Fountain Valley · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley sets its own limits on fences and home businesses. Fence height depends on the yard, and some businesses may not run from a home.

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Key points

Fence height: Fountain Valley limits fences to 3 feet in the required front yard and 6 feet in side and rear yards.
Home businesses: Fountain Valley requires a home occupation permit in residential zones and does not allow uses that add 6 or more vehicle trips a day.

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

Fences and walls

Fountain Valley code What Fountain Valley's code adds
Height anywhere on the lot	Walls may be extended up to 8 feet with matching materials, with the director's approval. Applies: Walls along arterial highways built as part of a subdivision. § 21.18.070 · code text Such walls may be extended to a height of eight feet with like materials subject to approval by the director.
Front yard height	Fences, walls, hedges and dense shrubs may be no more than 3 feet tall. Applies: In the required front yard. § 21.18.070 · code text Fences, walls, lattice work, hedges and dense growth of shrubs/trees greater than three feet in height are not allowed within a required front yard.
Side and rear yard height	Fences, walls and hedges may be no more than 6 feet tall. Applies: In side and rear yards. § 21.18.070 · code text For side and rear yards, such items are not allowed in excess of six feet in height, except for a fence or wall necessary for the public safety, health and welfare as required by a governmental agency or as allowed under subsection 4 of this section.

Running a business from home

Fountain Valley code What Fountain Valley's code adds
Customer visits	Deliveries and customer visits only from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week. Applies: Cottage food operations. § 21.42.065 · code text Deliveries and customer traffic shall be limited to seven a.m. to eight p.m., seven days per week.
Employees	No more than 1 full-time equivalent employee. Applies: Cottage food operations. Family or household members of the operator do not count. § 21.42.065 · code text The cottage food operation shall not have more than one full-time equivalent employee, not including a family member or household member of the cottage food operator within the registered or permitted area of a private home where the cottage food operator resides and where cottage food products are prepared or packaged.
Permit	A cottage food home occupation permit is required. Applies: Cottage food operations. The applicant must first have a cottage food permit from the County of Orange Health Care Agency. § 21.42.065 · code text A cottage food operation shall not be established or operated without the prior approval, issuance, and maintenance of a valid cottage food home occupation permit. A home occupation permit is required. Applies: Any business run in a residential zone. § 21.42.120 · code text It is unlawful for any person to operate a business in a residential zone without a home occupation permit or to operate such business in violation of the permit or in violation of this chapter.
Businesses not allowed	Any use that generates six or more additional vehicle trips per day; adult entertainment activities/businesses; animal hospitals and grooming facilities; automotive and other vehicle reconditioning, repair, servicing, painting, storage or upholstery; commercial cabinet or furniture making businesses; commercial kennels; contractor's storage yards; dismantling, junk or scrap yards; exercise studios; medical clinics, laboratories and offices; repair, reconditioning, servicing or manufacture of internal combustion or diesel engines; sale of alcohol, explosives, hazardous products and/or wastes, firearms and/or ammunition; sales of home furnishing materials; uses requiring explosives or highly combustible or toxic materials; welding and machine shop operations; and similar uses deemed objectionable by the director § 21.42.040 · code text The following uses, either by operation or nature, are considered not to be incidental to or compatible with residential activities and therefore shall not be allowed as home occupation activities:

RV and boat parking

Fountain Valley code What Fountain Valley's code adds
Parking on the street	No trailer parking on city streets; a police permit allows 36-hour periods for loading or short use, 8 monthly max. Applies: The permit goes in advance to a resident who is the registered owner; in residential zones, park in front of the home. § 10.44.260 · code text A permit for loading, unloading, or other appropriate short term use for a thirty-six hour period, providing no more than eight such periods are allowed in a calendar month. 24 hours per permit, no more than 3 periods per month per residence. Applies: Visitor permit for a trailer owned by a non-resident; residential zone, in front of the host home. § 10.44.260 · code text A permit for visitor parking in a residential zone may be issued for a period of twenty-four hours, providing no more than three such periods are allowed per month per residence. One more 36-hour period. Applies: Applies to extending a permit. § 10.44.260 · code text A permit may only be extended for one additional thirty-six hour period. 36 hours. Applies: The waiting time after the second 36-hour permit expires before applying again. § 10.44.260 · code text After the second thirty-six-hour permit expires, an applicant must wait thirty-six hours before applying for an additional permit;

Solar panels and EV chargers

Fountain Valley code What Fountain Valley's code adds
Solar permit process	Apply online; electronic signatures are accepted. Applies: Applies to small rooftop home solar permit applicants. § 18.27.050 · code text Electronic submittal of the required permit application and documents by the Internet shall be made available to all small residential rooftop solar energy system permit applicants.
Review time	Same day. Applies: Applies to complete over-the-counter applications that meet the checklist and standard plan. § 18.27.060 · code text The building department shall issue a building permit or other nondiscretionary permit the same day for over-the-counter applications Within 1 to 3 business days. Applies: Applies to complete electronic applications that meet the checklist and standard plan. § 18.27.060 · code text or within one to three business days for electronic applications of receipt of a complete application and meets the requirements of the approved checklist and standard plan.

Swimming pools

Fountain Valley code No openings other than doors or gates. No outside projections that could serve as hand or foot holds for climbing.

All 13 Fountain Valley rules on swimming pools, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Pets, chickens and bees

Fountain Valley code What Fountain Valley's code adds
Large animals	No livestock, fowl or other animals in any subdivision, except up to 3 dogs and/or cats and normal household pets. § 21.30.040 · code text The keeping or maintaining of livestock, fowl or other animals of any kind shall not be allowed in any subdivision except as provided below.
Pet limit	At most 3 dogs and/or cats over 6 months old. § 21.30.040 · code text A maximum of three dogs and/or cats over six months of age shall be allowed as an accessory use. Other household pets are allowed if normal for a home and not kept for business. Applies: The pet type must clearly be normal and secondary to a home use; no commercial activity. § 21.30.040 · code text The keeping of other household pets shall be allowed of a type readily classifiable as being customarily incidental and accessory to an allowed principal residential use when no commercial activity is involved.

Who this affects

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Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Fountain Valley?

Fountain Valley limits fences to 3 feet in the required front yard and 6 feet in side and rear yards.

Can I run a business from my home in Fountain Valley?

Fountain Valley requires a home occupation permit in residential zones and does not allow uses that add 6 or more vehicle trips a day.

Can I park an RV or boat at my home in Fountain Valley?

Fountain Valley's code: No trailer parking on city streets; a police permit allows 36-hour periods for loading or short use, 8 monthly max. (The permit goes in advance to a resident who is the registered owner; in residential zones, park in front of the home.) (§ 10.44.260); 24 hours per permit, no more than 3 periods per month per residence. (Visitor permit for a trailer owned by a non-resident; residential zone, in front of the host home.) (§ 10.44.260).

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

Fountain Valley's code: Apply online; electronic signatures are accepted. (Applies to small rooftop home solar permit applicants.) (§ 18.27.050); Same day. (Applies to complete over-the-counter applications that meet the checklist and standard plan.) (§ 18.27.060).

Can I keep chickens or bees at my home in Fountain Valley?

Fountain Valley's code: No livestock, fowl or other animals in any subdivision, except up to 3 dogs and/or cats and normal household pets. (§ 21.30.040); At most 3 dogs and/or cats over 6 months old. (§ 21.30.040).

General information, not legal advice.

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Fountain Valley Municipal Code — full text

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