Orinda · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Orinda

Orinda's rules cover animal shelters and other accessory structures, and limit home businesses in size and staffing. Barber shops, beauty parlors, medical offices, kennels, on-site auto repair and pickup retail sales are not allowed as home businesses.

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Key points

Animal structures: Orinda sets a 40-foot standard for small-animal coops and hutches and a 50-foot standard for large-animal barns and stables.
Home business size: Home businesses: 1 room, or 20 percent of floor area if 1 room is larger; no employees or independent contractors.

Each rule below is marked Orinda 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

Orinda code What Orinda's code adds
Side and rear setback	At least 40 feet from any side or rear property line. Applies: Chicken coops, rabbit hutches and similar structures that house small animals. § 17.4.23 · code text Chicken coops, rabbit hutches, and similar accessory structures provided for the housing of small animals shall be set back not less than sixty (60) feet from the front property line or any street line, and shall be not less than forty (40) feet from any side or rear property line; At least 50 feet from any side or rear property line. Applies: Barns, stables and other structures that shelter large animals. § 17.4.23 · code text barns, stables and other buildings or structures used to shelter large animals shall be set back not less than one hundred (100) feet from the front property line or any street line and shall not be less than fifty (50) feet from any side or rear property line;
Distance from the house	At least 5 feet from the main building. § 17.4.22 · code text The minimum separation between an accessory structure and the main structure is five (5) feet.

Running a business from home

Orinda code What Orinda's code adds
Space used	1 room, or 20% of the home's floor area if 1 room would be more than that. § 17.3.7 · code text such as one room, or twenty (20) percent of the dwelling's floor area in case where the use of one room would exceed twenty (20) percent of the dwelling's floor area.
Employees	No employees or independent contractors are allowed. Applies: Only the permanent residents of the home may take part in the business. § 17.3.7 · code text There shall be no employees or independent contractors.
Businesses not allowed	Beauty parlors, barber shops and haircut salons § 17.3.7 · code text Beauty parlors, barber shops and haircut salons; Retail and wholesale sales where goods would be retrieved by the buyer at location of the home occupation § 17.3.7 · code text Retail and wholesale sales where goods would be retrieved by the buyer at location of the home occupation; Restaurants and food preparation site for the purpose of retail sales from a vehicle § 17.3.7 · code text Restaurants and food preparation site for the purpose of retail sales from a vehicle; Cabinet making and similar manufacturing activities § 17.3.7 · code text Cabinet making and similar manufacturing activities; Stables, kennels, veterinary clinics, animal breeding and grooming § 17.3.7 · code text Stables, kennels, veterinary clinics, animal breeding and grooming; Appliance, automotive, engine, motorcycle repair on-site § 17.3.7 · code text Appliance, automotive, engine, motorcycle repair on-site; Medical and dental offices and clinics § 17.3.7 · code text Medical and dental offices and clinics.

Solar panels and EV chargers

Orinda code What Orinda's code adds
EV-ready new homes	Infrastructure for future installation and use of EV chargers is required. Applies: Applies to newly built Group R-1, R-2, and R-3 buildings. § 15.08.110 · code text Newly constructed Group R-1, R-2, and R-3 buildings shall be provided with infrastructure to facilitate future installation and use of electric vehicle (EV) chargers EV charging spaces with fully working EV chargers. Applies: Where required, in newly built Group R-2 buildings. § 15.08.110 · code text where required, newly constructed Group R-2 buildings shall be provided with electric vehicle charging spaces equipped with fully-operational EV chargers
Solar height and setbacks	Panels may not exceed the zoning district's building height limit. Applies: Required for a small residential rooftop solar system to qualify for expedited permitting. § 15.60.020 · code text The system, when installed on a rooftop, does not exceed the building height limit of the zoning district in which it is located.
Solar permit process	Expedited, streamlined permits; apply and receive permits electronically; required fees must be paid. Applies: Applies to small residential rooftop solar systems. § 15.60.020 · code text The following expedited, streamlined permit process applies to applications for a building permit to install a small residential rooftop solar energy system:

Tree removal

Orinda code No permit is required. No permit is required.

All 14 Orinda rules on tree removal, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Swimming pools

Orinda code What Orinda's code adds
Pool barrier	No openings, holes or gaps larger than 4 inches, measured horizontally. Applies: Applies to new pools, except doors or gates. § 15.40.050 · code text with openings, holes or gaps therein no larger than four inches measured horizontally, except for doors or gates. No openings, holes or gaps larger than 4 inches, measured horizontally. Applies: Existing pools deeper than 18 inches or larger than 250 square feet; a house or accessory building may form part of the enclosure. § 15.40.080 · code text with openings, holes or gaps therein no larger than four inches measured horizontally, except for doors or gates; provided, however, that a dwelling house or accessory building may be used as a part of such enclosure. A building wall may form part of the fence, except a house wall with doors or exits to the pool. Applies: Applies to new pools. § 15.40.050 · code text A building wall may be used as part of such fence enclosure where it is not a dwelling house (residence) wall with doors or other exit openings to the pool. The pool fence must be installed before the pool is used. Applies: Applies to new and existing pools. § 15.40.050 · code text The fence shall be installed before the pool is put into use. Existing pools need no fence when all conditions are met, including a lot of at least 20,000 square feet. Applies: No more than 4 homes within 250 feet; pool at least 300 feet from a school or public playground and 55 feet from adjacent homes. § 15.40.090 · code text The fence required by Section 15.40.080 need not be erected or maintained when all of the following conditions exist:
Barrier height	At least 4.5 feet high. Applies: Applies to the fence fully surrounding a new pool. § 15.40.050 · code text Every person in possession of land within the city, either as owner, purchaser under contract, lessee, tenant, licensee or otherwise, upon which land is situated a swimming pool shall maintain on the lot or premises upon which such pool is located, and completely surrounding such pool, a fence not less than four and one-half feet high At least 4.5 feet high. Applies: Applies to existing pools deeper than 18 inches or larger than 250 square feet. § 15.40.080 · code text shall maintain on the lot or premises upon which such pool or body of water located, and completely surrounding such pool or body of water, a fence or wall not less than four and one-half feet high
Gates	Self-closing and self-latching; the latch at least 4 feet above ground or otherwise out of reach of small children. Applies: Applies to new pools. § 15.40.050 · code text All gates or doors opening through such fence enclosure shall be equipped with a self-closing and self-latching device designed to keep, and capable of keeping, such door or gate securely closed at all times when not in actual use, and such latching shall be placed at least four feet above the ground level, or otherwise made inaccessible from the outside of the enclosure to small children. Self-closing and self-latching; the latch at least 4 feet above ground or otherwise out of reach of small children. Applies: Existing pools; breezeways, garage back doors, and similar access points to the pool. § 15.40.080 · code text which shall be self-closing and self-latching, with such latching placed at least four feet above the ground level, or otherwise made inaccessible from the outside to small children.

Pets, chickens and bees

Orinda code What Orinda's code adds
Chickens	Yes; no number is stated. Applies: Applies to residential lots of 20,000 net square feet or more. § 17.3.8 · code text Keeping small animals such as chickens, rabbits and mink is permitted on residential lots of twenty thousand (20,000) net square feet or more.
Large animals	1 large animal per 20,000 square feet of net lot area, on lots of at least 40,000 net square feet. § 17.3.8 · code text Large animals such as horses and cattle may only be kept on lots of forty thousand (40,000) net square feet or more, allowing one large animal for each twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of net lot size.
Permit	A use permit is required. Applies: Applies to keeping exotic animals. § 17.3.8 · code text Keeping exotic animals is subject to obtaining a use permit under Chapter 17.31.

Other Orinda rules on this

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

Parking RVs, boats and trailers at home (§ 17.4.29)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

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

Orinda sets a 40-foot standard for small-animal coops and hutches and a 50-foot standard for large-animal barns and stables.

Can I run a business from my home in Orinda?

Home businesses: 1 room, or 20 percent of floor area if 1 room is larger; no employees or independent contractors.

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

Orinda's code: Infrastructure for future installation and use of EV chargers is required. (Applies to newly built Group R-1, R-2, and R-3 buildings.) (§ 15.08.110); EV charging spaces with fully working EV chargers. (Where required, in newly built Group R-2 buildings.) (§ 15.08.110).

What are the pool fence and setback rules in Orinda?

Orinda's code: No openings, holes or gaps larger than 4 inches, measured horizontally. (Applies to new pools, except doors or gates.) (§ 15.40.050); No openings, holes or gaps larger than 4 inches, measured horizontally. (Existing pools deeper than 18 inches or larger than 250 square feet; a house or accessory building may form part of the enclosure.) (§ 15.40.080).

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

Orinda's code: Yes; no number is stated. (Applies to residential lots of 20,000 net square feet or more.) (§ 17.3.8); 1 large animal per 20,000 square feet of net lot area, on lots of at least 40,000 net square feet. (§ 17.3.8).

General information, not legal advice.

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