Inyo County · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Inyo County

Inyo County's code applies only in unincorporated areas of the county. It sets limits for fences, detached accessory buildings and home businesses in residential districts.

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Key points

Fence height: Inyo County limits fences to three and one-half feet in the required front yard and corner street side yard; most other yards 6 ft.
Accessory buildings: Inyo County limits detached accessory buildings to 20 ft unless the zoning district's own rules provide otherwise.
Home businesses: In R, RR and OS districts, Inyo County home businesses may have at most 15 round trips daily and 1 full-time-equivalent nonresident employee.

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

Inyo County's code applies in the unincorporated areas of the county. Cities in Inyo County have their own codes and their own pages.

Fences and walls

Inyo County code What Inyo County's code adds
Height anywhere on the lot	six feet Applies: Any yard, except the required front yard, the street side yard of a corner lot and the part of a corner lot's rear yard next to a key lot's front yard (three and one-half feet there) § 18.78.160 · code text Except as otherwise provided, no fence, wall or hedge shall have a height in excess of six feet.
Front yard height	three and one-half feet Applies: required front yard § 18.78.160 · code text No fence, wall or hedge in a required front yard, in the required street side yard of a corner lot, or in that part of the rear yard of a corner lot which abuts the required front yard of a key lot, shall have a height in excess of three and one-half feet.
Side and rear yard height	three and one-half feet Applies: required street side yard of a corner lot, or that part of the rear yard of a corner lot which abuts the required front yard of a key lot § 18.78.160 · code text No fence, wall or hedge in a required front yard, in the required street side yard of a corner lot, or in that part of the rear yard of a corner lot which abuts the required front yard of a key lot, shall have a height in excess of three and one-half feet.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Inyo County code What Inyo County's code adds
Maximum height	No more than 20 feet high. Applies: Detached accessory buildings, unless the zoning district's own rules say otherwise. § 18.78.150 · code text No detached accessory building shall have a height in excess of twenty feet except as otherwise specifically provided in the regulations of the specific zoning district;
Side and rear setback	At least 5 feet from the rear or side lot line. § 18.78.150 · code text No detached accessory building shall be located within five feet of the rear or side lot line; At least 5 feet from the rear lot line and at least 30 feet from the far alley side. Applies: Accessory garages that vehicles enter from an alley. § 18.78.150 · code text Where an accessory garage is accessible to vehicles from an alley, it shall be located not less than thirty feet from the opposite side of the alley and in no case closer than five feet to the rear lot line;
Distance from the house	At least 10 feet from any building. § 18.78.150 · code text No detached accessory building shall be located within ten feet of any building;

Running a business from home

Inyo County code What Inyo County's code adds
Customer visits	No more than 15 round trips per day. Applies: Home businesses in the R, RR and OS districts. Hours of operation must be between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. § 18.78.130 · code text Generation of vehicular traffic that exceeds fifteen round trips per day to the home occupation and any hours of operation that are not between seven a.m. and eight p.m., or activities that generate objectionable noise, glare, vibration, odor or electrical disturbance;
Employees	No more than 1 full-time equivalent employee who is not a resident family or household member. Applies: Home businesses in the residential (R), rural residential (RR) or open space (OS) districts. § 18.78.130 · code text The employment of more than one full time equivalent employee that is not a resident family or household member;
Businesses not allowed	Keeping a stock of goods for sale or rental on the premises that are not homemade Applies: Home occupations in the R, RR and OS districts § 18.78.130 · code text Maintenance on the premises of any stock of goods for sale or rental which are not homemade;

Lot splits under SB 9

Inyo County code What Inyo County's code adds
Standards	Only parcels in a single-family residential zone, not on listed hazard or resource sites, with stated exceptions. Applies: Urban lot split; excluded: prime farmland, wetlands, high or very high fire hazard zones, hazardous waste sites, earthquake fault zones, flood hazard areas. § 16.25.040 · code text The parcel shall be located within a single-family residential zoning district.

Solar panels and EV chargers

Inyo County code What Inyo County's code adds
EV charger permit	Electronic submittal is allowed. § 14.30.035 · code text the building official shall allow for electronic submittal of permit applications covered by this chapter and associated supporting documentations.

Swimming pools

Inyo County code What Inyo County's code adds
Setback from property lines	At least 3 feet from any fence or building wall; not in a required front yard. Applies: Swimming pools in any district. § 18.78.140 · code text A swimming pool is a permitted accessory use in any district; provided, however, that no swimming pool shall be located in a required front yard, or be nearer than three feet to any fence or building wall.

Other Inyo County rules on this

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

Keeping animals on small residential lots (§ 18.78.310) — residential zones on small lots

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Inyo County?

Inyo County limits fences to three and one-half feet in the required front yard and corner street side yard; most other yards 6 ft.

How big can a shed or accessory building be in Inyo County?

Inyo County limits detached accessory buildings to 20 ft unless the zoning district's own rules provide otherwise.

Can I run a business from my home in Inyo County?

In R, RR and OS districts, Inyo County home businesses may have at most 15 round trips daily and 1 full-time-equivalent nonresident employee.

Can I split my lot under SB 9 in Inyo County?

Inyo County's code: Only parcels in a single-family residential zone, not on listed hazard or resource sites, with stated exceptions. (Urban lot split; excluded: prime farmland, wetlands, high or very high fire hazard zones, hazardous waste sites, earthquake fault zones, flood hazard areas.) (§ 16.25.040).

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

Inyo County's code: Electronic submittal is allowed. (§ 14.30.035).

What are the pool fence and setback rules in Inyo County?

Inyo County's code: At least 3 feet from any fence or building wall; not in a required front yard. (Swimming pools in any district.) (§ 18.78.140).

General information, not legal advice.

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