Inglewood · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Inglewood

Inglewood sets its own limits for fences, accessory structures and home businesses in residential zones. Front fence height depends on the open-work material, and home businesses face a long list of banned uses.

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Key points

Fence height: Inglewood limits front-setback fences to 4 ft, open above 2 ft, or 5 ft with ornamental metal; rear and side yards 8 ft.
Accessory structures: On Inglewood lots with fewer than 5 units, accessory structures other than required garages are limited to 400 sq ft.
Home businesses: Inglewood home businesses are limited to 1 room and 100 sq ft, with patrons by appointment and no nonresident employees.

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

Fences and walls

Inglewood code What Inglewood's code adds
Front yard height	No more than 4 feet high. Applies: Residential front yard setbacks, and street side yards of reversed corner lots. The part above 2 feet must be open-work. § 12-93.1 · code text Exceed four feet in height in the front yard setback for all lots and in the street side yard setback for any reversed corner lot. Up to 5 feet high. Applies: Residential front yard setbacks and reversed corner street side yards, only if the open-work part is ornamental metal. § 12-93.1 · code text The height of the fence may be increased to a maximum of five feet if the open-work portion is ornamental metal only.
Side and rear yard height	No more than 8 feet high, measured on the side with the higher natural grade. Applies: Residential rear yards and side yards behind the front building line. § 12-93.1 · code text Exceed eight feet in height in rear yards and side yards behind the front building line, as measured on the side of the wall with the higher natural grade. An open-work guard rail up to 42 inches above the higher grade may top a retaining wall. Applies: Residential rear yards and side yards behind the front building line. The retaining wall itself counts toward the 8-foot limit. § 12-93.1 · code text an open-work guard rail not exceeding forty-two inches above the higher grade may be added to the top of the retaining wall.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Inglewood code What Inglewood's code adds
Size or lot coverage	No more than 25% of the required rear yard. Applies: Detached accessory structures no more than 1 story high. § 12-12 · code text A detached accessory structure may occupy not more than twenty-five percent of a required rear yard, provided such structure is not more than one story in height. No more than 400 square feet of total floor area. Applies: Accessory structures other than required garages, on lots with fewer than 5 residential units. § 12-12 · code text Other than required garage facilities, the total floor area of accessory structure(s) shall not exceed four hundred square feet on any lot containing fewer than five residential units.
Side and rear setback	At least 5 feet from any interior side or rear lot line. Applies: Two-story accessory structures. They also may not be in any required side or rear yard. § 12-12 · code text A two-story accessory structure shall not be located within any part of any required side or rear yard area and shall not be located within five feet of any interior side or rear lot line. At least 10 feet from the street side lot line. Applies: Detached accessory structures on corner lots. § 12-12 · code text A detached accessory structure on a corner lot shall not be located within ten feet of a street side lot line or within a reversed corner lot side yard, whichever is greater, or as provided in Section 12-18.3 of this Chapter. At least 15 feet from the rear lot line. Applies: Detached accessory structures on through lots. § 12-12 · code text A detached accessory structure shall not be located within fifteen feet of the rear lot line of a through lot, or within any portion of the required rear yard of any through lot exceeding one hundred forty feet in depth. At least 5 feet from the rear lot line. Applies: Accessory buildings on reversed corner lots, where the rear line is the neighbor's side lot line. § 12-12 · code text No accessory building on a reversed corner lot shall be located within five feet of the rear lot line, being the side lot line of the adjacent property. At least 5 feet from the rear lot line. Applies: Garages on corner lots with a single-family home. § 12-12 · code text Further, the garage shall not be located closer than five feet to the rear lot line.
Distance from the house	At least 6 feet from the main home. Applies: Detached accessory structures. They must also be at least 6 feet from any other accessory structure. § 12-12 · code text A detached accessory structure shall not be located within six feet of any main dwelling structure nor within six feet of any other accessory structure.

Running a business from home

Inglewood code What Inglewood's code adds
Space used	No more than 1 room. Applies: Within a structure. § 12-17.4 · code text The home occupation shall involve no more than one room within a structure and the activity cannot occupy more than one hundred square feet of said room. No more than 100 square feet. Applies: The business activity inside the 1 room used for it. § 12-17.4 · code text The home occupation shall involve no more than one room within a structure and the activity cannot occupy more than one hundred square feet of said room. No more than 100 square feet in total. Applies: All home businesses in one residence combined. § 12-17.4 · code text If more than one home occupation is conducted within a residence, the total floor area for all such occupations together shall not exceed one hundred square feet.
Customer visits	No more traffic than normal for a residential use. Applies: Vehicle or pedestrian traffic to the residence. § 12-17.4 · code text The home occupation shall not generate any vehicular or pedestrian traffic to the residence which is more than would normally be associated with a residential use. By appointment made in advance by telephone. Applies: Customers who come to the residence. § 12-17.4 · code text Patrons may arrive at the residence on a prior appointment basis made by telephone.
Employees	No non-resident employees. Applies: Only permanent residents of the premises may be employed in the home business. § 12-17.4 · code text No person other than a permanent resident of the subject premises shall be employed in the home occupation.
Permit	A home occupation questionnaire with the Business Tax Certificate registration form. § 12-17.4 · code text An application for permission to conduct a home occupation shall be made by submitting a completed home occupation questionnaire with the Registration Form for a Business Tax Certificate as referenced in Chapter 8 of this Code.
Businesses not allowed	Vehicle servicing, repair, washing or storage, including cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles or bicycles § 12-17.1 · code text (a) Vehicle servicing, repair, washing or storage, including, but not limited to, cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles or bicycles. Manufacture, assembly, repair or refinishing of appliances, furniture or other machinery § 12-17.1 · code text (b) Manufacture, assembly, repair or refinishing of appliances, furniture or other machinery. Carpentry, plumbing or electrical contracting, and the like, if materials, equipment and/or commercial vehicles are maintained on the premises § 12-17.1 · code text (c) Carpentry, plumbing or electrical contracting, and the like, if materials, equipment and/or commercial vehicles are maintained on the premises. Machine or cabinetry shops § 12-17.1 · code text (d) Machine or cabinetry shops. Manufacture, packing, preparation and/or catering of meals or food items § 12-17.1 · code text (e) Manufacture, packing, preparation and/or catering of meals or food items. Child care exceeding six children at any one time Applies: A small family day care home may care for up to eight children under stated conditions; a child care facility of up to fourteen children in a one-family dwelling may be permitted under Section 12-17.10 § 12-17.1 · code text (g) Child care, if the number of children exceeds six or more at any one time, inclusive of children who are permanent residents of the home. Music, art, dance or tutorial lessons, and the like, if the number of students exceeds two at any one time § 12-17.1 · code text (h) Music, art, dance or tutorial lessons, and the like, if the number of students exceeds two at any one time. Swimming pool maintenance requiring storage of chlorine or other chemicals § 12-17.1 · code text (i) Swimming pool maintenance, when such service requires the storage of chlorine or other chemicals. Raising poultry or livestock § 12-17.1 · code text (j) Raising poultry or livestock. Sale, retail or wholesale including online/mail order, of ammunition, firearms, explosives or fireworks § 12-17.1 · code text (k) Sale, retail or wholesale including online/mail order, of ammunition, firearms, explosives or fireworks. Alcohol sales, retail or wholesale including online/mail order sales where goods are delivered, stored, and shipped remotely § 12-17.1 · code text (l) Alcohol sales, retail or wholesale including online/mail order sales where goods are delivered, stored, and shipped remotely. Vehicle sales, retail or wholesale including online/mail order sales in which goods are delivered, stored, and shipped remotely § 12-17.1 · code text (m) Vehicle sales, retail or wholesale including online/mail order sales in which goods are delivered, stored, and shipped remotely.

RV and boat parking

Inglewood code At least 35 feet from the front line, 3 feet from interior side lines; at most 2 unenclosed RVs. Inside a fully enclosed, approved structure.

All 13 Inglewood rules on rv and boat parking, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Solar panels and EV chargers

Inglewood code What Inglewood's code adds
EV charger permit	Applications and supporting documents may be submitted electronically, with electronic signatures. Applies: Applies to EV charging station installation. § 11-174 · code text The expedited, streamlined permitting process and checklist incorporates the recommendations contained in the most current version (which may change from time to time) of the "Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist" The Building Official approves the application and issues all needed ministerial permits. Applies: Application meets the checklist, laws and IWP interconnection policies. The station may not be powered until IWP approves it. § 11-174 · code text then the Building Official shall, consistent with Government Code Section 65850.7, approve the application and issue all necessary ministerial permits.
Solar permit process	Administrative approval and all required permits once the complete application meets the checklist. Applies: Small rooftop solar systems eligible for expedited review. Connecting to the grid needs separate utility approval. § 11-171 · code text Upon confirmation by the Building Official of the application and supporting documentation being complete and meeting the requirements of the checklist, the Building Official shall administratively approve the application and issue all required permits or authorizations.

Tree removal

Inglewood code What Inglewood's code adds
Exemptions	Trees on a developed single-family lot that cannot be subdivided further are exempt, unless required or protected by approval. Applies: Applies to developed single-family lots that cannot be further subdivided. § 12-113 · code text Trees located on a developed single-family residential lot that cannot be further subdivided are exempt unless they have been required or protected as a condition of approval. Routine maintenance does not need a permit. Applies: Only approved pruning; no severe pruning, topping, pollarding or disfiguring the natural form. § 12-116 · code text Routine maintenance of protected trees shall not require a permit. Emergency pruning or trimming may go ahead without the usual permit. Applies: Applies when a certified arborist finds a branch is an immediate danger to the public. § 12-116 · code text Except in emergency situations where a branch is causing immediate danger to the public in the opinion of a certified arborist, major pruning or trimming of a protected tree, cutting of live branches over one inch in diameter, pollarding, removing of large branches obscuring a sign, or other large scale limb removal will require a permit prior to any work being performed.
Permit to remove	Yes, a permit is required. Applies: Applies to removing, destroying, relocating, reshaping or disfiguring a protected tree, or cutting branches over 1 inch across. § 12-116 · code text No person shall remove, destroy, perform cutting of branches over one inch in diameter, or disfigure or cause to be removed or destroyed or disfigured any protected tree without having first obtained a permit to do so.
Protected trees	Trees with a trunk at least 8 inches across, measured 54 inches up; multi-trunk trees add the 3 largest trunks. Applies: Not on a developed single-family lot that cannot be subdivided further, unless required as a condition of approval. § 12-113 · code text Trees having a minimum trunk diameter of eight inches measured fifty-four inches above the ground. When measuring a multi-trunk tree, the diameters of the largest three trunks shall be added together. Street trees and other required trees, of any size. Applies: Applies to street trees or trees required by a condition of approval, Use Permit or other zoning rule. § 12-113 · code text Street trees or other required trees such as those required as a condition of approval, Use Permit, or other zoning requirement, regardless of size. Memorial trees dedicated by a City-recognized group, and specimen trees that define a neighborhood or community. § 12-113 · code text All memorial trees dedicated by an entity recognized by the City, and all specimen trees that define a neighborhood or community.
Replacement trees	Replace with like-size, like-kind trees or trees of equal value; if unavailable, the original tree's value sets replacements. Applies: Applies to removed or disfigured protected trees. § 12-116 · code text All removed or disfigured trees shall also require replacement with like-size, like-kind trees or an equal value tree or trees as determined by the City's Master Plan or the Parks, Recreation and Library Services Department. Replacement trees go on site where possible; if no room, another mutually agreed site may be chosen. Applies: Applies when replacement trees are required. § 12-116 · code text The replacement trees shall be located on site wherever possible. Where there is not sufficient room on site for the replacement trees in the judgment of the City's Parks, Recreation and Library Services Department, another site may be designated that is mutually agreeable.

Pets, chickens and bees

Inglewood code What Inglewood's code adds
Pet limit	No more than 2 dogs without a special kennel permit. Applies: Applies to any lot or premises. § 4-4 · code text It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, harbor or maintain three or more dogs on any lot, building, structure or premises for any purpose without a special kennel permit first had and obtained from the Permits and Licenses Committee.

Who this affects

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Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Inglewood?

Inglewood limits front-setback fences to 4 ft, open above 2 ft, or 5 ft with ornamental metal; rear and side yards 8 ft.

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

On Inglewood lots with fewer than 5 units, accessory structures other than required garages are limited to 400 sq ft.

Can I run a business from my home in Inglewood?

Inglewood home businesses are limited to 1 room and 100 sq ft, with patrons by appointment and no nonresident employees.

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

Inglewood's code: Applications and supporting documents may be submitted electronically, with electronic signatures. (Applies to EV charging station installation.) (§ 11-174); The Building Official approves the application and issues all needed ministerial permits. (Application meets the checklist, laws and IWP interconnection policies. The station may not be powered until IWP approves it.) (§ 11-174).

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Inglewood?

Inglewood's code: Trees on a developed single-family lot that cannot be subdivided further are exempt, unless required or protected by approval. (Applies to developed single-family lots that cannot be further subdivided.) (§ 12-113); Routine maintenance does not need a permit. (Only approved pruning; no severe pruning, topping, pollarding or disfiguring the natural form.) (§ 12-116).

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

Inglewood's code: No more than 2 dogs without a special kennel permit. (Applies to any lot or premises.) (§ 4-4).

General information, not legal advice.

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