Brawley · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Brawley

Brawley sets fence heights by yard, with lower limits in residential front yards. The city sets where sheds, garages and carports may stand, and home businesses need a permit.

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Key points

Fence height: Brawley limits fences to 48 inches in required front yards of residential zones and 6 feet along side and rear yard lines.
Storage sheds: Brawley allows storage sheds of up to 150 square feet in a required side or rear yard, at least 3 feet from the line.
Home business: Brawley home businesses need a permit; customers or clients may not come to the premises, and nonresident employees are not allowed.

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

Fences and walls

Brawley code What Brawley's code adds
Front yard height	No more than 48 inches. Applies: Fences and walls in the required front yard in any residential zone. § 27.179 · code text fences and walls shall not exceed a height of forty-eight inches in any residential zone within the required front yard No more than 72 inches. Applies: Required front yard in the A-1, commercial and industrial zones and multifamily projects over 3 units; must not block drivers' line of sight. § 27.179 · code text fences and walls shall not exceed a height of seventy-two inches in the A-1, commercial and industrial zones and multifamily projects with greater than three units or hinder driver's line of sight.
Side and rear yard height	No more than 6 feet. Applies: Along the side or rear yard lines; the fence may not extend into the required front yard. § 27.179 · code text A fence or wall not more than six feet in height may be located along the side or rear yard lines

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Brawley code What Brawley's code adds
Size or lot coverage	No more than 150 square feet. Applies: Storage sheds in a required side or rear yard, no part closer than 3 feet to the side or rear property line. § 27.172 · code text Storage sheds not exceeding one hundred fifty square feet may be located within any required side or rear yard area provided no part of the structure is located closer than three feet to the side or rear property line.
Side and rear setback	May be as close as 5 feet to any side or rear lot line. Applies: One-story garages on interior lots. On corner lots, at least 10 feet from the street line. § 27.172 · code text One-story garages may be located within five feet of any side lot line or rear lot line on interior lots. No part closer than 3 feet to the side property line. Applies: One-story carports over a driveway in a side yard. § 27.172 · code text One-story carports may be placed over a driveway in a side yard, provided no part of the structure is closer than three feet to the side property line. No part closer than 3 feet to the side or rear property line. Applies: Storage sheds of no more than 150 square feet. § 27.172 · code text Storage sheds not exceeding one hundred fifty square feet may be located within any required side or rear yard area provided no part of the structure is located closer than three feet to the side or rear property line. May be as close as 5 feet to any side or rear property line. Applies: Other one-story accessory buildings or covered patios, not garages or carports. On corner lots, at least 10 feet from a street right-of-way line. § 27.172 · code text Other one-story accessory buildings, or covered patios, other than a garage or carport, may be located within five feet of any side or rear property line, except that no accessory building shall be located closer than ten feet to a street right-of-way line on corner lots.

Running a business from home

Brawley code What Brawley's code adds
Customer visits	No customers or clients on the premises. Sales and client services must take place off the premises. Applies: Telephone or mail contact is allowed. § 27.200 · code text All sales or products, and the performance of all services which requires the presence of a client must take place off the premises with the exception of a telephone or mail communication.
Employees	Only a resident may take part. No nonresident employees or partners living elsewhere. § 27.200 · code text Only a resident of the premises may participate in a home occupation. In no instance may a partner live elsewhere or may nonresident employees be on the premises.
Permit	Yes. A home occupation permit is required. § 27.200 · code text The applicant for a home occupation permit shall comply with the following operations regulations:

Swimming pools

Brawley code What Brawley's code adds
Pool barrier	The barrier must block access by anyone other than the owners or occupants. § 23B.2 · code text Every swimming pool shall be enclosed by a natural barrier, retaining wall, fence or other structure having a minimum height of five feet and constructed or installed so as to obstruct access thereto by persons other than the owners or occupants of the premises on which such swimming pool is located. Existing pools must also be enclosed. Applies: Existing swimming pools. § 23B.2 · code text Every existing swimming pool shall be enclosed as required by subsection (a) of this section.
Barrier height	At least 5 feet high. § 23B.2 · code text Every swimming pool shall be enclosed by a natural barrier, retaining wall, fence or other structure having a minimum height of five feet and constructed or installed so as to obstruct access thereto by persons other than the owners or occupants of the premises on which such swimming pool is located.
Setback from property lines	At least 3 feet from any property line; the zone's front and side yard setbacks also apply. Applies: Pools built after this rule took effect. § 23B.7 · code text All swimming pools constructed after the effective date of this section shall be subject to the front yard and side yard setback requirements as set forth in Chapter 27 but in no case shall be located closer than three feet from any property line. At least 5 feet from the rear property line. Applies: Pools and their heating, filtering and pumping equipment. § 23B.7 · code text Swimming pools, including heating, filtering, pumping and accessory equipment, shall have a five-foot rear yard setback.

Other Brawley rules on this

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

Keeping livestock, poultry and bees (§ 4.2)
Parking trailers and RVs on the street (§ 17.58.1) — on public streets

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Brawley?

Brawley limits fences to 48 inches in required front yards of residential zones and 6 feet along side and rear yard lines.

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

Brawley allows storage sheds of up to 150 square feet in a required side or rear yard, at least 3 feet from the line.

Can I run a business from my home in Brawley?

Brawley home businesses need a permit; customers or clients may not come to the premises, and nonresident employees are not allowed.

What are the pool fence and setback rules in Brawley?

Brawley's code: The barrier must block access by anyone other than the owners or occupants. (§ 23B.2); At least 5 feet high. (§ 23B.2).

General information, not legal advice.

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