Corning · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Corning

Corning limits fence heights by yard and requires a building permit for fences. It also limits home businesses and sets limits for barns and similar buildings in the agricultural combining district.

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Key points

Fence height: Fences are limited to 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in rear and side yards; new fences need a building permit.
Home businesses: A home business needs a city permit, may use at most 25% of the floor space, and may employ no one outside the family.
Barns and stables: City rule: in the agricultural combining district, barns and stables need a 20-foot side and rear setback and 30 feet from the main building.

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

Fences and walls

Corning code What Corning's code adds
Front yard height	No more than 4 feet high. Applies: Fences and screen plantings in front yards. On a corner lot, the front yard is the area between the front door and the property line. § 17.50.150 · code text Fences and screen plantings shall not exceed four feet in front yards nor six feet in height in any required rear and side yard, unless specifically required by this chapter or except as provided in this section.
Side and rear yard height	No more than 6 feet high. Applies: Fences and screen plantings in any required rear or side yard. § 17.50.150 · code text Fences and screen plantings shall not exceed four feet in front yards nor six feet in height in any required rear and side yard, unless specifically required by this chapter or except as provided in this section.
Permit	Yes. A building permit is required before building a fence. Applies: All fences, except repair or rebuilding of a damaged fence with similar materials, same size and same location. § 17.50.150 · code text No fence shall be constructed prior to obtaining a building permit, as provided for in Title 15 of the Corning Municipal Code, except in the case of a previously existing fence which was damaged or destroyed and which is reconstructed or repaired using similar materials of the same dimensions and location as the original fence.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Corning code What Corning's code adds
Side and rear setback	At least 20 feet from any side property line. Applies: Barns, stables, chicken houses and similar accessory buildings in the agricultural combining district. § 17.38.040 · code text Barns, stables, chicken houses, and similar accessory buildings shall be not less than fifty feet from the front property line; not less than twenty feet from any side property line; not less than thirty feet from any dwelling.
Distance from the house	At least 30 feet from any home. Applies: Barns, stables, chicken houses and similar accessory buildings in the agricultural combining district. § 17.38.040 · code text Barns, stables, chicken houses, and similar accessory buildings shall be not less than fifty feet from the front property line; not less than twenty feet from any side property line; not less than thirty feet from any dwelling.

Running a business from home

Corning code What Corning's code adds
Space used	No more than 25% of the home's floor space. Applies: The business must stay inside the home. § 17.06.270 · code text Is confined within the dwelling, and occupies not more than twenty-five percent of the floor space thereof;
Employees	No employees other than the family members who live in the home. Applies: Home occupations run by the family that lives in the home. § 17.06.270 · code text Is carried on by the members of the family occupying the dwelling with no other person employed;
Permit	A home occupation permit is required, approved by the planning department, with a fee set by the council. § 17.06.270 · code text Must apply for a permit for home occupancy use (to be approved by the planning department, with a fee set by council).
Businesses not allowed	sales of merchandise other than that produced on the premises, or directly related to and incidental to the services offered Applies: home occupations § 17.06.270 · code text Involves no sales of merchandise other than that produced on the premises, or directly related to and incidental to the services offered;

Lot splits under SB 9

Corning code The smaller new lot must be at least 40% of the original lot area. Each unit may be at most 800 square feet.

All 16 Corning rules on lot splits under sb 9, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Pets, chickens and bees

Corning code What Corning's code adds
Chickens	Yes, with a permit; no more than 175 birds in total per property. Applies: Applies to birds kept outside the house, in all zones except agricultural districts. § 6.12.015 · code text The total combination of all birds from Group 1 and Group 2 shall not exceed one hundred seventy-five birds on an individual piece of property within the city.
Coop setback	At least 25 feet away. Applies: Distance from bird houses and cages to any home the bird keeper does not live in. § 6.12.015 · code text Bird houses and cages shall not exceed ten feet in height and no bird house or cage shall be placed within twenty-five feet of any dwelling not occupied by the keeper of birds. At least 3 feet away. Applies: Distance from bird houses, cages or coops to any property line. § 6.12.015 · code text Bird houses and cages shall not be placed within three feet of any property line.
Permit	A permit is required to keep birds outside the house. Applies: Applies in all zones except agricultural districts. § 6.12.015 · code text A permit shall be required in order for any person to keep birds outside of residential structures in all zones except agricultural districts within the city of Corning.

Other Corning rules on this

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

Draining a swimming pool (§ 13.12.050)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Corning?

Fences are limited to 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in rear and side yards; new fences need a building permit.

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

City rule: in the agricultural combining district, barns and stables need a 20-foot side and rear setback and 30 feet from the main building.

Can I run a business from my home in Corning?

A home business needs a city permit, may use at most 25% of the floor space, and may employ no one outside the family.

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

Corning's code: Yes, with a permit; no more than 175 birds in total per property. (Applies to birds kept outside the house, in all zones except agricultural districts.) (§ 6.12.015); At least 25 feet away. (Distance from bird houses and cages to any home the bird keeper does not live in.) (§ 6.12.015).

General information, not legal advice.

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Corning Municipal Code — full text

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