Healdsburg · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Healdsburg

Healdsburg sets its own limits for fences, accessory structures and home businesses. Fence height depends on the yard and the zoning district, and accessory structure setbacks depend on the district.

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Key points

Fence height: Healdsburg limits required front yard fences to 4 ft in most districts; rear and interior side yards 6 ft plus 2 ft lattice.
Accessory structures: Healdsburg limits accessory structures to 12 ft, or 18 ft with written director findings; side and rear setbacks depend on the district.
Home businesses: Healdsburg home businesses need director approval and may have at most 2 nonresident employees and 2 visitor vehicles on the street at once.

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

Fences and walls

Healdsburg code What Healdsburg's code adds
Height anywhere on the lot	No more than 12 feet high. Applies: Fences and walls outside required yards. § 20.16.045 · code text The maximum height of fences and walls allowed outside of required yards shall not exceed 12 feet.
Front yard height	No more than 4 feet high, or lower where vision clearance rules apply. Applies: Required front yards in all zones except R-1-20,000 and R-1-40,000. § 20.16.045 · code text Required front yard within all zoning districts except R-1-20,000 and R-1-40,000 Districts: Four feet, except as further restricted for vision clearance per HMC § 20.16.005(E). No more than 6 feet high, or lower where vision clearance rules apply. Applies: R-1-20,000 and R-1-40,000 front yards: see-through fence, 10 feet or more back from the line or road edge, no sidewalk existing or planned. § 20.16.045 · code text Required front yard in R-1-20,000 and R-1-40,000 Districts: Six feet, except as restricted for vision clearance under HMC § 20.16.005(E); and provided further, that the location and design of the fence complies with all of the following requirements: Solid walls or fences may be no more than 4 feet high. Applies: R-1-20,000 and R-1-40,000 required yards facing a street, when the 6-foot front yard conditions are not met. § 20.16.045 · code text Otherwise, walls or fences with opaque siding material (e.g., solid boards) exceeding four feet in height are not allowed within a required yard fronting a street.
Side and rear yard height	No more than 6 feet, plus 2 more feet of 50% open lattice. Applies: Required rear yards and interior side yards. § 20.16.045 · code text Required rear yard and interior side yard: Six feet plus two feet of additional 50 percent open lattice. No more than 6 feet high. Applies: Required side yards facing a street, when 15 feet or more behind the front wall of the main building. § 20.16.045 · code text Required side yard fronting a street: Six feet if located 15 feet or more behind the front wall of the main building. No more than 4 feet high, or lower where vision clearance rules apply. Applies: Required side yards facing a street, when less than 15 feet behind the front wall of the main building. § 20.16.045 · code text Otherwise, the maximum height of a fence or wall located within a side yard fronting a street shall not exceed four feet, except as further restricted for vision clearance under HMC § 20.16.005(E).
Permit	Yes. A building permit is required for fences taller than 7 feet. Applies: Fences taller than 7 feet. § 20.16.055 · code text A building permit is required for fences exceeding seven feet in height.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Healdsburg code What Healdsburg's code adds
Maximum height	No more than 12 feet above finished grade. § 20.16.030 · code text Accessory structures shall not exceed a height of 12 feet above finished grade, as measured according to HMC § 20.16.060. Up to 18 feet high. Applies: When the planning and building director makes the required findings in writing. § 20.16.030 · code text the planning and building director may allow heights of accessory structures to extend to a maximum of 18 feet when the following findings can be made in writing:
Size or lot coverage	No more than 500 square feet or 10% of the required side and rear yards, whichever is greater. Applies: All accessory structures combined in the main building's required side and rear yards. § 20.16.025 · code text In the aggregate, no more than 500 square feet or 10 percent of the combined area of the primary structure's required side and rear yards, whichever is greater, shall be covered by accessory structures Up to 400 square feet, not counted in the combined accessory structure area. Applies: A detached garage in the required side and rear yard, when the lot has no other workable place for it. § 20.16.025 · code text except that up to 400 square feet of detached garage may be located in the required side and rear yard and not count toward the aggregate accessory structure area; provided, that the lot contains no other feasible location for the garage.
Side and rear setback	At least 15 feet. Applies: Interior side and rear yards in the O District. § 20.16.020 · code text O District: 15 feet At least 6 feet. Applies: Interior side and rear yards in the R-1-40,000, R-1-20,000, R-1-12,500 and GMU Districts. § 20.16.020 · code text R-1-40,000, R-1-20,000, R-1-12,500 and GMU Districts: Six feet At least 3 feet. Applies: Interior side and rear yards in the R-1-6,000, DR, RM, MP and ORM Districts. § 20.16.020 · code text R-1-6,000, DR, RM, MP and ORM Districts: Three feet No setback is required. Applies: Interior side and rear yards in the R-1-3,500 District. § 20.16.020 · code text R-1-3,500 District: None At least 5 feet from a side or rear property line. Applies: Accessory structures used for living, swimming pools, and structures with machinery or equipment whose noise can be heard outside. § 20.16.020 · code text no accessory structure used for human habitation, and no swimming pool, or structure containing machinery or other fixed equipment capable of creating noise audible outside of the structure, shall be located closer than five feet to a side or rear property line No closer to the rear line than the required side yard on the next-door key lot. Applies: Reversed corner lots. § 20.16.020 · code text on reversed corner lots, an accessory structure shall not be located closer to the rear property line than the required side yard on the adjoining key lot.

Running a business from home

Healdsburg code What Healdsburg's code adds
Customer visits	No more than 2 non-resident vehicles on the street at any time. § 20.20.005 · code text A home occupation shall not create pedestrian, automobile, or truck traffic in excess of the normal amount typical of the zoning district, with no more than two non-occupant vehicles present on the street at any given time.
Employees	No more than 2 nonresident employees or independent contractors. § 20.20.005 · code text The home occupation may utilize the services of a maximum of two nonresident employees or independent contractors.
Permit	The planning and building director must approve a home occupation application. § 20.20.005 · code text Prior to planning and building director approval of an application for a home occupation under this section, the applicant shall be required to review a good neighbor policy and show evidence by signature that he or she has agreed to abide by these regulations.
Businesses not allowed	motorized vehicle or trailer repair or tune-up § 20.20.005 · code text No motorized vehicle or trailer repair or tune-up shall be operated as a home occupation. doctors, dentists, osteopaths, chiropractors and other practitioners of the medical arts Applies: in Residential (R) zoning districts § 20.20.005 · code text Doctors, dentists, osteopaths, chiropractors and other practitioners of the medical arts are not permitted as home occupations in Residential (R) zoning districts. on-site painting services, including auto, boat, and appliance painting § 20.20.005 · code text On-site painting services (auto, boat, appliances, etc.). care, treatment, breeding or boarding of cats, dogs and other animals for a fee or barter § 20.20.005 · code text Care, treatment, breeding or boarding of cats, dogs and other animals for a fee or barter. gun repair, sale of guns or ammunition where the materials are maintained at the site Applies: sale of five or fewer guns a year is exempt from this section § 20.20.005 · code text Gun repair, sale of guns or ammunition where the materials are maintained at the site (sale of five or fewer guns a year is exempt from this section). activities involving substantial amounts of dangerous or hazardous materials, including pesticides, herbicides, poisons and highly flammable materials § 20.20.005 · code text Activities involving substantial amounts of dangerous or hazardous materials, including but not limited to pesticides, herbicides, poisons and highly flammable materials as determined by the fire chief.

Solar panels and EV chargers

Healdsburg code What Healdsburg's code adds
EV charger permit	The city issues permits when the application meets its checklist; electronic applications and signatures are accepted. Applies: Applies to EV charging stations; the station may not be energized or used until the city approves it. § 15.19.060 · code text A permit application that satisfies the information requirements in the City's checklist shall be deemed complete and be promptly processed.
Review time	Same day for over-the-counter applications; 1 to 3 business days for electronic applications. Applies: Applies to complete small residential rooftop solar applications that meet the approved checklist and standard plan. § 15.18.060 · code text The department shall issue a building permit or other nondiscretionary permit the same day for over-the-counter applications, or for electronic applications, within one to three business days of receipt of a complete application that meets the requirements of the approved checklist and standard plan.

Pets, chickens and bees

Healdsburg code What Healdsburg's code adds
Large animals	Livestock may be kept only where the city's zoning code expressly allows it. Applies: Applies within city limits. § 6.04.290 · code text No person shall stable, keep, pasture, or maintain livestock within the City limits of the City, unless expressly allowed to do so by the City's zoning ordinance.

Other Healdsburg rules on this

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

SB 9 lot splits and two-unit projects (§ 20.20.120)
Permit to remove a heritage tree (Ch. 20.24, Art. II)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Healdsburg?

Healdsburg limits required front yard fences to 4 ft in most districts; rear and interior side yards 6 ft plus 2 ft lattice.

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

Healdsburg limits accessory structures to 12 ft, or 18 ft with written director findings; side and rear setbacks depend on the district.

Can I run a business from my home in Healdsburg?

Healdsburg home businesses need director approval and may have at most 2 nonresident employees and 2 visitor vehicles on the street at once.

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

Healdsburg's code: The city issues permits when the application meets its checklist; electronic applications and signatures are accepted. (Applies to EV charging stations; the station may not be energized or used until the city approves it.) (§ 15.19.060); Same day for over-the-counter applications; 1 to 3 business days for electronic applications. (Applies to complete small residential rooftop solar applications that meet the approved checklist and standard plan.) (§ 15.18.060).

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

Healdsburg's code: Livestock may be kept only where the city's zoning code expressly allows it. (Applies within city limits.) (§ 6.04.290).

General information, not legal advice.

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