Placentia · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Placentia

Placentia sets fence heights by yard and material, with separate wall rules in Specific Plan 10. Home occupations may not make direct sales on the premises.

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Key points

Fence heights: Required front yards: solid fences at most 3 feet, wrought iron 6 feet; side and rear yards, 6 to 8 feet.
Accessory setbacks: In the Specific Plan 6 area, patio covers and accessory structures need a 5-foot rear yard setback.
Home businesses: A home occupation is limited to 1 room, with no employees other than residents; its permit comes before the city business license.

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

Fences and walls

Placentia code What Placentia's code adds
Front yard height	No more than 3 feet above the ground. Applies: Solid fences or walls in required front yards. § 23.81.100 · code text In required front yards, the maximum height of a solid fence or wall shall be three (3) feet above the surface of the ground. No more than 6 feet above the ground. Applies: Wrought iron fences in required front yards. § 23.81.100 · code text a wrought iron fence may be erected, not to exceed a maximum height of six (6) feet above the surface of the ground.
Side and rear yard height	At least 6 feet and no more than 8 feet high. Applies: Required side and rear yards, including the street sides of corner lots. § 23.81.100 · code text the minimum height shall be six (6) feet and the maximum height shall be eight (8) feet above the surface of the ground Up to 8 feet high. Applies: Perimeter masonry walls along the east and south tract boundary in Specific Plan 10. § 23.110.110 · code text the perimeter lot line masonry walls may be increased up to eight (8) feet along the easterly and southerly tract boundary No more than 6 feet high. Applies: Interior lot line masonry walls in Specific Plan 10. § 23.110.110 · code text Interior lot line masonry walls shall be a minimum of five (5) feet, six (6) inches in height and a maximum of six (6) feet in height.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Placentia code What Placentia's code adds
Side and rear setback	At least 5 feet from the rear line. Applies: Patio covers and accessory structures in the Specific Plan 6 area. § 23.106.100 · code text Setbacks shall be the same as for the main building except that rear yard setbacks shall be five (5) feet;

Running a business from home

Placentia code What Placentia's code adds
Space used	Only 1 room. Applies: Of the home or an accessory structure. § 23.81.020 · code text Only one (1) room of the home or accessory structure shall be used for the home occupation.
Employees	No employees other than residents of the home. § 23.81.020 · code text There shall be no employees other than the residents of the dwelling unit;
Permit	The planning division must approve a home occupation permit before a city business license is issued. § 23.81.020 · code text An application for a home occupation permit shall be submitted and approved by the planning division prior to issuance of a city business license.
Businesses not allowed	direct sales on the premises § 23.81.020 · code text No direct sales, display or commercial signage is permitted on the premises;

RV and boat parking

Placentia code In the street side, interior side or rear yard. On a paved area outside the required building setback next to a public street (alleys excluded).

All 11 Placentia rules on rv and boat parking, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Tree removal

Placentia code What Placentia's code adds
Permit to remove	Make a written request to public works; only dead, diseased, irreparably injured or hazardous trees qualify. Applies: A city street tree in the right-of-way in front of or next to your property. § 14.12.080 · code text Only trees that are found to be dead, diseased, irreparably injured, hazardous, or in a condition that presents legitimate public safety concerns or conditions, as described in this chapter, may be the subject of a tree removal request. Director approval, with a tree survey plan and certified arborist report. Applies: Removing a city tree for a development permit or land use application. § 14.12.120 · code text The director or designee may approval tree removal associated with a permit or discretionary land use application if any one or more of the following findings can be made:
Replacement trees	4 trees of 15-gallon size, or 2 trees in 24-inch boxes. Applies: City tree removed for development, trunk 8 to 12 inches in diameter at breast height. § 14.12.120 · code text 8-12 inches \| 4 2 \| 15-gallon, or 24-inch box 8 trees of 15-gallon size, 4 in 24-inch boxes, or 2 in 36-inch boxes. Applies: City tree removed for development, trunk 13 to 18 inches in diameter at breast height. § 14.12.120 · code text 13-18 inches \| 8 4 2 \| 15-gallon, or 24-inch box, or 36-inch box 8 trees in 24-inch boxes, or 4 in 36-inch boxes. Applies: City tree removed for development, trunk 19 to 36 inches in diameter at breast height. § 14.12.120 · code text 19-36 inches \| 8 4 \| 24-inch box, or 36-inch box 12 trees in 24-inch boxes, or 8 in 36-inch boxes. Applies: City tree removed for development, trunk 37 inches or more in diameter at breast height. § 14.12.120 · code text 37+ inches \| 12 8 \| 24-inch box, or 36-inch box The owner pays for removal and for 2 replacement trees. Applies: City street tree removed after the commission grants a reconsidered request. § 14.12.080 · code text Property owner shall also be responsible for the cost of procuring and planting two replacement trees; and funds remitted to the city shall be deposited into the city's tree replacement and planting fund, as described in Section 14.12.190 of this chapter.

Pets, chickens and bees

Placentia code What Placentia's code adds
Chickens	No more than 10 chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, geese, rabbits or similar animals. Applies: Per occupied lot. § 9.08.010 · code text Not more than 10 chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, geese or rabbits or other similar fowls or animals shall be kept or maintained at or on any occupied lot or premises in this city.
Coop setback	At least 100 feet from another person's home. Applies: Chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, geese, rabbits or similar animals. § 9.08.010 · code text it is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep or maintain, or permit to be kept or maintained, in this city, any chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, geese, or rabbits or other such similar fowls or animals within 100 feet of the dwelling house of another.
Large animals	No more than 2 horses, cows, goats, mules, donkeys or similar animals, at least 150 feet from others' homes. § 9.08.010 · code text Not more than two horses, cows, goats, mules, donkeys or other similar animals shall be kept or maintained at or on any lot or premises in this city. In the event such animals are kept or maintained, they shall be kept not less than 150 feet from the dwelling house of another.

Other Placentia rules on this

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

SB 9 urban lot split (§ 22.80.021)
SB 9 two-unit homes (§ 23.13.010) — single-family zones only
Permit for an EV charger (Ch. 20.60)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Placentia?

Required front yards: solid fences at most 3 feet, wrought iron 6 feet; side and rear yards, 6 to 8 feet.

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

In the Specific Plan 6 area, patio covers and accessory structures need a 5-foot rear yard setback.

Can I run a business from my home in Placentia?

A home occupation is limited to 1 room, with no employees other than residents; its permit comes before the city business license.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Placentia?

Placentia's code: Make a written request to public works; only dead, diseased, irreparably injured or hazardous trees qualify. (A city street tree in the right-of-way in front of or next to your property.) (§ 14.12.080); Director approval, with a tree survey plan and certified arborist report. (Removing a city tree for a development permit or land use application.) (§ 14.12.120).

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

Placentia's code: No more than 10 chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, geese, rabbits or similar animals. (Per occupied lot.) (§ 9.08.010); At least 100 feet from another person's home. (Chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, geese, rabbits or similar animals.) (§ 9.08.010).

General information, not legal advice.

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