Brea · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Brea

Brea sets residential fence heights with lower limits in front yards and on reversed corner lots, and separate rules in the HR Hillside Residential Zone. Home businesses must stay inside the home or garage.

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Key points

Fence height: Brea limits residential fences to 7 feet; in required front yards, solid ones to 36 inches, open ones to four and a half feet.
Hillside zone: In the HR Hillside Residential Zone, Brea limits accessory structures to 12 feet, with 5-foot setbacks from rear and side pad edges.
Home business: Brea home businesses must stay within the dwelling's enclosed living area or garage, and only residents of the dwelling may work there.

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

Fences and walls

Brea code What Brea's code adds
Height anywhere on the lot	No more than 7 feet above the finished grade at the base of the fence. Applies: Residential zones. Lower limits apply in a required front yard and the street side of a reversed corner lot; HR zone walls differ. § 20.08.015 · code text A. Fences and walls and hedges shall not exceed seven feet above the finished grade immediately adjacent to the base of the fence with the following exceptions: At least 6 feet and at most 8 feet, measured from the highest adjacent grade. Applies: Required perimeter wall in the WD Wall Design Overlay Zone only; the City Planner sets the final height. § 20.262.040 · code text B. The wall height shall range from a minimum height of six (6) feet to a maximum height of eight (8) feet, as measured from the highest adjacent grade.
Front yard height	No more than 36 inches. Applies: Solid fences, walls and hedges in a required front yard. § 20.08.015 · code text 1. Solid fences, walls and hedges in a required front yard or within 10 feet of the property line along the street side of a reversed corner lot shall not exceed a height of 36 inches. No more than four and one-half feet. Applies: Open work fences, at least 90% open, in a required front yard. § 20.08.015 · code text 2. Open work fences (not less than 90% open) in a required front yard or within 10 feet of the property line along the street side of a reversed corner lot shall not exceed a height of four and one-half feet.
Side and rear yard height	No more than 36 inches. Applies: Solid fences, walls and hedges within 10 feet of the property line on the street side of a reversed corner lot. § 20.08.015 · code text 1. Solid fences, walls and hedges in a required front yard or within 10 feet of the property line along the street side of a reversed corner lot shall not exceed a height of 36 inches. No more than four and one-half feet. Applies: Open work fences, at least 90% open, within 10 feet of the property line on the street side of a reversed corner lot. § 20.08.015 · code text 2. Open work fences (not less than 90% open) in a required front yard or within 10 feet of the property line along the street side of a reversed corner lot shall not exceed a height of four and one-half feet.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Brea code What Brea's code adds
Maximum height	No more than 12 feet. Applies: Accessory structures in the HR Hillside Residential Zone. § 20.206.200 · code text The height of any accessory structure shall be limited to 12 feet.
Side and rear setback	At least 5 feet from the rear and side pad edges. Applies: HR Hillside Residential Zone. § 20.206.200 · code text Accessory structures shall maintain a minimum five (5)-foot setback from rear and side pad edges. At least 20 feet from any pad edge to the street. Applies: HR Hillside Residential Zone; pads on lots next to a street. § 20.206.200 · code text For pads on lots adjacent to a street, a minimum twenty (20)-foot setback from any pad edge to the street shall be maintained. At least 20 feet from the pad edge. Applies: HR Hillside Residential Zone; side yard on the street side of a corner lot. § 20.206.200 · code text A side yard on the street side of a corner lot shall maintain a minimum twenty (20)-foot setback from pad edge.

Running a business from home

Brea code What Brea's code adds
Space used	Only inside the enclosed living area of the home or the garage. § 20.36.010 · code text A home occupation shall be conducted only within the enclosed living area of the dwelling unit or the garage.
Customer visits	No traffic from salespeople, service vehicles, delivery people, messengers or others beyond what is normal for a home. § 20.36.010 · code text There shall be no traffic to or from the premises by salesmen, service vehicles, delivery persons, messengers or others beyond the amount of such traffic incidental to residential uses.
Employees	Only the residents of the home may work in the business. § 20.36.010 · code text Only the residents of the dwelling unit may engage in the home occupation.

Lot splits under SB 9

Brea code What Brea's code adds
How the lot may be divided	Each new lot must be at least 40% of the existing lot. Applies: Single-family residential zones. § 20.56.050 · code text The size of the new lot shall be at least 40% of the existing lot prior to the Urban Lot Split.
Unit size	At most 800 square feet. Applies: New units in a two-unit development; no maximum for a unit converted from existing space in the same location and dimensions. § 20.56.040 · code text Maximum Unit Size \| 800 square feet
Minimum new lot size	Each new lot must be at least 1,200 square feet. Applies: New lots created through an urban lot split. § 20.56.050 · code text In no instance shall the new lots be less than 1,200 sq. ft.
Setbacks	At least 4 feet. Applies: Side setback for a two-unit development. § 20.56.040 · code text Side - 4 feet At least 4 feet. Applies: Rear setback for a two-unit development. § 20.56.040 · code text Rear - 4 feet No setbacks required. Applies: A legally permitted existing structure on a lot created through an urban lot split. § 20.56.050 · code text No setbacks are required for a legally permitted existing structure.
Standards	Every lot must front directly on a public or private street; alleys do not count. Applies: Lots created through an urban lot split. § 20.56.050 · code text All lots shall have frontage directly onto a public or private street, excluding alleys. Each lot must be at least 24 feet wide along a street. Applies: Lots created through an urban lot split. § 20.56.050 · code text All lots shall have a minimum lot width of 24 feet abutting a street. Height is limited to 16 feet. Applies: Detached or newly built units in a two-unit development. § 20.56.040 · code text Detached or new construction: The maximum height is 16 feet. At least 10 feet between buildings. Applies: Detached units in an SB 9 two-unit development. § 20.56.040 · code text Detached: 10 feet Each unit must have its own entrance from the outside. Applies: Each dwelling unit in a two-unit development. § 20.56.040 · code text Must have independent entrance from the exterior. Separate utility connections and separate utility meters are required. Applies: Two-unit developments and urban lot splits. § 20.56.040 · code text Two-unit developments shall have separate utility connections and separate utility meters. Units may not be rented for less than 30 consecutive days at a time. Applies: Two-unit developments and urban lot split properties. § 20.56.040 · code text Dwelling units shall not be rented for less than 30 consecutive days at a time.
Owner occupancy	Owner must live in one unit as a principal residence for at least 3 years from lot split approval. Applies: Urban lot split property; the owner signs an affidavit. § 20.56.050 · code text The legal owner of an urban lot split property shall sign an affidavit stating that the owner intends to occupy one of the housing units as their principal residence for a minimum of three years from the date of approval of the urban lot split. The owners must live in one of the units as their primary residence and legal home. Applies: Two-unit development on a lot that is not split. § 20.56.040 · code text If the lot does not undergo an urban lot split, expressly requires the individual property owners to live in one (1) of the dwelling units on the lot as the owners' primary residence and legal domicile.

Solar panels and EV chargers

Brea code What Brea's code adds
EV charger permit	The Building Official approves applications meeting the checklists and issues all needed permits; electronic submittal and signatures are accepted. Applies: Electric vehicle charging stations; the station may not be used until the city approves it. § 14.08.040 · code text The Building Official shall allow for electronic submittal of permit applications and any additional application documentation required by this chapter.

Tree removal

Brea code Maintenance such as pruning is exempt, as long as the tree is not destroyed. Immediate removal is allowed.

All 14 Brea rules on tree removal, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Other Brea rules on this

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

No hogs or pigs (§ 6.00.040)
No beekeeping (§ 8.32.010)
Local pool and spa safety rules (§ 15.220.020)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Brea?

Brea limits residential fences to 7 feet; in required front yards, solid ones to 36 inches, open ones to four and a half feet.

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

In the HR Hillside Residential Zone, Brea limits accessory structures to 12 feet, with 5-foot setbacks from rear and side pad edges.

Can I run a business from my home in Brea?

Brea home businesses must stay within the dwelling's enclosed living area or garage, and only residents of the dwelling may work there.

Can I split my lot under SB 9 in Brea?

Brea's code: Each new lot must be at least 40% of the existing lot. (Single-family residential zones.) (§ 20.56.050); At most 800 square feet. (New units in a two-unit development; no maximum for a unit converted from existing space in the same location and dimensions.) (§ 20.56.040).

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

Brea's code: The Building Official approves applications meeting the checklists and issues all needed permits; electronic submittal and signatures are accepted. (Electric vehicle charging stations; the station may not be used until the city approves it.) (§ 14.08.040).

General information, not legal advice.

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