Manteca · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Manteca

Manteca sets its own height, setback and coverage limits for accessory structures and its own home-business rules. Fences and walls have a separate city chapter.

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Key points

Accessory structures: Accessory structures limited to 30% of the rear yard; buildings over 120 sq ft with solid roof and little enclosure: 15 ft.
Home businesses: Manteca lets a home business use 1 room or 25% of the home's floor area, whichever is greater; a city business license is required.
Fences: Fences and walls fall under the city's own chapter, Ch. 17.46 (Fences and walls).

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

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Manteca code What Manteca's code adds
Maximum height	At most 15 feet and 1 story tall. Applies: For accessory buildings over 120 square feet with a solid roof and limited or no walls. § 17.40.040 · code text • Solid Roof Limited/No Enclosure \| \| 10 ft \| 3 ft \| 15 ft/ 1 story At most 16 feet tall. Applies: For landscape features. § 17.40.040 · code text Landscape Features \| No minimum \| 10 ft \| 3 ft \| 16 ft At most 15 feet and 1 story tall. Applies: For pools and spas. § 17.40.040 · code text Pools/Spas \| Not allowed in required front yard setback \| 5 ft * \| 5 ft * \| 15 ft/ 1 story At most 16 feet tall. Applies: For play equipment. § 17.40.040 · code text Play Equipment \| Not allowed in required front yard setback \| 10 ft \| 3 ft \| 16 ft
Size or lot coverage	All accessory structures together can cover no more than 30% of the actual rear yard. § 17.40.040 · code text The total size of accessory structure(s) on any lot may not exceed 30 percent of the actual rear yard area.
Side and rear setback	No setback (0 feet) from interior side and rear lines. Applies: For accessory buildings of 120 square feet or less, at most 8 feet tall. Not allowed in the front or street side setback. § 17.40.040 · code text Building, ≤120 sf \| Not allowed in required front or street side yard setback \| Not allowed in required front or street side yard setback \| 0 ft \| 8 ft At least 5 feet from interior side and rear lines. Applies: For fully enclosed accessory buildings over 120 square feet. § 17.40.040 · code text Building, >120 sf • Fully Enclosed \| Not allowed in required front yard setback \| 10 ft \| 5 ft \| 15 ft/ 1 story At least 3 feet from interior side and rear lines. Applies: For accessory buildings over 120 square feet with a solid roof and limited or no walls. § 17.40.040 · code text • Solid Roof Limited/No Enclosure \| \| 10 ft \| 3 ft \| 15 ft/ 1 story At least 3 feet from interior side and rear lines. Applies: For landscape features. § 17.40.040 · code text Landscape Features \| No minimum \| 10 ft \| 3 ft \| 16 ft At least 5 feet from interior side and rear lines, measured from the water's edge. Applies: For pools and spas. § 17.40.040 · code text Pools/Spas \| Not allowed in required front yard setback \| 5 ft * \| 5 ft * \| 15 ft/ 1 story No minimum setback. Applies: For decks and patios, from interior side and rear lines. § 17.40.040 · code text Deck/Patio \| No minimum \| No minimum \| No minimum \| No minimum At least 3 feet from interior side and rear lines. Applies: For play equipment. § 17.40.040 · code text Play Equipment \| Not allowed in required front yard setback \| 10 ft \| 3 ft \| 16 ft

Running a business from home

Manteca code What Manteca's code adds
Space used	No more than 1 room, or 25% of the home's floor area, whichever is greater. Applies: The home business must be entirely inside a legal structure. § 17.78.040 · code text The home occupation shall be confined completely within a legal structure and shall not occupy more than one room, or the equivalent of 25 percent of the floor area of a dwelling, whichever is greater, or 200 square feet of a permitted accessory building. No more than 200 square feet. Applies: In a permitted accessory building. § 17.78.040 · code text The home occupation shall be confined completely within a legal structure and shall not occupy more than one room, or the equivalent of 25 percent of the floor area of a dwelling, whichever is greater, or 200 square feet of a permitted accessory building.
Customer visits	Business visitors and customers may not visit the home. Applies: In general. Educational businesses such as tutoring, music, swimming lessons and art are an exception. § 17.78.040 · code text Generally, business visitors and customers of the home occupation are prohibited from visiting the residence. No more than 1 business visitor per hour, and no more than 1 at a time. Applies: For educational home businesses, such as tutoring, music lessons, swimming lessons and art. § 17.78.040 · code text Such uses are limited to not more than one business visitor per hour and no more than one at any given time.
Permit	Approval through administrative Zoning Conformance is required. § 17.78.030 · code text Home occupations regulated by this Chapter shall only be permitted in accordance with Article II (Zoning Districts, Allowed Uses, and Development Standards) and subject to the special regulations outlined in Section 17.78.040 (Special Standards) of this Chapter as determined through administrative Zoning Conformance. A city business license is required. Applies: For any home business that meets the Municipal Code. § 17.78.040 · code text A business license from the City is required for any home occupation consistent with the requirements of this Municipal Code.

RV and boat parking

Manteca code What Manteca's code adds
Parking on the street	Up to 24 hours. Applies: An exception to the weekday street ban on oversized vehicles and trailers, while loading, unloading or cleaning. § 10.46.060 · code text To any person loading, unloading, or cleaning an oversized vehicle or trailer as long as said over-sized vehicle or trailer is parked on the public street for no more than twenty-four hours; Up to 24 hours in a row. Applies: An exception to the weekday street ban on oversized vehicles and trailers, for temporary or emergency repairs. § 10.46.060 · code text To any person making temporary or emergency repairs to an oversized vehicle or trailer not to exceed twenty-four consecutive hours; No more than 4 hours. Applies: Applies to an unhitched trailer left on a city street or alley. § 10.46.070 · code text Except as otherwise provided in this section, no trailer shall be left unattached to any vehicle on any city street or alley for any period of time exceeding four hours. Not allowed Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Applies: Applies to oversized vehicles or trailers on any public street or alley. § 10.46.060 · code text Except as otherwise provided in this section, it is unlawful for any person to park or leave standing any oversized vehicle or trailer on any public street or alley, Monday through Fridays, exclusive, federally excepted holidays excepted. Not allowed Monday through Friday, except holidays. Applies: Applies to a trailer hitched to a vehicle that can tow it, on any residential street. § 10.46.070 · code text Except as otherwise provided in this section, it is unlawful for any person to park or leave standing any trailer that is attached to a vehicle capable of moving the trailer in a lawful manner on any street in a residential area Monday through Friday, inclusive, holidays excepted.

Solar panels and EV chargers

Manteca code What Manteca's code adds
Solar permit process	Administrative approval and fast review; apply in person, by mail or electronically, with the required fees. Applies: Applies to small rooftop home solar systems that meet the checklist. § 15.60.060 · code text For a project complying with the checklist for a small residential rooftop solar energy system the applicant may submit the permit application and associated documentation to the city's building division by personal, mailed, or electronic submittal together with the required permit processing and inspection fees. E-mail or fax filing and electronic signatures are available. Applies: Applies to small rooftop home solar permit applicants. § 15.60.050 · code text Electronic submittal of the required permit application and documents by email or facsimile shall be made available to all small residential rooftop solar energy system permit applicants.

Swimming pools

Manteca code What Manteca's code adds
Maintenance and empty pools	Pools, ponds or other water may not be left unkept so the bottom is hidden, water polluted, or mosquitoes breed. Applies: Applies to any premises or property in the city. § 8.17.100 · code text It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person owning, leasing, occupying or having charge or possession of any premises or property in the city to maintain upon any such premises or property any swimming pool, pond, or other body of water which is abandoned, unattended, unfiltered, or not otherwise maintained resulting in the bottom not being visible, water becoming polluted, and/or providing for mosquito breeding.

Pets, chickens and bees

Manteca code What Manteca's code adds
Large animals	Goats, sheep, cattle and equines may not be penned within 50 feet of others' homes or 100 feet of hospitals. Applies: The 50 feet also covers schools, churches, public buildings, hotels, restaurants and lunchrooms. § 6.12.010 · code text It is unlawful for any person to keep or maintain or cause or permit to be kept or maintained within the corporate limits of the city any goats, sheep, cows or other bovine animals, or horses, mules, donkeys, ponies or other equine animals, within any pen or stable, the exterior boundaries of which are within fifty feet of any school, church, public building, hotel, restaurant, lunchroom, or the dwelling house of any person other than the dwelling house or residence occupied by the owner of the animal or animals or within one hundred feet of any hospital or other building especially designed or used for the care of the sick or injured.
Permit	A permit from the city finance officer is required. Applies: Applies to goats, sheep, cows, horses, mules, donkeys, ponies and other bovine or equine animals. § 6.12.020 · code text No person shall keep any of the animals mentioned in Section 6.12.010 under any conditions without having first obtained a permit therefor from the city finance officer who is empowered to issue such permits in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

Other Manteca rules on this

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

Fences and walls (Ch. 17.46)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Manteca?

Fences and walls fall under the city's own chapter, Ch. 17.46 (Fences and walls). Manteca also has a related rule: Fences and walls (Ch. 17.46).

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

Accessory structures limited to 30% of the rear yard; buildings over 120 sq ft with solid roof and little enclosure: 15 ft.

Can I run a business from my home in Manteca?

Manteca lets a home business use 1 room or 25% of the home's floor area, whichever is greater; a city business license is required.

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

Manteca's code: Up to 24 hours. (An exception to the weekday street ban on oversized vehicles and trailers, while loading, unloading or cleaning.) (§ 10.46.060); Up to 24 hours in a row. (An exception to the weekday street ban on oversized vehicles and trailers, for temporary or emergency repairs.) (§ 10.46.060).

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

Manteca's code: Administrative approval and fast review; apply in person, by mail or electronically, with the required fees. (Applies to small rooftop home solar systems that meet the checklist.) (§ 15.60.060); E-mail or fax filing and electronic signatures are available. (Applies to small rooftop home solar permit applicants.) (§ 15.60.050).

What are the pool fence and setback rules in Manteca?

Manteca's code: Pools, ponds or other water may not be left unkept so the bottom is hidden, water polluted, or mosquitoes breed. (Applies to any premises or property in the city.) (§ 8.17.100).

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

Manteca's code: Goats, sheep, cattle and equines may not be penned within 50 feet of others' homes or 100 feet of hospitals. (The 50 feet also covers schools, churches, public buildings, hotels, restaurants and lunchrooms.) (§ 6.12.010); A permit from the city finance officer is required. (Applies to goats, sheep, cows, horses, mules, donkeys, ponies and other bovine or equine animals.) (§ 6.12.020).

General information, not legal advice.

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Manteca Municipal Code — full text

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