Corona · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Corona

Corona sets distance rules for detached accessory buildings and limits home business employees. It also has a chapter on landscaping, fences, walls and hedges.

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Key points

Home businesses: A home business may have at most one full-time employee outside the resident family; commercial cannabis activity is not allowed.
Accessory buildings: City rule: detached accessory buildings need a 4-foot side and rear setback without fire-resistive walls, or 2 feet with them.
Fences: Corona regulates landscaping, fences, walls and hedges in Chapter 17.70 of its code.

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

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Corona code What Corona's code adds
Side and rear setback	At least 4 feet from a side or rear lot line. Applies: Detached accessory buildings without fire-resistive walls. § 17.66.010 · code text Detached accessory buildings without fire resistive walls shall be at least four feet from a side or rear lot line. At least 2 feet from a side or rear lot line. Applies: Detached accessory buildings with fire-resistive walls. § 17.66.010 · code text Detached accessory buildings with fire resistive walls shall be permitted at least two feet from a side or rear lot line; provided, however, that any area three feet or less shall be poured with a minimum of two inches or concrete and finished to provide proper drainage.
Distance from the house	At least 5 feet from the main home. § 17.66.010 · code text Detached accessory buildings shall be at least five feet from the primary unit. Accessory buildings shall be separated by five feet.

Running a business from home

Corona code What Corona's code adds
Employees	No more than 1 full-time employee besides the resident family. Applies: Home occupations. § 5.28.080 · code text there shall be no more than one full-time employee at the residence or dwelling out of which the home occupation massage business is conducted other than the members of the resident family
Permit	A home occupation massage permit and the needed business license are required. Applies: Massage therapists who give massages from their home. § 5.28.080 · code text A massage therapist who holds a current, valid massage therapist or massage practitioner certification issued by the California Massage Therapy Council may conduct massages pursuant to a home occupation massage permit
Businesses not allowed	Cannabis storefront retailer; cannabis non-storefront retailer; cannabis manufacturing; cannabis distribution; cannabis testing laboratory; cannabis microbusiness; cannabis cultivation; any type of commercial cannabis activity § 17.80.040 · code text The following uses or similar uses shall be prohibited as home occupations:

Lot splits under SB 9

Corona code Two lots of about equal area; neither may be smaller than 40% of the original lot. Each new home may be no more than 800 square feet.

All 18 Corona rules on lot splits under sb 9, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Solar panels and EV chargers

Corona code What Corona's code adds
EV charger permit	You may submit permit applications and documents electronically. Applies: Applies to EV charging stations. § 15.66.020 · code text The guidelines shall be consistent with California Government Code § 65850.7 and will allow for electronic submittal of permit applications and associated documentation.
Solar permit process	You may submit permit applications and documents electronically. Applies: Applies to small residential rooftop solar systems. § 15.68.020 · code text The guidelines shall be consistent with California Government Code Section 65850.5 and will allow for electronic submittal of permit applications and associated documentation.

Swimming pools

Corona code What Corona's code adds
Pool barrier	All fences and walls must be in place and approved by the Building Inspector before the pool is filled. § 17.70.020 · code text All fencing and walls must be in place and approved by the Building Inspector before water shall be allowed in a pool.
Barrier height	The pool barrier must be at least 5 feet high at every point. § 17.70.020 · code text Swimming pools shall be entirely enclosed by buildings, fences or walls which are not less than five feet in height at any point, measured immediately adjacent to any such building fence or wall on the side of such building, fence or wall opposite the swimming pool. A pool fence or wall may be no more than 6 feet high. Applies: Measured from the highest ground right next to either side of the fence or wall. § 17.70.020 · code text A fence or wall enclosing a proposed or existing swimming pool shall not exceed six feet in height, measured from the highest ground elevation immediately adjacent on either side of said fence or wall.
Gates	Self-latching gates or doors at least 5 feet high, with latches at least 4 feet above the ground. § 17.70.020 · code text The fence or wall shall have self-latching gates or doors not less than five feet in height, and each such gate or door shall have latches not less than four feet above the ground level.
Maintenance and empty pools	An older pool may stay in use if it has an adequate barrier and is not a safety hazard. Applies: Applies to pools that existed before this chapter took effect. § 15.04.150 · code text The legal use of a swimming pool existing before the effective date of this chapter may continue, provided that the swimming pool is provided with an adequate barrier, as reasonably determined by the Building Official consistent with this chapter, and provided that the swimming pool, and/or the use thereof, does not create a safety hazard.

Pets, chickens and bees

Corona code What Corona's code adds
Chickens	Yes; up to 4 chickens. Applies: Single-family residential zones, on lots of 5,000 to 9,999 square feet. § 6.20.040 · code text 5,000 to 9,999 sq. ft \| 4 Yes; up to 6 chickens. Applies: Single-family residential zones, on lots of 10,000 to 14,999 square feet. § 6.20.040 · code text 10,000 to 14,999 sq. ft. \| 6 Yes; up to 8 chickens. Applies: Single-family residential zones, on lots of 15,000 to 19,999 square feet. § 6.20.040 · code text 15,000 to 19,999 sq. ft. \| 8 Yes; up to 10 chickens. Applies: Single-family residential zones, on lots of 20,000 square feet or more. § 6.20.040 · code text 20,000 sq. ft. or more \| 10 Yes, but only chickens over 6 months old. Applies: Only in single-family residential zones, on lots of at least 5,000 square feet. § 6.20.020 · code text The keeping of chickens over the age of six months shall be permitted in single-family residential zones subject to the criteria and standards set forth in this chapter.
Coop setback	Coops must be at least 10 feet from your property line. Applies: Distance from the owner's own property line. § 6.20.040 · code text No person shall maintain any chicken house or coop within ten feet of their property line or within 100 feet of any school, hospital, hotel, day care facility (as defined in Title 17 of this code), health care facility (as described in Chapter 17.73 of this code), food establishment (as defined in Chapter 8.16), restaurant (as defined in Title 17 of this code) or similar institution. Coops must be at least 100 feet from these places. Applies: Applies to any school, hospital, hotel, day care, health care facility, food establishment, restaurant or similar institution. § 6.20.040 · code text No person shall maintain any chicken house or coop within ten feet of their property line or within 100 feet of any school, hospital, hotel, day care facility (as defined in Title 17 of this code), health care facility (as described in Chapter 17.73 of this code), food establishment (as defined in Chapter 8.16), restaurant (as defined in Title 17 of this code) or similar institution.

Other Corona rules on this

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

Landscaping, fences, walls and hedges (Ch. 17.70)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Corona?

Corona regulates landscaping, fences, walls and hedges in Chapter 17.70 of its code. Corona also has a related rule: Landscaping, fences, walls and hedges (Ch. 17.70).

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

City rule: detached accessory buildings need a 4-foot side and rear setback without fire-resistive walls, or 2 feet with them.

Can I run a business from my home in Corona?

A home business may have at most one full-time employee outside the resident family; commercial cannabis activity is not allowed.

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

Corona's code: You may submit permit applications and documents electronically. (Applies to EV charging stations.) (§ 15.66.020); You may submit permit applications and documents electronically. (Applies to small residential rooftop solar systems.) (§ 15.68.020).

What are the pool fence and setback rules in Corona?

Corona's code: All fences and walls must be in place and approved by the Building Inspector before the pool is filled. (§ 17.70.020); The pool barrier must be at least 5 feet high at every point. (§ 17.70.020).

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

Corona's code: Yes; up to 4 chickens. (Single-family residential zones, on lots of 5,000 to 9,999 square feet.) (§ 6.20.040); Yes; up to 6 chickens. (Single-family residential zones, on lots of 10,000 to 14,999 square feet.) (§ 6.20.040).

General information, not legal advice.

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