls and retaining walls within the yard abutting public or private streets shall not exceed three feet in height.
  • No more than 6 feet.
    Applies: Fences in a yard next to a public or private street.
    § 9.100.040 · code text
    Fences within the yard abutting public or private streets shall not exceed six feet in height.
  • No more than 6 feet combined height.
    Applies: Fence on top of a yard wall or retaining wall of no more than 3 feet, in a yard next to a street.
    § 9.100.040 · code text
    the total combined height thereof does not exceed six feet.
Side and rear yard height
  • No more than 6 feet.
    Applies: Fences, hedges, yard walls and retaining walls in the required rear yard.
    § 9.100.040 · code text
    Fences, hedges, yard walls and retaining walls within the required rear yard shall not exceed six feet in height.
  • May exceed 6 feet, but no more than 8 feet.
    Applies: Rear yards on the south side of Gardi Street.
    § 9.100.040 · code text
    Fence heights in the following locations may exceed six feet, but shall not exceed eight feet in height:
Permit
  • Yes. A Building Department permit is required first.
    Applies: To build, enlarge, move or structurally change any fence, yard wall or retaining wall in the city.
    § 9.100.070 · code text
    No person shall build, erect, construct, enlarge, relocate or structurally alter any fence, yard wall or retaining wall in the City, or cause or direct such work, without first having obtained a permit therefor from the Building Department.

Lot splits under SB 9

Bradbury code What Bradbury's code adds
How the lot may be divided
  • At most 2 parcels of about equal area; neither may be smaller than 40% of the original lot.
    Applies: Urban lot split in a single-family residential zone.
    § 9.164.030 · code text
    The parcel map divides an existing parcel to create no more than two new parcels of approximately equal lot area, provided that one parcel shall not be smaller than 40 percent of the lot area of the original parcel.
Minimum new lot size
  • Each new parcel must be at least 1,200 square feet.
    § 9.164.030 · code text
    Both newly created parcels are no smaller than 1,200 square feet.
Setbacks
  • At least 4 feet from side and rear lot lines.
    Applies: New SB 9 housing, except existing structures or ones rebuilt in the same place with the same dimensions.
    § 9.85.440 · code text
    Except for those circumstances described in subsection (1) above, for any new housing developed under this chapter, the setback for side and rear lot lines shall not be less than four feet.
Standards
  • The front setback is the one set by the applicable single-family residential zone.
    Applies: New housing built under the SB 9 rules.
    § 9.85.440 · code text
    The front setback shall be as set forth in the applicable single-family residential zone.
  • The SB 9 unit must meet all existing objective design standards of the underlying zone.
    Applies: Where the SB 9 chapter does not override them.
    § 9.85.440 · code text
    To the extent not superseded by this chapter, the SB 9 unit shall meet all existing objective design standards of the underlying zone.
Parking
  • Required parking is limited to 1 off-street space per unit.
    Applies: Required off-street parking for SB 9 units.
    § 9.85.440 · code text
    Required off-street parking shall be limited to one space per unit, except that no parking shall be required if the parcel is located within one-half mile walking distance of either a high-quality transit corridor or a major transit stop, or there is a car share vehicle located within one block of the parcel.
  • No parking required.
    Applies: Parcel within a half-mile walk of a high-quality transit corridor or major transit stop, or a car share vehicle within 1 block.
    § 9.85.440 · code text
    Required off-street parking shall be limited to one space per unit, except that no parking shall be required if the parcel is located within one-half mile walking distance of either a high-quality transit corridor or a major transit stop, or there is a car share vehicle located within one block of the parcel.

Solar panels and EV chargers

Bradbury code What Bradbury's code adds
Solar permit process
  • Administrative, nondiscretionary review: a building permit is issued once a complete application meets the approved checklist and standard plan.
    Applies: Small residential rooftop solar systems.
    § 17.11.060 · code text
    The building department shall adopt an administrative, nondiscretionary review process to expedite approval of small residential rooftop solar energy systems within 30 days of the adoption of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived.
  • Only one inspection; it is scheduled within 2 business days of a request, with a 2-hour window.
    Applies: Small residential rooftop solar systems eligible for expedited review.
    § 17.11.060 · code text
    An inspection will be scheduled within two business days of a request and provide a two-hour inspection window.

Tree removal

Bradbury code What Bradbury's code adds
Permit to remove
  • Yes, a permit is required, but it has no fee.
    Applies: Dead or seriously diseased trees.
    § 9.118.060 · code text
    A no-fee permit will be issued for removal of a dead or diseased tree.
  • Yes, a permit is required.
    Applies: Prominent, native, defined or desirable-species trees; permits only for significant health or fire hazards or extremely severe view harm from house sites; 14-day appeal period.
    § 9.118.060 · code text
    No prominent tree, native tree or any other tree defined in Section 9.118.030 and/or which is of a desirable genus and species shall be removed without first obtaining a permit to do so.
  • Yes, a permit is required.
    Applies: Orchard trees.
    § 9.118.060 · code text
    No orchard tree shall be removed without first obtaining a permit to do so.
  • Yes, a permit is required.
    Applies: Nuisance trees.
    § 9.118.060 · code text
    No nuisance tree may be removed without first obtaining a permit to do so.
  • Yes, a written permit from the City Manager is required.
    Applies: Removing, destroying, cutting, trimming (except seasonal trimming), topping, defacing, injuring or replacing any living tree.
    § 9.118.050 · code text
    It shall be unlawful, and it is hereby prohibited, for any person to plant any tree which will cause distress, encroach upon an adjacent property, whether public or private, block views, sunlight, or passage of air, move, remove, destroy, cut, trim (except for seasonal trimming), top, deface, injure or replace any living tree or to cause the same to be done without first obtaining a written permit from the City Manager.
Penalty
  • The restoration cost becomes a lien on the property, or a debt of the remover if not the owner.
    Applies: Illegal removal of or damage to trees, with restoration not done within 15 days after an appeal ends.
    § 9.118.070 · code text
    The cost of restoration shall be a lien on the property or a debt of the person who removed the tree, if such person does not own the property on which the trees were located.
Replacement trees
  • Replant a tree of equal size, significance and prominence.
    Applies: Illegal removal of or damage to trees.
    § 9.118.070 · code text
    Any person responsible for the illegal removal of or damage to trees shall be required to restore the tree by replanting a tree of equal size, significance, and prominence.

Swimming pools

Bradbury code What Bradbury's code adds
Pool barrier
  • No opening, hole or gap larger than 4 inches in any dimension, except doors and gates.
    Applies: Pools or water over 18 inches deep within 100 feet of a dwelling on another parcel or a street, with stated exceptions.
    § 17.06.030 · code text
    with openings, holes or gaps therein no larger than four inches in any dimension except for doors and gates
  • Spaces between pickets may be no more than 4 inches wide.
    Applies: Picket fences.
    § 17.06.030 · code text
    if a picket fence is erected or maintained, the horizontal dimension between the pickets shall not exceed four inches
  • The fence or wall must completely enclose the pool or body of water.
    Applies: Pools or water over 18 inches deep within 100 feet of another parcel's dwelling or a street; a house or accessory building may form part.
    § 17.06.030 · code text
    Said fence or wall shall completely enclose such pool or body of water.
  • The fence or wall may not provide ladder-like access.
    § 17.06.030 · code text
    No fence or wall shall be erected or maintained that affords ladderlike access.
  • An incline of at least 30 degrees and 10 feet long, or natural barriers, may form part of the enclosure.
    Applies: Only with Planning Commission approval.
    § 17.06.030 · code text
    An incline from the ground level of the swimming pool downward of not less than 30 degrees in slope and ten feet in linear length, or other natural barriers, may be utilized as part of such enclosure upon the express approval of the Planning Commission.
Barrier height
  • The fence or wall must be at least 5 feet high.
    Applies: Pools or water over 18 inches deep within 100 feet of a dwelling on another parcel or a street, with stated exceptions.
    § 17.06.030 · code text
    shall maintain on the lot or premises upon which said swimming pool or body of water is situated, a fence or wall not less than five feet in height
Gates
  • Gates and doors must self-latch and self-lock with a device at least 4.5 feet above ground.
    Applies: A garage door to the pool area must also self-lock and self-latch when the garage door is open.
    § 17.06.030 · code text
    All gates and doors shall be self-latching and self-locking by means of a device located not less than four and one-half feet above the ground.
Maintenance and empty pools
  • Existing pools must also meet these fencing rules.
    Applies: Existing swimming pools.
    § 17.06.030 · code text
    All existing swimming pools shall comply with the provisions hereof within 90 days following the effective date of this chapter.

Other Bradbury rules on this

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

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Bradbury?

Bradbury limits hedges and walls in a yard abutting a street to 3 feet and fences there to 6 feet; rear-yard fences, 6 feet. Bradbury requires a permit to build, enlarge, relocate or structurally alter any fence, yard wall or retaining wall.

Can I split my lot under SB 9 in Bradbury?

Bradbury's code: At most 2 parcels of about equal area; neither may be smaller than 40% of the original lot. (Urban lot split in a single-family residential zone.) (§ 9.164.030); Each new parcel must be at least 1,200 square feet. (§ 9.164.030).

Do I need a permit for solar panels or an EV charger in Bradbury?

Bradbury's code: Administrative, nondiscretionary review: a building permit is issued once a complete application meets the approved checklist and standard plan. (Small residential rooftop solar systems.) (§ 17.11.060); Only one inspection; it is scheduled within 2 business days of a request, with a 2-hour window. (Small residential rooftop solar systems eligible for expedited review.) (§ 17.11.060).

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

Bradbury's code: Yes, a permit is required, but it has no fee. (Dead or seriously diseased trees.) (§ 9.118.060); The restoration cost becomes a lien on the property, or a debt of the remover if not the owner. (Illegal removal of or damage to trees, with restoration not done within 15 days after an appeal ends.) (§ 9.118.070).

What are the pool fence and setback rules in Bradbury?

Bradbury's code: No opening, hole or gap larger than 4 inches in any dimension, except doors and gates. (Pools or water over 18 inches deep within 100 feet of a dwelling on another parcel or a street, with stated exceptions.) (§ 17.06.030); Spaces between pickets may be no more than 4 inches wide. (Picket fences.) (§ 17.06.030).

General information, not legal advice.

Ask about a specific Bradbury property

Ask GoCodebook how these rules apply to your address and get an answer that cites the section.

Ask your question

More on Bradbury

Bradbury Municipal Code — full text

Renting & eviction in Bradbury

Buying & selling in Bradbury

Bradbury overview