Rolling Hills Estates · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Rolling Hills Estates

Rolling Hills Estates sets its own limits on fences, accessory buildings and home businesses. Fence height depends on the yard and the overlay district, and lots in the H overlay district get extra room for a stable or barn.

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Key points

Fence height: Fences are limited to 24 inches in front yards and street-side yards, and 72 inches in rear and side setbacks (city rule).
Accessory buildings: Accessory buildings are limited to 16 feet and 500 square feet in total; detached garages for required parking are exempt from the size limit.
Home businesses: A home business may use at most 1 room of the home and no other building, and only resident family members may work there.

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

Fences and walls

Rolling Hills Estates code What Rolling Hills Estates's code adds
Height anywhere on the lot	Fences, hedges or walls can be up to 72 inches tall. Applies: Rear and side setbacks and inside areas; in a street-facing side yard, solid fencing must keep the house's street side setback. § 17.06.370 · code text a maximum seventy-two inch high fence, hedge or wall shall be permitted in all rear setbacks, side setbacks and interior developable areas
Front yard height	Fences, walls, hedges and similar features can be no more than 24 inches tall. Applies: In private street easements, front yards, or side yards next to a street. § 17.06.360 · code text fences, walls, hedges, structures and similar landscape features exceeding twenty-four inches in height shall not be permitted within private street easements, front yards or side yards abutting a street A white 3-rail fence can be 42 inches tall, measured at the top rail. Applies: Front yards of lots in the H overlay districts. § 17.06.350 · code text The fence shall be forty-two inches in height measured at the top of the rail
Side and rear yard height	Solid fences or walls can be no more than 42 inches above the upper building pad. Applies: Rear and side setbacks where lots differ in grade by more than 36 inches; fencing above that must be open. § 17.06.370 · code text then no solid fencing or wall shall extend more than forty-two inches above the height of the upper building pad

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Rolling Hills Estates code What Rolling Hills Estates's code adds
Maximum height	No more than 16 feet tall. § 17.06.090 · code text An accessory building shall be compatible with the main residence and shall be limited to a maximum of sixteen feet in height.
Size or lot coverage	No more than 500 square feet, alone or all together. Applies: Accessory buildings in all districts; detached garages for required parking are exempt. § 17.06.090 · code text In all districts, accessory buildings shall be no greater, either singly or collectively, than five hundred square feet, except as specified below: One 1,000-square-foot, 4-horse stable or barn, in addition to the 500-square-foot limit. Applies: Lots in the H overlay district, if coverage, setback, height and compatibility rules are met. § 17.06.090 · code text shall be permitted a one thousand square foot, four-horse stable and/or barn, in addition to the five hundred square foot size limitation stated in this section
Side and rear setback	At least 10 feet from the side property line, with some exceptions. § 17.06.190 · code text Accessory structures shall be set back ten feet from the side property line with the following exceptions: Can be as close as 3 feet to side property lines. Applies: Detached structures, not on street sides, at least 85 feet from the front line and 35 feet from a neighbor's home. § 17.06.190 · code text a detached accessory structure may extend to within three feet of side property lines when the entire accessory structure is at least eighty-five feet from the front property line, and the structure is at least thirty-five feet from an off-site residence. At least 5 feet from the rear property line. Applies: Detached garages or accessory structures without living space. § 17.06.260 · code text A detached garage or accessory structure (except those with a dwelling occupancy) shall be set back a minimum of five feet from the rear property line. At least 25 feet from the nearest part of the alley. Applies: Garages or non-living accessory structures next to an alley, with garage doors opening onto it. § 17.06.190 · code text the garage or accessory building shall be located not less than twenty-five feet from the closest portion of the alley.

Running a business from home

Rolling Hills Estates code What Rolling Hills Estates's code adds
Space used	No more than 1 room in the home. Applies: No building or space outside the main house may be used. § 17.48.010 · code text Not more than one room in the dwelling shall be employed for the home occupation;
Customer visits	No more foot or car traffic than is normal for the district. § 17.48.010 · code text The use shall not generate pedestrian or vehicular traffic beyond that normal to the district in which it is located;
Employees	Only members of the family living in the home can work in the business. § 17.48.010 · code text No employment of help other than the members of the resident family;
Businesses not allowed	Sales of products or services not produced on the premises; any use that is not legal in one of the commercial zones Applies: Home occupations in residential zones § 17.48.010 · code text Home occupations shall be deemed a commercial use and prohibited in all residential zones except where all of the following criteria have been satisfied:

Lot splits under SB 9

Rolling Hills Estates code What Rolling Hills Estates's code adds
How the lot may be divided	Each new lot must be at least 40% of the original lot's area. § 16.06.030 · code text Both proposed newly created parcels must be of approximately equal lot area, which for purposes of this subsection means that one parcel may not be smaller than forty percent of the lot area of the original parcel proposed for subdivision.
Standards	At least 15 feet wide. Applies: Easement over the front lot to the rear lot for access, utilities and fire department access. § 16.06.040 · code text An easement at least fifteen-feet wide must be provided over the front parcel to the rear parcel for access to the public right of way, providing quasi-public services and facilities, maintenance of utilities, and fire department access. At least 15 feet wide. Applies: Private access easement over the front lot, when a new lot does not border a public right-of-way. § 16.06.040 · code text If a resulting lot is not directly adjacent to a public right of way, a private access easement at least fifteen-feet wide must be provided over the front parcel to the rear parcel for access to the public right of way. 10 feet wide. Applies: Easements for sewer lateral, water lateral and drainage across the shared lot line. § 16.06.040 · code text Ten-foot wide easements must be provided over one of the parcels being created for private sewer lateral, water lateral and/or drainage that may cross over the shared property line in favor of the other parcel being created. No new access from an arterial street. § 16.06.040 · code text No new access from an arterial street will be permitted. Residential use only. Applies: Applies to lots created by an urban lot split. § 16.06.040 · code text The use of a parcel subdivided as an urban lot split is limited to residential use.
Owner occupancy	The owner signs an affidavit to live in one unit as a main home for at least 3 years. Applies: Applies when the owner intends to live in one of the units as their main home. § 16.06.030 · code text The owner of the parcel intends to occupy one of the housing units as their principal residence for a minimum of three years from the date of the approval of the urban lot split.

Solar panels and EV chargers

Rolling Hills Estates code What Rolling Hills Estates's code adds
Solar permit process	Administrative review; a building or other ministerial permit; only 1 inspection. Applies: Small residential rooftop solar with a complete application that meets the city checklist and standard plan. § 15.26.060 · code text The building and safety department will issue a building permit or other ministerial permit the same day for over-the-counter applications or within one to three business days for electronic applications upon receipt of a complete application that meets the requirements of the approved city checklist and standard plan. You may submit by email and online. Applies: Applies to small residential rooftop solar permits. § 15.26.050 · code text Applicants for small residential rooftop solar energy system permits may make electronic submittals of the required permit application and documents by email and the internet.
Review time	The permit is issued the same day. Applies: Complete over-the-counter applications that meet the approved city checklist and standard plan. § 15.26.060 · code text The building and safety department will issue a building permit or other ministerial permit the same day for over-the-counter applications or within one to three business days for electronic applications upon receipt of a complete application that meets the requirements of the approved city checklist and standard plan. The permit is issued within 1 to 3 business days. Applies: Complete electronic applications that meet the approved city checklist and standard plan. § 15.26.060 · code text The building and safety department will issue a building permit or other ministerial permit the same day for over-the-counter applications or within one to three business days for electronic applications upon receipt of a complete application that meets the requirements of the approved city checklist and standard plan.

Swimming pools

Rolling Hills Estates code Besides doors and gates, no openings over 50 square inches, unless rectangular and no more than 4 inches wide. Posts at least 3 by 3 inches, no more than 10 feet apart, embedded at least 18 inches.

All 12 Rolling Hills Estates rules on swimming pools, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Other Rolling Hills Estates rules on this

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

Permit to keep more horses (§ 17.36.030) — lots in the H district only
Animals allowed on residential lots (Ch. 17.46)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Rolling Hills Estates?

Fences are limited to 24 inches in front yards and street-side yards, and 72 inches in rear and side setbacks (city rule).

How big can a shed or accessory building be in Rolling Hills Estates?

Accessory buildings are limited to 16 feet and 500 square feet in total; detached garages for required parking are exempt from the size limit.

Can I run a business from my home in Rolling Hills Estates?

A home business may use at most 1 room of the home and no other building, and only resident family members may work there.

Can I split my lot under SB 9 in Rolling Hills Estates?

Rolling Hills Estates's code: Each new lot must be at least 40% of the original lot's area. (§ 16.06.030); At least 15 feet wide. (Easement over the front lot to the rear lot for access, utilities and fire department access.) (§ 16.06.040).

Do I need a permit for solar panels or an EV charger in Rolling Hills Estates?

Rolling Hills Estates's code: Administrative review; a building or other ministerial permit; only 1 inspection. (Small residential rooftop solar with a complete application that meets the city checklist and standard plan.) (§ 15.26.060); You may submit by email and online. (Applies to small residential rooftop solar permits.) (§ 15.26.050).

General information, not legal advice.

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