San Luis Obispo County · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in San Luis Obispo County

San Luis Obispo County's code applies only in unincorporated areas of the county. It limits accessory buildings in side yards and sets rules for home businesses.

Ask about building on your lot in San Luis Obispo County See coverage

Key points

Side-yard buildings: Accessory buildings in a required side yard that are not used for living are limited to 12 feet (county rule).
Home businesses: A home business needs Zoning Clearance; only household members may work on site, and services allow 1 client vehicle at a time.

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

San Luis Obispo County's code applies in the unincorporated areas of the county. Cities in San Luis Obispo County have their own codes and their own pages.

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

San Luis Obispo County code What San Luis Obispo County's code adds
Maximum height	No more than 12 feet high. Applies: Accessory buildings or structures in a required side yard that are not used for living. § 23.04.110 · code text A side yard may be used for an accessory building or structure no greater than 12 feet in height, provided that it is not used for human habitation and is either:
Side and rear setback	At least 3 feet from any property line. Applies: Side yard accessory structures not used for living, unless built on the property line as a common wall or zero lot line structure. § 23.04.110 · code text Located no closer than three feet to any property line; or

Running a business from home

San Luis Obispo County code What San Luis Obispo County's code adds
Space used	The business must stay incidental and secondary to the site's main use as a home. Applies: General home businesses. § 23.08.030 · code text The home occupation shall be incidental and subordinate to the principal use of the site as a residence.
Customer visits	No more than 1 client vehicle at any time. Applies: Office-type or personal services, including personal instruction such as music lessons and counseling. § 23.08.030 · code text Office-type or personal services (including personal instruction such as music lessons and counseling services) that do not involve the presence of more than one client vehicle at any time;
Employees	Only household members who live on the premises may work on the site. Applies: People employed and working on the site. § 23.08.030 · code text No person other than members of the household residing on the premises may be employed and working on the site.
Permit	A Zoning Clearance is required. Applies: General home businesses. § 23.08.030 · code text Zoning Clearance, except for garage sales (see Section 23.08.030 g(1) following) which require no land use permit, and are subject to business license clearance if required by the county tax collector. No land use permit. Business license clearance if the County Tax Collector requires it. Applies: Garage sales. § 23.08.030 · code text garage sales (see Section 23.08.030 g(1) following) which require no land use permit, and are subject to business license clearance if required by the county tax collector.
Businesses not allowed	On-site retail sales of the products of a home occupation Applies: Except garage sales and sales of handcrafted items and artwork made on site (not more than twice per year, up to two days per sale), home distributors supplying other approved home occupations, and approved animal sales § 23.08.030 · code text On-site retail sales of the products of a home occupation are prohibited, except: mass-production operations such as cabinet shops Applies: handcraft or artwork production § 23.08.030 · code text Handcraft or artwork production, including but not limited to pottery and ceramics, artistic glass or metalwork, electronic components, woodcarving and woodworking (except for mass-production operations such as cabinet shops), antique furniture restoration, painting and photography.

Solar panels and EV chargers

San Luis Obispo County code What San Luis Obispo County's code adds
EV charger permit	Expedited administrative, nondiscretionary review for charging stations that meet the county checklist. Applies: Applies to electric vehicle charging stations. § 19.09.016 · code text the chief building official shall implement an expedited administrative permit review process for electric vehicle charging stations

Tree removal

San Luis Obispo County code No tree removal permit is required. No tree removal permit is required.

All 9 San Luis Obispo County rules on tree removal, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Swimming pools

San Luis Obispo County code What San Luis Obispo County's code adds
Maintenance and empty pools	Emptying and refilling pools or spas is prohibited, except to prevent structural damage or for public health and safety. Includes hot tubs, public or private. Applies to properties over groundwater basins certified Level of Severity III. § 8.69.060 · code text On properties overlying groundwater basins that have been certified Level of Severity III pursuant to the county's resource management system, emptying and refilling public or private swimming pools and/or spas or hot tubs are prohibited except to prevent structural damage and/or to provide for the public health and safety. Overfilling a pool, spa or hot tub so water flows onto sidewalks, driveways, streets, gutters or paved surfaces is prohibited. § 8.69.060 · code text Overfilling of swimming pools and/or spas or hot tubs such that overflow water is discharged onto an adjoining sidewalk, walkway, driveway, parking area, street, alley, gutter, ditch or any paved surface is prohibited.

Other San Luis Obispo County rules on this

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

Limits on dogs and cats per home (§ 9.03.002)
Animal keeping on private property (§ 22.30.090)
Urban lot splits (SB 9) (§ 21.02.041)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How big can a shed or accessory building be in San Luis Obispo County?

Accessory buildings in a required side yard that are not used for living are limited to 12 feet (county rule).

Can I run a business from my home in San Luis Obispo County?

A home business needs Zoning Clearance; only household members may work on site, and services allow 1 client vehicle at a time.

Do I need a permit for solar panels or an EV charger in San Luis Obispo County?

San Luis Obispo County's code: Expedited administrative, nondiscretionary review for charging stations that meet the county checklist. (Applies to electric vehicle charging stations.) (§ 19.09.016).

What are the pool fence and setback rules in San Luis Obispo County?

San Luis Obispo County's code: Emptying and refilling pools or spas is prohibited, except to prevent structural damage or for public health and safety. (Includes hot tubs, public or private. Applies to properties over groundwater basins certified Level of Severity III.) (§ 8.69.060); Overfilling a pool, spa or hot tub so water flows onto sidewalks, driveways, streets, gutters or paved surfaces is prohibited. (§ 8.69.060).

General information, not legal advice.

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