Lomita · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Lomita

Lomita's city code sets fence heights by yard in residential zones, limits how much of the rear yard accessory structures may cover, and limits home businesses. A home business needs written approval and a business license.

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Key points

Fence height: In residential zones, city code limits fences to 42 inches in required front yards and 6 feet at rear and interior side lines.
Rear yard coverage: Accessory buildings and structures may cover at most 50% of the required rear yard, not counting pools, spas, patio slabs and on-grade decks.
Home businesses: City code limits a home business to 400 square feet and one employee outside the resident family; it needs written director approval.

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

Fences and walls

Lomita code What Lomita's code adds
Front yard height	No more than 42 inches. Applies: Fences, hedges and walls in the required front yard setback in residential zones. § 11-1.30.08 · code text Fences, hedges, and walls within the required front yard setback shall not exceed forty-two (42) inches in height. No more than 42 inches. Applies: Required secondary front yard on corner lots in residential zones. § 11-1.30.08 · code text Fences, hedges, and walls within the required secondary front yard-corner lots shall not exceed forty-two (42) inches in height.
Side and rear yard height	No more than 6 feet. Applies: Along rear and interior side property lines in residential zones. § 11-1.30.08 · code text Fences, hedges, and walls along rear and interior side property lines shall not exceed six (6) feet in height.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Lomita code What Lomita's code adds
Size or lot coverage	No more than 50% of the required rear yard, all combined. Applies: Accessory buildings and structures. Pools, spas, ground-mounted equipment, patio slabs and on-grade decks do not count. § 11-1.30.06 · code text Maximum combined area for accessory buildings and structures shall not occupy more than fifty (50) percent of the required rear yard, except for pools, spas, ground-mounted equipment, patio slabs and on-grade decks.

Running a business from home

Lomita code What Lomita's code adds
Space used	No more than 400 square feet in total. Applies: Floor area used for the business, in the home and/or an accessory structure. § 11-1.30.12 · code text Total floor area devoted to the home occupation shall not exceed four hundred (400) square feet. This may be in either the home and/or in an accessory structure.
Employees	No more than 1 employee. Applies: Not counting members of the resident family. § 11-1.30.12 · code text There shall be no more than one employee for the home occupation other than the members of the resident family.
Permit	Written approval by the director of community development is required. Applies: Home occupations in residential zones. § 11-1.30.12 · code text Home occupations may be conducted in residential zones provided the home occupation is approved in writing by the director of community development as valid and conforming with the following criteria and conditions and provided further that the applicant agrees thereto in writing: A business license is required. Applies: The fee depends on gross annual receipts. Contractors are not on this fee schedule. § 6-5.03.27 · code text Business license fees for home occupations (except contractors), as defined in the Zoning Ordinance, shall be based on gross annual receipts as follows:

RV and boat parking

Lomita code What Lomita's code adds
Parking on the street	72 hours with a free resident oversized-vehicle permit; no more than 10 permits a year. Applies: Residents' trailers or oversized vehicles on city streets, parked within 1,000 feet of the owner's home. § 8-10.04 · code text Parking permits shall be valid for seventy-two (72) hours and specify the dates it is active, and the vehicle it is issued for. Back-to-back permits only twice a year; the vehicle must move 100 feet after the first permit expires. Applies: Oversized vehicles parked on city streets with a permit. § 8-10.04 · code text however, the OV must move one hundred (100) feet following the expiration of their first permit in order to comply with the City of Lomita's seventy-two (72) hour parking restrictions.

Swimming pools

Lomita code What Lomita's code adds
Pool barrier	Keep 6 feet of clearance between the fence and the face of the slope. Applies: Where the ground on the outside of the fence slopes upward. § 3-8.03 · code text Where the ground surface on the side of the fence away from the body of water slopes upward, six (6) feet clearance shall be maintained between the fence and the face of the slope.
Barrier height	At least 6 feet above the ground, including gates. Applies: Every public or private pool, fish pond or other body of water 21 inches deep or more. § 3-8.03 · code text Every public or private swimming pool, fish pond or other body of water which contains water twenty-one (21) inches or more in depth shall be enclosed by a fence, the height of which, including gates, shall be not less than six (6) feet above the ground.
Gates	Gates must be self-latching, with the latch at least 4½ feet above the ground. Applies: Every public or private pool, fish pond or other body of water 21 inches deep or more. § 3-8.03 · code text Gates shall be self-latching with the latch located four and one-half (4½) feet minimum above the ground.
Maintenance and empty pools	Put up and maintain a fence, wall or other structure that fully surrounds the water. Applies: Artificial outdoor pools or ponds used for swimming or immersion, any part 2 feet deep or more, surface area up to 10,000 square feet. § 3-12.11 · code text shall erect and maintain on such lot or premises, and completely surrounding such body of water, lot or premises, a fence, wall or other structure

Other Lomita rules on this

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

Pets, chickens and roosters at a home (§ 11-1.30.09)
Two-unit housing development (SB 9) (§ 11-1.30.17)
Urban lot split parcel map (SB 9) (§ 11-2.76.1)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Lomita?

In residential zones, city code limits fences to 42 inches in required front yards and 6 feet at rear and interior side lines.

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

Accessory buildings and structures may cover at most 50% of the required rear yard, not counting pools, spas, patio slabs and on-grade decks.

Can I run a business from my home in Lomita?

City code limits a home business to 400 square feet and one employee outside the resident family; it needs written director approval.

Can I park an RV or boat at my home in Lomita?

Lomita's code: 72 hours with a free resident oversized-vehicle permit; no more than 10 permits a year. (Residents' trailers or oversized vehicles on city streets, parked within 1,000 feet of the owner's home.) (§ 8-10.04); Back-to-back permits only twice a year; the vehicle must move 100 feet after the first permit expires. (Oversized vehicles parked on city streets with a permit.) (§ 8-10.04).

What are the pool fence and setback rules in Lomita?

Lomita's code: Keep 6 feet of clearance between the fence and the face of the slope. (Where the ground on the outside of the fence slopes upward.) (§ 3-8.03); At least 6 feet above the ground, including gates. (Every public or private pool, fish pond or other body of water 21 inches deep or more.) (§ 3-8.03).

General information, not legal advice.

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