Lodi · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Lodi

Lodi's city code sets fence heights by location, limits accessory structure height and yard coverage, and controls home businesses. A home business needs a city business license, and many business types are not allowed.

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Key points

Fence height: City code limits fences to 48 inches in the front yard setback and 7 feet at side or rear lot lines.
Accessory structures: Accessory structures of 120 square feet or less are limited to 8 feet; larger ones follow the zoning district's height limit.
Home businesses: A home business is limited to one room and 25% of the ground floor; on-site clients are not allowed, with exceptions such as tutoring.

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

Fences and walls

Lodi code What Lodi's code adds
Corner visibility	At most 30 inches for walls and solid fences; 36 inches for open fences with at least 33% view through. Applies: Visibility triangle. § 17.14.100 · code text Except in visibility triangle when the maximum height is thirty inches for walls and solid fences or thirty-six inches for fences constructed of open grillwork or similar material, whether wood, wrought iron, or other allowable material that allows at least thirty-three percent view penetration through the fence.
Height anywhere on the lot	No more than 7 feet. Applies: At a side or rear lot line, or outside a required setback. § 17.14.100 · code text At a side or rear lot line or outside of a required setback \| 7 ft.
Front yard height	No more than 48 inches. Applies: Front yard setback. In a visibility triangle, 30 inches for walls and solid fences or 36 inches for open fences. § 17.14.100 · code text Within front yard setback \| 48 in. (1)
Permit	Yes, a permit is required for fences, walls, hedges and similar structures in a right-of-way. Applies: Needed before planting, building, keeping or placing them in a right-of-way. § 12.04.370 · code text No hedge, shrub, or other planting whatever, fence or similar structure, or earth, gravel, rocks, artificial turf, pavers, brick, concrete, or any other material of any nature, except as provided in Section 12.04.380, shall be planted, erected, maintained, or placed in a right-of-way without a permit.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Lodi code What Lodi's code adds
Maximum height	No more than 8 feet, unless site plan and architectural approval is obtained. Applies: Accessory structures of 120 square feet or less. Larger ones follow the zone's height limit. § 17.36.120 · code text The height of an accessory structure that is one hundred twenty square feet or less shall not exceed eight feet unless site plan and architectural approval is first obtained in compliance with Section 17.40.020 (Site Plan and Architectural Approval).
Size or lot coverage	No more than 25% of a required side yard. § 17.36.120 · code text Accessory structures may occupy up to a maximum of twenty-five percent of a required side yard and up to a maximum of thirty percent of a required rear yard; No more than 30% of a required rear yard. § 17.36.120 · code text Accessory structures may occupy up to a maximum of twenty-five percent of a required side yard and up to a maximum of thirty percent of a required rear yard;
Side and rear setback	At least 5 feet from the side and rear lines. Applies: Accessory structures over 120 square feet. Not allowed in the required front yard setback. § 17.36.120 · code text An accessory structure shall not be located within a required front yard setback and shall maintain side and rear setbacks of at least five feet; At least 3 feet from the rear or side line. Applies: Accessory structures of 120 square feet or less. § 17.36.120 · code text An accessory structure that is one hundred twenty square feet or less shall not be located closer than three feet to a rear or side property line;

Running a business from home

Lodi code What Lodi's code adds
Space used	No more than 25% of the ground floor's gross floor area. Applies: All activity must be in one room of the main home. § 17.36.060 · code text All home occupation activities shall be confined to one room within the primary dwelling, which shall not occupy more than twenty-five percent of the gross floor area of the ground floor.
Customer visits	No on-site clients. Applies: Except live/work units, tutoring or teaching children by appointment, and applicants with a proven mobility disability. § 17.36.060 · code text The home occupation shall involve no on-site clients except for:
Employees	No on-site employees other than full-time residents of the home. § 17.36.060 · code text A home occupation shall have no on-site employees other than full-time residents of the dwelling.
Permit	A city business license is required. § 17.36.060 · code text A home occupation shall require a city business license. A minor use permit is required. Applies: Small-scale commercial wood and metal working as a home occupation. § 17.36.060 · code text Small-scale commercial wood and metal working may be authorized by minor use permit as a home occupation, provided that the review authority may require conditions of approval limiting hours of operation, noise levels, and/or any other aspect of the operation, to ensure compatibility with on-site and adjacent residential uses.
Businesses not allowed	Adult entertainment activities/businesses; animal hospitals and boarding facilities; automotive and other vehicle repair and service; contractor's and other storage yards; dismantling, junk, or scrap yards; fitness/health facilities, except one-on-one personal trainers may be allowed; medical clinics, laboratories, or doctor's offices; personal services, except licensed massage therapy and physical therapy may be allowed; vehicle parking or dispatching for automobile wrecking, towing, taxi, or similar passenger or delivery services; on-site sales, except mail order businesses without stock-in-trade on site; uses requiring explosives or highly combustible or toxic materials; welding and machine shop operations; wood cutting businesses; barber/beauty/nail shops; dance/night clubs; food preparation for commercial purposes; fortune telling; photography studios, not including photo processing; plant nursery; retail or wholesale sales of products stored at the residence, except mail order businesses without stock-in-trade on site; other uses determined by the director to be similar § 17.36.060 · code text The following are examples of business activities that are not incidental to or compatible with residential activities, and are, therefore, prohibited as home occupations:

Lot splits under SB 9

Lodi code What Lodi's code adds
How the lot may be divided	Each new lot must be at least 40% of the original lot. Applies: Each lot created by an urban lot split. § 17.55.060 · code text Each parcel created by an urban lot split shall be at least forty percent of the size the original parcel or one thousand two hundred square feet, whichever is greater.
Minimum new lot size	At least 40% of the original lot or 1,200 square feet, whichever is greater. § 17.55.060 · code text Each parcel created by an urban lot split shall be at least forty percent of the size the original parcel or one thousand two hundred square feet, whichever is greater.
Standards	Each lot must have street frontage on, or access to, a public right-of-way as public works requires. § 17.55.060 · code text Each lot shall have street frontage on or access to a public right-of-way as required by the public works department. Lot width follows the RLD zone rules. § 17.55.060 · code text Lot width shall be per the RLD zoning district. No minimum lot depth, as long as the minimum lot size is met. § 17.55.060 · code text Lots created per this chapter are not required to have a minimum depth, provided that the minimum lot size stated below is maintained. Each lot must fit at least 2 units of 800 square feet each within setbacks and height limits. § 17.55.060 · code text The sub divider shall demonstrate that the proposed lots are capable of accommodating at least two units of eight hundred square feet each in conformance with the applicable setbacks and height limits of this Code. Rules may be eased only the minimum needed to allow 2 SB 9 units of 800 square feet per lot. Applies: Requirements that would prevent building 2 SB 9 units. § 17.55.060 · code text Any modifications of these requirements shall be the minimum modification necessary to avoid physically precluding the construction of two SB-9 Units of eight hundred square feet each on each parcel.
Owner occupancy	Applicant signs an affidavit to live in 1 of the units as their main home for at least 3 years. Applies: Counted from approval; does not apply to a community land trust or qualified nonprofit corporation. § 17.55.110 · code text Each applicant for an urban lot split shall provide a signed affidavit stating that they intend to occupy one of the housing units as their principal residence for a minimum of three years from the date of the approval of the urban lot split

Solar panels and EV chargers

Lodi code What Lodi's code adds
EV charger permit	Administrative review; expedited permit when an application meets checklist and standards with no specific harm to public health or safety. Applies: Applies to electric vehicle charging stations. § 15.15.060 · code text The building official shall implement an administrative review process to expedite approval of electric vehicle charging stations. Where the application meets the requirements of the approved checklist and standards and there are no specific adverse impacts upon public health or safety, the building and safety division shall complete the building permit approval process, which is nondiscretionary.
Review time	The permit is issued within 1 to 3 business days. Applies: Small residential rooftop solar; a complete application that meets the approved checklist and standard plan. § 15.19.080 · code text The building and safety division shall issue a building permit or other nondiscretionary permit within one to three business days of receipt of a complete application that meets the requirements of the approved checklist and standard plan.
Solar permit process	An inspection is scheduled within 2 business days of a request. Applies: Small residential rooftop solar systems eligible for expedited review. § 15.19.080 · code text An inspection will be scheduled within two business days of a request.

Pets, chickens and bees

Lodi code What Lodi's code adds
Chickens	Yes, up to 5 poultry in total (hens, ducks, quail), no more than 2 ducks; no male poultry. Applies: Residential lots; rear yard only; for home use, not commercial purposes. § 6.08.025 · code text The total number of poultry animals allowed shall not exceed five in number on any one residential lot, with no more than two of those animals being ducks.

Other Lodi rules on this

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

Living or sleeping in a camp car or trailer (§ 15.52.170)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Lodi?

City code limits fences to 48 inches in the front yard setback and 7 feet at side or rear lot lines.

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

Accessory structures of 120 square feet or less are limited to 8 feet; larger ones follow the zoning district's height limit.

Can I run a business from my home in Lodi?

A home business is limited to one room and 25% of the ground floor; on-site clients are not allowed, with exceptions such as tutoring.

Can I split my lot under SB 9 in Lodi?

Lodi's code: Each new lot must be at least 40% of the original lot. (Each lot created by an urban lot split.) (§ 17.55.060); At least 40% of the original lot or 1,200 square feet, whichever is greater. (§ 17.55.060).

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

Lodi's code: Administrative review; expedited permit when an application meets checklist and standards with no specific harm to public health or safety. (Applies to electric vehicle charging stations.) (§ 15.15.060); The permit is issued within 1 to 3 business days. (Small residential rooftop solar; a complete application that meets the approved checklist and standard plan.) (§ 15.19.080).

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

Lodi's code: Yes, up to 5 poultry in total (hens, ducks, quail), no more than 2 ducks; no male poultry. (Residential lots; rear yard only; for home use, not commercial purposes.) (§ 6.08.025).

General information, not legal advice.

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