Pismo Beach · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach limits fence heights by setback, with site plan and architectural review for taller fences and a coastal development permit in bluff setbacks. Detached garages are limited to 1,000 square feet per dwelling unit unless the director approves more.

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Key points

Fence heights: Fences, hedges and walls are limited to 42 inches in front and street side setbacks and 6 feet in rear and interior side yards.
Accessory setbacks: Residential accessory structures must be at least 10 feet from any rear property line and 5 feet from any side property line.
Home businesses: Home occupations need a permit and zoning clearance, with 1 client at a time and no employees on site other than residents.

Each rule below is marked Pismo 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

Pismo Beach code What Pismo Beach's code adds
Height anywhere on the lot	No more than 6 feet high. Applies: Outside a front or street side setback. § 17.24.060 · code text Six feet when located outside of a front or street side setback. No more than 6 feet high, unless the Director approves more. Applies: Each individual retaining wall. § 17.24.060 · code text Individual retaining walls shall not exceed a height of six feet unless otherwise approved by the Director.
Front yard height	No more than 42 inches high. Applies: Within a front setback or street side setback. § 17.24.060 · code text Forty-two inches when located within a front setback or street side setback; No more than 42 inches high. Applies: Solid fences, hedges or walls in any front yard. § 17.102.120 · code text No solid fences, hedges or walls over forty-two inches in height shall be permitted in any front yard, or in the side yard or the street side of a corner lot. No more than 42 inches high. Applies: Hedges in a front yard setback. § 17.24.060 · code text Hedges within a front yard setback shall be limited to a height of forty-two inches.
Side and rear yard height	Up to 6 feet high from existing grade. Applies: Required rear yards and interior side yards. § 17.102.120 · code text Fences, hedges and walls up to six feet in height from existing grade on the lot may be permitted within all required rear yards and interior side yards. No more than 42 inches high. Applies: Solid fences, hedges or walls on the street side of a corner lot. Interior side yards allow 6 feet. § 17.102.120 · code text No solid fences, hedges or walls over forty-two inches in height shall be permitted in any front yard, or in the side yard or the street side of a corner lot.
Permit	Yes. Site plan and architectural review is required, except for lower fences and walls. Applies: Exempt: up to 42 inches in a front or street side setback, or 6 feet outside them. Blufftop fences have special rules. § 17.24.060 · code text Fences and walls require site plan and architectural review (Section 17.42.030), except where exempted from land use permit requirements by subsection B, below. Yes. A coastal development permit is required. Applies: Fences in required bluff setback areas. § 17.102.120 · code text Fences located in required bluff setback areas shall not exceed forty-two inches in height and shall secure a coastal development permit.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Pismo Beach code What Pismo Beach's code adds
Maximum height	No more than 15 feet high. § 17.38.150 · code text Accessory structures shall not exceed a height of fifteen feet.
Size or lot coverage	No more than 1,000 square feet per home, including workshop or storage space. Applies: Detached garages, unless the director allows more through site plan and architectural review. § 17.38.150 · code text A detached accessory garage shall not occupy more than one thousand square feet per dwelling unit (including any workshop or storage space within the garage) unless a larger area is authorized by the director through site plan and architectural review. No floor area limit. Applies: Garages attached to the main building, except as building or fire codes require. § 17.38.150 · code text The floor area of an accessory garage that is attached to a principal structure is not limited, except as may be required by the Uniform Building Code or any other applicable construction or fire code. Up to 500 square feet per home or 10% of the lot, whichever is smaller. Applies: Accessory greenhouses. § 17.38.150 · code text An accessory greenhouse may occupy up to five hundred square feet per dwelling unit or ten percent of the lot, whichever is smaller. No more than 25% of the main building's floor area. Applies: Workshops, except when combined with a garage. § 17.38.150 · code text A workshop shall not occupy an area larger than twenty-five percent of the floor area of the principal building; except that where a workshop is combined with a garage, subsection E (Garages) of this section applies.
Side and rear setback	At least 10 feet from any rear line and 5 feet from any side line. Applies: Accessory structures in residential zones. § 17.102.140 · code text Accessory structures in residential zones shall be a maximum of fifteen feet in height and shall be located a minimum of twenty feet from the front property line, ten feet from any rear property line, five feet from any side property line and six feet from any other separate structure on the same lot.
Distance from the house	At least 6 feet from any other separate structure on the lot. Applies: Accessory structures in residential zones. § 17.102.140 · code text Accessory structures in residential zones shall be a maximum of fifteen feet in height and shall be located a minimum of twenty feet from the front property line, ten feet from any rear property line, five feet from any side property line and six feet from any other separate structure on the same lot.

Running a business from home

Pismo Beach code What Pismo Beach's code adds
Customer visits	Only 1 client at a time. Applies: For counseling, music lessons, tutoring or other purposes. § 17.38.070 · code text No more than one client shall be allowed on the premises at any time for counseling, music lessons, tutoring, or other purposes.
Employees	No employees on site other than residents of the home. Applies: Business employees only. Housekeeping, gardening, child care or cooking staff not linked to the business are not covered. § 17.38.070 · code text The home occupation shall have no employees on the site other than the residents of the housing unit.
Permit	A zoning clearance is required. § 17.38.070 · code text Zoning clearance (Section 17.42.020) is required for home occupations, which are permitted as accessory uses in all residential zoning districts. A home occupation permit is required. Applies: All permitted home occupations. § 17.121.090 · code text Home occupation permits are required for all permitted residential occupations pursuant to the requirements established in Chapter 17.115.
Businesses not allowed	Adult businesses; barber and beauty shops; commercial photo/film processing labs; dance or night clubs; gun and/or ammunition sales; medical and dental offices, clinics, and laboratories (excluding counselors/psychotherapists and licensed massage therapists); mini storage; storage of equipment, materials, and other accessories for the construction and service trades; vehicle repair, upholstery, automobile detailing and painting; welding and machining; and any other use determined by the director not to be incidental to or compatible with residential activities § 17.38.070 · 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

Pismo Beach code About equal; each new lot between 40% and 60% of the original parcel. Each new lot must be at least 1,200 square feet.

All 17 Pismo Beach rules on lot splits under sb 9, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Solar panels and EV chargers

Pismo Beach code What Pismo Beach's code adds
EV charger permit	Administrative, nondiscretionary expedited review; electronic submittal with fees is allowed. Applies: Electric vehicle charging stations. § 15.12.020 · code text The building official shall establish an administrative, nondiscretionary expedited permit application review process for electric vehicle charging stations, including standard plans and checklists.
Solar permit process	Administrative, nondiscretionary expedited review; electronic submittal with fees is allowed. Applies: Small residential rooftop solar systems. § 15.12.010 · code text The building official shall establish an administrative, nondiscretionary expedited permit application review process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems, including standard plans and checklists.

Tree removal

Pismo Beach code What Pismo Beach's code adds
Exemptions	Dead trees, as verified by the director, are exempt. Applies: Native oak tree rules. § 17.30.070 · code text Dead trees, as verified by the director; Domestic oaks 8 inches or less in diameter, outside public right-of-way and front or street side setbacks, are exempt. Applies: Native oak tree rules. § 17.30.070 · code text Domestic oak trees that do not exceed eight inches in diameter and are not located within a public right-of-way, front or street side setback; Trees damaged by storms, floods, earthquakes, fires or other disasters and found hazardous by an official are exempt. Applies: Native oak tree rules; notify the department. § 17.30.070 · code text Trees damaged by storms, floods, earthquakes, fires, or other disasters, and determined to be hazardous and in need of emergency removal or alteration by a federal, state, county, or city official in his/her official capacity. Trimming healthy oaks for fire safety, verified by the Fire Department and approved by the director, is exempt. Applies: Native oak tree rules. § 17.30.070 · code text Trimming of healthy oaks for fire safety purposes, as verified by the Fire Department, and approved by the director.
Permit to remove	Yes; removal, transplanting or work in the protected zone must be approved with a land use permit. Applies: Native oak trees on public or private property. § 17.30.070 · code text No person shall cut, remove, encroach into, or remove brush from the protected zone of any oak tree, or remove or transplant any oak tree on any public or private property within the city, unless removal has been authorized in conjunction with the approval of a land use permit in compliance with this section.
Protected trees	Native oaks (Quercus agrifolia, lobata, chrysolepis) at least 6 inches around at 4.5 feet above grade; not scrub oak. § 17.30.070 · code text The provisions of this section apply to all native oak species (Quercus agrifolia, Quercus lobata, Quercus chrysolepis) measuring at least six inches in circumference at four and one-half feet above natural grade, except scrub oak (Quercus dumosa).
Replacement trees	Extra trees, hardwood canopy, land or wildlife habitat may be required to offset impacts. Applies: Loss of oak trees, limbs or roots, or work in protected zones. § 17.30.070 · code text Replacement or placement of additional trees, associated hardwood canopy, land or wildlife habitat to offset the impacts associated with: the loss of oak trees, limbs, or roots; or encroachments into the protected zone(s).

Swimming pools

Pismo Beach code What Pismo Beach's code adds
Setback from property lines	At least 5 feet from rear and side property lines. Applies: Pools, hot tubs, spas and their equipment; blufftop setbacks also apply. § 17.102.130 · code text Swimming pools, hot tubs, spas and associated equipment shall not be located closer than five feet to any rear property line or side property line and shall not create a nuisance.

Other Pismo Beach rules on this

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

Raising and keeping animals (§ 6.04.060)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Pismo Beach?

Fences, hedges and walls are limited to 42 inches in front and street side setbacks and 6 feet in rear and interior side yards.

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

Residential accessory structures must be at least 10 feet from any rear property line and 5 feet from any side property line.

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

Home occupations need a permit and zoning clearance, with 1 client at a time and no employees on site other than residents.

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

Pismo Beach's code: Administrative, nondiscretionary expedited review; electronic submittal with fees is allowed. (Electric vehicle charging stations.) (§ 15.12.020); Administrative, nondiscretionary expedited review; electronic submittal with fees is allowed. (Small residential rooftop solar systems.) (§ 15.12.010).

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Pismo Beach?

Pismo Beach's code: Dead trees, as verified by the director, are exempt. (Native oak tree rules.) (§ 17.30.070); Domestic oaks 8 inches or less in diameter, outside public right-of-way and front or street side setbacks, are exempt. (Native oak tree rules.) (§ 17.30.070).

What are the pool fence and setback rules in Pismo Beach?

Pismo Beach's code: At least 5 feet from rear and side property lines. (Pools, hot tubs, spas and their equipment; blufftop setbacks also apply.) (§ 17.102.130).

General information, not legal advice.

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