Long Beach · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Long Beach

Long Beach sets its own limits on fence heights, accessory buildings and garages, and home businesses on residential lots. The meal limit for home kitchens (MEHKOs) comes from state law.

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Key points

Fence heights: In residential zones, front-yard fences max 3 ft (4 ft in special fence areas, extra foot wrought iron or chain link); other yards 6 ft 6 in.
Taller fences: Residential fences may reach 8 ft beside a nonresidential district or use or along an alley, and 10 ft outside required yards.
Accessory buildings: Non-garage accessory buildings in residential districts: rear half of lot, at most 1 story and 13 ft, and the smaller of 300 sq ft or 5% of lot.
Garages: Garages: 1 story and 13 ft (projects of 3+ units in R-3/R-4 differ), at most 700 sq ft for a single-family home, 1,100 for two-family.
Home businesses: General home occupations: only residents may work, no more than 2, with at most 2 business visitors an hour and 8 a day.
MEHKO meals: State law limits MEHKOs to 30 meals a day and 90 meals a week; Long Beach exempts MEHKOs from general visitor limits.

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

Fences and walls

Long Beach code What Long Beach's code adds
Corner visibility	Fences in the corner cutoff area may be up to 3 ft. Applies: Applies in all zones. § 21.43.030 · code text 6. All zones—corner cutoff area \| 3 ft. Chain link and wrought iron/metal tubing fences over 3′ high are allowed if they do not obstruct visibility. Applies: In corner cutoff areas. § 21.43.030 · code text In corner cutoff areas, chain link and wrought iron/metal tubing fences more than three feet (3′) in height are allowed if they do not obstruct visibility.
Front yard height	Maximum front-yard fence height is 3 ft. Applies: In residential zones; 4 ft in special fence height areas if the extra foot is wrought iron or chain link; may exceed 3 ft in high crime areas with an administrative use permit. § 21.43.030 · code text -Front yard \| 3 ft. (b), (f) Maximum fence height is 4′. Applies: In residential front yard setbacks in the City Council-designated special fence height area, the additional foot must be wrought iron or chain link. § 21.43.030 · code text In the area designated as the special fence height area, as designated by resolution of City Council, the fence height in the front yard setback shall be increased to four feet (4′), provided the additional foot of height is wrought iron or chain link.
Side and rear yard height	Maximum fence height is 6 ft. 6 in. Applies: In residential other yard areas. § 21.43.030 · code text -Other yard area \| 6 ft. 6 in. Maximum fence height is 10 ft. Applies: For residential properties outside of required yard areas. § 21.43.030 · code text -Outside of required yard area \| 10 ft. Maximum fence height is 8 ft. Applies: For residential property abutting a nonresidential district or use. § 21.43.030 · code text -Abutting a nonresidential district or use \| 8 ft. Maximum fence height is 8 ft. Applies: For residential rear and side lines abutting an alley, flood control channel, or other public right-of-way other than a street. § 21.43.030 · code text -Abutting an alley, flood control channel, or other public right-of-way other than a street \| 8 ft. (c) Maximum fence height is 8 ft. Applies: On a residential lot, only along specified rear or reverse-corner side property lines abutting a major arterial or regional corridor. § 21.43.030 · code text -Abutting a major arterial/regional corridor \| 8 ft. (d)

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Long Beach code What Long Beach's code adds
Maximum height	Maximum height is 13′. Applies: For an on-grade garage in an R-3 or R-4 Zone District with 3 or more units on a lot, projecting into required yard area. § 21.31.245 · code text Projecting into required yard area—13′. Maximum height is the same as the principal structure. Applies: For an on-grade garage in an R-3 or R-4 Zone District with 3 or more units on a lot, outside the required yard area. § 21.31.245 · code text Outside of required yard area—same as principal structure Must not exceed 4′ above grade. Applies: Applies to semi-subterranean garages in R-3 or R-4 Zone Districts for projects with 3 or more units on a lot; may be increased through site plan review. § 21.31.245 · code text Not to exceed 4′ above grade*** Detached accessory buildings may be no more than 1 story and 13 feet high. Applies: Applies to detached accessory buildings other than garages in Title 21 residential districts; prohibited in R-1-S, R-1-M, R-2-S and R-2-I Zones; not ADUs. § 21.31.245 · code text No detached accessory building shall exceed one-story and thirteen feet (13') in height. Garage height may not exceed 1 story and 13 feet. Applies: In Title 21 residential districts; no mezzanines or lofts. For projects with 3 or more units in R-3/R-4 zones, Table 31-7 applies instead. § 21.31.245 · code text No garage shall exceed one-story and thirteen feet (13') in height.
Size or lot coverage	A garage may be no more than 1,100 square feet. Applies: For a two-family residence. § 21.31.245 · code text for two-family residences, shall not exceed one thousand one hundred (1,100) square feet in size. Common recreational rooms or buildings are limited to 500 square feet. Applies: Only in multifamily residential developments containing 21 or more dwelling units, unless otherwise permitted by site plan review. Larger sizes may be approved through site plan review. § 21.31.245 · code text The size of such rooms shall be limited to five hundred (500) square feet. Accessory buildings, excluding garages, may not exceed 25% of the gross floor area of the primary building(s). Applies: Only in Title 22 multifamily residential (MFR) zones in specified “Zone In” areas; accessory dwelling units are excluded. § 22.40.050 · code text The square footage of all accessory buildings, excluding garages, shall not exceed 25% of the gross floor area of the primary building(s). Accessory buildings may not exceed 300 square feet or 5% of the lot area, whichever is smaller. Applies: Applies to accessory buildings other than garages in Title 21 residential districts, located only in the rear half of the lot. § 21.31.245 · code text Such buildings shall not exceed three hundred (300) square feet or five percent (5%) of the lot area in size, whichever is smaller; No more than 5% of the lot area. Applies: For other permitted attached or detached accessory buildings, when 5% is smaller than 300 square feet. § 21.31.245 · code text Such buildings shall not exceed three hundred (300) square feet or five percent (5%) of the lot area in size, whichever is smaller; Garage size may not exceed 700 square feet. Applies: Applies to garages for single-family residences. § 21.31.245 · code text Garages for single-family residences shall not exceed seven hundred (700) square feet in size
Side and rear setback	An accessory building may sit on the rear property line and 1 side property line if the other side yard is at least 3 feet wide. Applies: Accessory buildings other than garages in Title 21 residential districts, in the rear half of the lot only. The 3-foot side yard must have no structures or projections. Not allowed in the street side yard of a corner lot. § 21.31.245 · code text The building may be built directly on the rear property line and on one (1) side property line, provided the other side yard is at least three feet (3′) wide A garage may sit on the rear property line and 1 side property line. Applies: Only in the rear half of a lot, if the other side yard is at least 3 feet (3′) wide. § 21.31.245 · code text a garage may be located directly on the rear property line and on one (1) side property line, provided the other side yard is at least three feet (3′) wide On-grade garages must be 5′ from the property line. Applies: In the rear half of the lot in an R-3 or R-4 Zone District for projects with 3 or more units on a lot. § 21.31.245 · code text In the rear half of the lot: 5′ from property line

Running a business from home

Long Beach code What Long Beach's code adds
Customer visits	No more than 2 business visitors an hour and 8 visitors a day. Applies: For general home occupations. § 21.51.235 · code text Visitors and deliveries shall be limited to not more than two (2) business visitors an hour and eight (8) visitors a day, and not more than two (2) deliveries of products or materials a week. A MEHKO may serve up to 30 meals a day and up to 90 meals a week. Applies: MEHKOs are not subject to the general home occupation visitor limits; this meal limit comes from California Health and Safety Code §113825. § 21.51.235 · code text a MEHKO is permitted to serve up to 30 meals a day and up to 90 meals a week in a dine-in, delivery or pick-up configuration;
Employees	Only residents may work in the home occupation, and no more than 2 residents may be engaged or employed. Applies: General home occupations. § 21.51.235 · code text No person other than a resident of the dwelling unit shall be engaged or employed in the home occupation, and the number of residents engaged or employed in the home occupation shall not exceed two (2). 1 full-time employee (up to 40 hours a week), or multiple employees working no more than 40 hours per week combined. Applies: For a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO), excluding family or household members. § 21.51.235 · code text Pursuant to California Health and Safety Code §113825, a MEHKO is limited to one full-time employee (up to 40 hours a week) or multiple employees whose total working hours combined do not exceed 40 hours per week (this does not include a family or household member);
Permit	Home occupation approval Applies: Valid only for the person issued it; void when that person moves from the dwelling unit or discontinues the business. § 21.51.235 · code text The home occupation approval shall be valid only for the person to whom it was issued and shall be void when that person moves from the dwelling unit or discontinues the business.
Businesses not allowed	Home occupations cannot include ambulance services, appliance repair, automobile-related services, beauty salons, lodging, carpentry, or cabinet making. Applies: Partial list; prohibited uses also include food preparation except cottage food operations and MEHKOs, gun sales, medical or dental offices, massage, restaurants, retail sales from the site except direct distribution and internet, veterinary uses, and similar uses. § 21.51.235 · code text The following uses shall be prohibited as home occupations.

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Long Beach?

In residential zones, front-yard fences max 3 ft (4 ft in special fence areas, extra foot wrought iron or chain link); other yards 6 ft 6 in. Residential fences may reach 8 ft beside a nonresidential district or use or along an alley, and 10 ft outside required yards.

How big can a shed or accessory building be in Long Beach?

Non-garage accessory buildings in residential districts: rear half of lot, at most 1 story and 13 ft, and the smaller of 300 sq ft or 5% of lot. Garages: 1 story and 13 ft (projects of 3+ units in R-3/R-4 differ), at most 700 sq ft for a single-family home, 1,100 for two-family.

Can I run a business from my home in Long Beach?

General home occupations: only residents may work, no more than 2, with at most 2 business visitors an hour and 8 a day. State law limits MEHKOs to 30 meals a day and 90 meals a week; Long Beach exempts MEHKOs from general visitor limits.

General information, not legal advice.

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