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Brisbane · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Brisbane

Brisbane sets one fence limit for all required setbacks, which the city may lower where visibility is affected. The city limits small accessory buildings in setbacks, and home businesses need a permit.

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Key points

  • Fence height: Brisbane limits fences in required setbacks, front included, to 6 feet, or as low as 3 feet where visibility would be affected.
  • Small structures: Brisbane limits sheds, gazebos and greenhouses in the rear or interior side setback to 8 feet and 120 square feet.
  • Home business: Brisbane home businesses need a home occupation permit from the planning director.

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

Fences and walls

Brisbane code What Brisbane's code adds
Corner visibility
  • Fences, hedges and walls must be lowered, but to no less than 3 feet.
    Applies: Where the director of public works finds that visibility would be affected.
    § 17.32.050 · code text
    Where the director of public works determines that visibility would be affected, the height of fences, hedges and walls shall be reduced to not less than three (3) feet.
Height anywhere on the lot
  • No more than 6 feet.
    Applies: Fences, hedges and walls in any required setback, in any district, unless the code says otherwise; lower where visibility is affected.
    § 17.32.050 · code text
    Unless otherwise provided elsewhere in this title, fences, hedges and walls not exceeding six (6) feet in height may be constructed in any district within any required setback area, except as follows:
Front yard height
  • No more than 6 feet.
    Applies: Fences, hedges and walls in a required front setback, under the general rule.
    § 17.32.050 · code text
    Unless otherwise provided elsewhere in this title, fences, hedges and walls not exceeding six (6) feet in height may be constructed in any district within any required setback area, except as follows:
Side and rear yard height
  • No more than 6 feet.
    Applies: Fences, hedges and walls in required side and rear setbacks, under the general rule.
    § 17.32.050 · code text
    Fence heights may exceed six (6) feet through the addition of up to two (2) feet of wooden lattice on top within the required side and rear setbacks in the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-BA and NCRO-2 districts, but not within the front setback required per the district's development regulations.
  • Up to 2 feet of wooden lattice may be added on top of a 6-foot fence.
    Applies: Required side and rear setbacks in the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-BA and NCRO-2 districts; not in the front setback.
    § 17.32.050 · code text
    Fence heights may exceed six (6) feet through the addition of up to two (2) feet of wooden lattice on top within the required side and rear setbacks in the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-BA and NCRO-2 districts, but not within the front setback required per the district's development regulations.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Brisbane code What Brisbane's code adds
Maximum height
  • No more than 8 feet.
    Applies: Small accessory buildings and roofed structures, such as gazebos, greenhouses and sheds, in the rear or interior side setback.
    § 17.32.070 · code text
    provided the building or structure, or portion thereof, within the rear setback area does not exceed 8 feet in height and does not have a floor area in excess of 120 square feet.
  • No more than 15 feet above the center of the adjacent street.
    Applies: Garages, carports and parking decks in the front setback on slopes of 15% or more, R-1, R-2, R-3 (decks also R-BA); city engineer approval.
    § 17.32.070 · code text
    Garages, carports and parking decks not more than 15 feet in height above the elevation of the center of the adjacent street in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 Districts and parking decks in the R-BA District may be placed at any location within the front setback area
  • No more than 15 feet above the center of the adjacent street.
    Applies: Garages, carports and parking decks in the rear setback of through lots on slopes of 15% or more; city engineer approval.
    § 17.32.070 · code text
    On through lots, garages, carports and parking decks not more than 15 feet in height above the elevation of the center of the adjacent street may be placed at any location within the rear setback area
Size or lot coverage
  • No more than 120 square feet of floor area.
    Applies: Small accessory buildings and roofed structures, such as gazebos, greenhouses and sheds, in the rear or interior side setback.
    § 17.32.070 · code text
    provided the building or structure, or portion thereof, within the rear setback area does not exceed 8 feet in height and does not have a floor area in excess of 120 square feet.
Side and rear setback
  • At least 5 feet from the rear lot line.
    Applies: Small accessory buildings and roofed structures in the rear setback area.
    § 17.32.070 · code text
    May be placed at any location within the rear setback area which is not less than 5 feet from the rear lot line or 3 feet from the interior side lot line
  • At least 3 feet from the interior side lot line.
    Applies: Small accessory buildings and roofed structures in the rear or interior side setback area.
    § 17.32.070 · code text
    May be placed at any location within the rear setback area which is not less than 5 feet from the rear lot line or 3 feet from the interior side lot line

Running a business from home

Brisbane code What Brisbane's code adds
Permit
  • Yes. A home occupation permit from the planning director is required.
    § 17.44.020 · code text
    A home occupation may be conducted in any dwelling unit, or in an accessory structure on the same site, by the occupant of such dwelling unit, only upon the granting of a home occupation permit by the planning director pursuant to this chapter.

Lot splits under SB 9

Brisbane code At most 2 lots of about equal area; neither may be smaller than 40% of the original lot. Each new lot must be at least 1,200 square feet.

All 15 Brisbane rules on lot splits under sb 9, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Solar panels and EV chargers

Brisbane code What Brisbane's code adds
EV-ready new homes
  • At least 1 Level 2 and 1 Level 1 EV Ready circuit.
    Applies: New single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses or garages; each unit where 2 or more parking spaces are required.
    § 15.84.070 · code text
    For each dwelling unit where two (2) or more parking spaces are required, at least one Level 2 EV Ready Circuit and one Level 1 EV Ready circuit is to be installed.
  • Only 1 Level 2 EV Ready circuit.
    Applies: New single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses or garages; each unit where only 1 parking space is required.
    § 15.84.070 · code text
    Where only one parking space is required per dwelling unit as provided in Chapter 17.34, only one Level 2 EV Ready circuit shall be required to be installed.
  • At least 1 Level 2 EV Ready circuit parking space per unit.
    Applies: New multifamily dwellings.
    § 15.84.070 · code text
    A minimum of one Level 2 EV Ready Circuit Parking Space per unit shall be provided;
  • At least 10% of the EV Ready spaces must have Level 2 chargers (EVSE).
    Applies: New multifamily dwellings.
    § 15.84.070 · code text
    A minimum of ten percent (10%) of the spaces required in paragraph a above shall be equipped with Level 2 EVSE;
  • At least 50% of required guest parking spaces must be EV charging spaces.
    Applies: New multifamily dwellings.
    § 15.84.070 · code text
    A minimum of fifty percent (50%) of required guest parking spaces shall be EVCS parking spaces.
  • At least 40% of all parking spaces provided must be EV Ready or EVSE.
    Applies: New multifamily dwellings.
    § 15.84.070 · code text
    In no case shall less than forty percent (40%) of the total parking spaces provided be EV Ready or EVSE.
EV charger permit
  • A building permit is required for an EV charging station.
    § 15.86.050 · code text
    An electric vehicle charging station shall require a building permit subject to the requirements and procedures set forth in Sections 15.86.050.A—D.
  • Applications that meet all requirements are approved administratively.
    Applies: EV charging station building permits.
    § 15.86.050 · code text
    Administratively approve building permit applications that comply with all requirements.
Solar permit process
  • A building permit is issued when the application meets the requirements; only one city inspection.
    Applies: Small residential rooftop solar systems.
    § 15.82.060 · code text
    The building official shall issue a building permit upon receipt of an application that meets the requirements established by Section 15.82.080 of this title.

Other Brisbane rules on this

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

Who this affects

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Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Brisbane?

Brisbane limits fences in required setbacks, front included, to 6 feet, or as low as 3 feet where visibility would be affected.

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

Brisbane limits sheds, gazebos and greenhouses in the rear or interior side setback to 8 feet and 120 square feet.

Can I run a business from my home in Brisbane?

Brisbane home businesses need a home occupation permit from the planning director.

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

Brisbane's code: At least 1 Level 2 and 1 Level 1 EV Ready circuit. (New single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses or garages; each unit where 2 or more parking spaces are required.) (§ 15.84.070); Only 1 Level 2 EV Ready circuit. (New single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses or garages; each unit where only 1 parking space is required.) (§ 15.84.070).

General information, not legal advice.

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