Isleton · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Isleton

Isleton sets its own limits for fences in R-1 districts, for accessory structures in yards, and for home businesses. Fence height depends on the yard, and home businesses need a planning commission use permit.

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Key points

Fence height: Isleton limits R-1 fences to 3 ft in the required front yard; 7 ft along side and rear lines and corner street sides.
Yard structures: Isleton allows accessory and garden structures in required rear and interior side yards only if they are less than 7 ft tall.
Home businesses: Isleton home businesses need a use permit, may have at most 4 customers a day, and may employ only residents.

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

Fences and walls

Isleton code What Isleton's code adds
Corner visibility	No fence, wall or hedge over 2½ feet high in the corner visibility area. Applies: R-1 corner lots: the area on the street side of a diagonal line joining points 25 feet along each property line from the corner. § 604 · code text No fence, wall or hedge exceeding 2½ feet in height may be located within an area of a corner lot on the street side of a diagonal line connecting points located 25 feet along the property line as measured from the intersecting property lines at the street corner.
Height anywhere on the lot	Open fences no more than 7 feet high. Applies: R-1 districts: in any required yard or along a side lot line, except the corner visibility area. § 604 · code text Open fences not exceeding seven feet in height, and hedges, may be located within any required yard, or along any side lot line, except as limited by the provisions of subsection 605.A.3 above.
Front yard height	No more than 3 feet high. Applies: Fences or walls in the required front yard in R-1 districts. § 604 · code text Fences or walls not exceeding three feet in height may be erected within any portion of the required front yard.
Side and rear yard height	No more than 7 feet high. Applies: R-1 districts: along side and rear property lines and the street side yard of a corner lot. § 604 · code text Along side and rear property lines, and along any portion of the street side yard of a corner lot, not exceeding seven feet in height

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Isleton code What Isleton's code adds
Maximum height	Less than 7 feet high. Applies: Accessory and garden structures in a required rear yard. § 604 · code text Accessory and garden structures less than seven feet in height may be located within any portion of a required rear yard. Less than 7 feet high. Applies: Accessory and garden structures in a required side yard, but not in a street side yard or a corner lot's street side yard. § 604 · code text Accessory and garden structures under seven feet in height may be located in any portion of a required side yard, except in the street side yard, except in the street side yard of a corner lot, and provided that any mechanical equipment shall be located a minimum of five feet from a side property line.
Side and rear setback	Mechanical equipment at least 5 feet from the rear property line. Applies: Accessory structures in a required rear yard. § 604 · code text Accessory structures less than seven feet in height may be located in any portion of a required rear yard, provided that any mechanical equipment shall be located a minimum of five feet from a rear property line. Mechanical equipment at least 5 feet from the side property line. Applies: Accessory and garden structures in a required side yard. § 604 · code text Accessory and garden structures under seven feet in height may be located in any portion of a required side yard, except in the street side yard, except in the street side yard of a corner lot, and provided that any mechanical equipment shall be located a minimum of five feet from a side property line. At least 20 feet from the property line. Applies: Garages or carports in the street side yard of a corner lot. § 604 · code text Garages or carports on the street side yard of a corner lot shall be setback 20 feet from the property line or 15 feet where the garage or carport opening is perpendicular to the curb line requiring a curved driveway approach. At least 15 feet from the property line. Applies: Corner lot street side yard garages or carports whose opening is perpendicular to the curb, needing a curved driveway. § 604 · code text Garages or carports on the street side yard of a corner lot shall be setback 20 feet from the property line or 15 feet where the garage or carport opening is perpendicular to the curb line requiring a curved driveway approach. At least 27 feet from the far alley right-of-way line. Applies: Garages or carports in a rear yard with access from an alley. § 604 · code text Where a garage or carport is located within a rear yard with access from an alley, it shall be set back a minimum of 27 feet from the farthest alley right-of-way line to provide for adequate turning movements to and from the garage or carport. At least 27 feet from the far alley right-of-way line. Applies: Garages or carports in a side yard with access from an alley. § 604 · code text Where a garage or carport is located within a side yard with access from an alley, it shall be set back a minimum of 27 feet from the farthest alley right-or-way line to provide for adequate turning movements to and from the garage or carport.
Distance from the house	At least 10 feet between a one-family home and another building. Applies: Distance between a one-family home and any other building. § 604 · code text The minimum distance between a one-family residence and another building shall be ten feet.

Running a business from home

Isleton code What Isleton's code adds
Customer visits	No more than 4 customers per day. Applies: Customers who must travel to the home business site. § 1201 · code text The number of customers of a home occupation who must travel to the site of the home occupation shall not exceed four persons per day.
Employees	Only residents of the home may be employed. § 1201 · code text No one other than a resident of the dwelling shall be employed in the conduct of the home occupation.
Permit	A use permit from the planning commission, with notice to property owners within 300 feet. § 1201 · code text A home occupation shall not be permitted until an application for a use permit shall be made in the manner prescribed under article 14.
Businesses not allowed	beauty salons, barber shops, and medical offices, or tattoo parlors, fortune tellers, palm readers or similar services § 1201 · code text but shall not include beauty salons, barber shops, and medical offices, or tattoo parlors, fortune tellers, palm readers or similar services. repair services on the premises other than the repair of small appliances and equipment or other small objects which normally are capable of being carried by one person without the aid of mechanical equipment or devices § 1201 · code text A home occupation shall not involve the performance of any repair services on the premises other than the repair of small appliances and equipment or other small objects which normally are capable of being carried by one person without the aid of mechanical equipment or devices.

Pets, chickens and bees

Isleton code What Isleton's code adds
Bees	No. Applies: Unless the property is zoned for agriculture and the zoning ordinance allows keeping animals there. § 5.12.020 · code text It is unlawful to keep, harbor or maintain any animal on any parcel of real property within the city, unless such property is zoned for agricultural uses and the keeping, harboring and maintaining of an animal thereon is authorized pursuant to the zoning ordinance of the city.
Chickens	No. Applies: Unless the property is zoned for agriculture and the zoning ordinance allows keeping animals there. § 5.12.020 · code text It is unlawful to keep, harbor or maintain any animal on any parcel of real property within the city, unless such property is zoned for agricultural uses and the keeping, harboring and maintaining of an animal thereon is authorized pursuant to the zoning ordinance of the city.
Coop setback	Animals and their pens must be at least 100 feet from listed buildings on adjoining property. Applies: Agricultural-zoned property; applies to neighboring homes, food buildings, schools, hotels or motels, and places of public assembly. § 5.12.020 · code text Where the keeping, harboring and maintaining of an animal is authorized herein, such animal shall not be located nor shall any structure, pen or enclosure used for the keeping thereof be located nearer than 100 feet of any building on adjoining property used for dwelling purposes, food preparation, food service, a school, a hotel or motel or place of public assembly.
Large animals	Allowed only on agricultural-zoned property, when the zoning ordinance allows it. Applies: Applies to agricultural-zoned property. § 5.12.020 · code text It is unlawful to keep, harbor or maintain any animal on any parcel of real property within the city, unless such property is zoned for agricultural uses and the keeping, harboring and maintaining of an animal thereon is authorized pursuant to the zoning ordinance of the city.

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Isleton?

Isleton limits R-1 fences to 3 ft in the required front yard; 7 ft along side and rear lines and corner street sides.

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

Isleton allows accessory and garden structures in required rear and interior side yards only if they are less than 7 ft tall.

Can I run a business from my home in Isleton?

Isleton home businesses need a use permit, may have at most 4 customers a day, and may employ only residents.

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

Isleton's code: No. (Unless the property is zoned for agriculture and the zoning ordinance allows keeping animals there.) (§ 5.12.020); No. (Unless the property is zoned for agriculture and the zoning ordinance allows keeping animals there.) (§ 5.12.020).

General information, not legal advice.

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