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Sausalito · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Sausalito

Sausalito sets its own rules for accessory buildings and home businesses. The city lists businesses that may not run from a home, such as auto repair, barber shops and schools with organized classes.

Key points

  • Accessory buildings: Accessory buildings are limited to 1 story or 15 feet, and may cover at most 25% of the required rear yard (city rule).
  • Home businesses: A home business may use 25% of the home, at most 400 square feet, with 1 non-resident employee; it needs a zoning permit.

Each rule below is marked Sausalito 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

Sausalito code What Sausalito's code adds
Maximum height
  • At most 1 story or 15 feet tall.
    Applies: For accessory buildings and structures.
    § 10.44.020 · code text
    Accessory buildings and structures shall not exceed one story or 15 feet in height, and may occupy up to 25 percent of the required rear yard area, consistent with SMC § 10.40.050.
  • At most 6 feet tall at the rear property line.
    Applies: For accessory buildings at the rear line. Height may rise 1 foot for each foot of setback from the rear line.
    § 10.44.020 · code text
    The height of any such building at the rear property line shall not exceed six feet.
Size or lot coverage
  • Can cover up to 25% of the required rear yard.
    Applies: For accessory buildings and structures in the required rear yard.
    § 10.44.020 · code text
    Accessory buildings and structures shall not exceed one story or 15 feet in height, and may occupy up to 25 percent of the required rear yard area, consistent with SMC § 10.40.050.

Running a business from home

Sausalito code What Sausalito's code adds
Space used
  • No more than 25% of the home's floor area, and no more than 400 square feet per residence.
    § 10.44.030 · code text
    The activity shall be consistent with and clearly accessory to the principal use as a dwelling and shall not occupy more than 25 percent of the floor area of the dwelling, but no more than 400 square feet per residence.
Customer visits
  • Only occasional visitors are allowed.
    Applies: For all home businesses at one residence combined, except occasional garage or yard sales.
    § 10.44.030 · code text
    Any combination of home occupations at a single residence shall allow for occasional visitors except for occasional garage/yard sales.
Employees
  • No more than 1 employee, with conditions.
    Applies: Not counting the resident of the home.
    § 10.44.030 · code text
    There shall be no more than one employee allowed to support a home occupation, other than the actual resident of the subject dwelling, subject to the following conditions:
Permit
  • A zoning permit is required. It is approved only if the home business meets all the criteria.
    § 10.44.030 · code text
    A zoning permit shall be approved consistent with Chapter 10.52 SMC (Zoning Permits) only if the proposed home occupation complies with all of the following criteria:
Businesses not allowed
  • Commercial retail sales, except as allowed pursuant to subsection (C)(9) (Retail Sales); auto repair or painting; beauty parlor or barber shop or any similar service enterprise; music school, dancing school, business school, or other school of any kind with organized classes or similar activity; medical marijuana dispensary; and outdoor business activity not otherwise consistent with this title
    § 10.44.030 · code text
    For guidance, the following and similar uses are not allowed as home occupations: Commercial retail sales (except as allowed pursuant to subsection (C)(9) of this section (Retail Sales)); auto repair or painting; beauty parlor or barber shop or any similar service enterprise; music school, dancing school, business school, or other school of any kind with organized classes or similar activity; medical marijuana dispensary; or any outdoor business activity not otherwise consistent with this title.

Lot splits under SB 9

Sausalito code What Sausalito's code adds
How the lot may be divided
  • Each new parcel must be at least 40% of the original parcel's lot area.
    Applies: Applies to an urban lot split in the R-1-20, R-1-6 or R-1-8 zones.
    § 9.70.020 · code text
    Is at least 40 percent of the lot area of the original parcel;
Unit size
  • No more than 1,200 square feet of floor area.
    Applies: Applies to new dwelling units built on a lot created under this chapter.
    § 9.70.040 · code text
    New dwelling units constructed under this chapter shall be no more than 1,200 square feet in floor area.
Minimum new lot size
  • Each new parcel must be at least 1,200 square feet.
    Applies: Applies to each newly created parcel.
    § 9.70.020 · code text
    Is at least 1,200 square feet in size;
Standards
  • At least 20 feet of street frontage.
    Applies: Applies to all lots created under this chapter, except new flag lots.
    § 9.70.030 · code text
    Except as set forth in subsection B of this section, all lots created under this chapter must have no less than 20 feet of street frontage.
  • At least 10 feet of street frontage.
    Applies: Applies to a new flag lot when the remaining lot has at least 20 feet of frontage.
    § 9.70.030 · code text
    New flag lots are permitted, but the new flag lot parcel must have at least 10 feet of street frontage, so long as the remaining lot has a frontage of at least 20 feet.
  • No more than 2 dwelling units.
    Applies: Applies to each parcel created under this chapter.
    § 9.70.040 · code text
    no more than two dwelling units shall be permitted on any parcel created under the provisions of this chapter.
  • These standards are waived if they would prevent 2 units or make either unit smaller than 800 square feet.
    Applies: Applies to urban lot split objective standards.
    § 9.70.030 · code text
    or would necessarily result in a unit size of less than 800 square feet for either unit:
Owner occupancy
  • At least 3 years.
    Applies: The owner intends to live in 1 unit as principal residence, counted from the lot split approval.
    § 9.70.020 · 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.
  • Owner occupancy is not required.
    Applies: Applies when the owner is a community land trust or qualified nonprofit corporation under state tax law.
    § 9.70.020 · code text
    Owner-occupancy is not required if the owner is a community land trust or qualified nonprofit corporation under Section 214.15 or 402.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
Parking
  • At least 1 off-street parking space.
    Applies: Each parcel, except within a 1/2-mile walk of a high-quality transit corridor or major transit stop, or 1 block of a car share vehicle.
    § 9.70.030 · code text
    A minimum of one off-street parking space shall be provided on each parcel except no parking shall be required where the parcel meets one or both of the following instances:

Solar panels and EV chargers

Sausalito code What Sausalito's code adds
EV charger permit
  • Expedited administrative approval through a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit.
    Applies: Applies to a completed application that meets all requirements of the City's checklist.
    § 8.56.040 · code text
    The City shall administratively approve an application to install electric vehicle charging station through the issuance of a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit.
Review time
  • The same day.
    Applies: Complete over-the-counter applications that meet the approved checklist and standard plan.
    § 10.70.060 · code text
    Upon receipt of a complete application that satisfies the requirements of the approved checklist and standard plan, the Building Department shall issue a building permit or other nondiscretionary permit the same day for over-the-counter applications, and within one to three business days for electronic applications.
  • Within 1 to 3 business days.
    Applies: Complete electronic applications that meet the approved checklist and standard plan.
    § 10.70.060 · code text
    Upon receipt of a complete application that satisfies the requirements of the approved checklist and standard plan, the Building Department shall issue a building permit or other nondiscretionary permit the same day for over-the-counter applications, and within one to three business days for electronic applications.

Tree removal

Sausalito code What Sausalito's code adds
Exemptions
  • Routine pruning needs no permit.
    Applies: Applies to protected trees.
    § 11.12.030 · code text
    It is unlawful for any person to remove or alter any protected tree, as defined herein, without a permit issued and posted as provided in this chapter except for the purpose of routine pruning.
Permit to remove
  • Yes. A permit is required.
    Applies: Applies to removing or altering any protected tree, except routine pruning.
    § 11.12.030 · code text
    It is unlawful for any person to remove or alter any protected tree, as defined herein, without a permit issued and posted as provided in this chapter except for the purpose of routine pruning.
Replacement trees
  • A desirable replacement tree, a tree replacement fee set by City Council, or a Planning Commission waiver.
    Applies: One of these is required to grant a tree removal permit.
    § 11.12.030 · code text
    In order to grant a tree removal permit, it must be determined that one of the following conditions is satisfied:

Pets, chickens and bees

Sausalito code What Sausalito's code adds
Permit
  • Keeping bees needs a written permit from the City Health Officer.
    § 6.16.010 · code text
    No person, corporation, partnership or association shall keep bees within the City without a written permit to do so from the Health Officer of the City, which permit shall only be issued by such officer after a written application has been submitted to such officer by the would-be beekeeper setting forth the following information:
  • Keeping fowl, poultry or domesticated animals needs a permit from the City Health Officer.
    § 6.08.020 · code text
    Any person desiring or intending to keep, harbor or maintain any of such fowl, poultry or domesticated animals shall make written application to the Health Officer of the City for a permit therefor.

Other Sausalito rules on this

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

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

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

Accessory buildings are limited to 1 story or 15 feet, and may cover at most 25% of the required rear yard (city rule).

Can I run a business from my home in Sausalito?

A home business may use 25% of the home, at most 400 square feet, with 1 non-resident employee; it needs a zoning permit.

Can I split my lot under SB 9 in Sausalito?

Sausalito's code: Each new parcel must be at least 40% of the original parcel's lot area. (Applies to an urban lot split in the R-1-20, R-1-6 or R-1-8 zones.) (§ 9.70.020); No more than 1,200 square feet of floor area. (Applies to new dwelling units built on a lot created under this chapter.) (§ 9.70.040).

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

Sausalito's code: Expedited administrative approval through a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit. (Applies to a completed application that meets all requirements of the City's checklist.) (§ 8.56.040); The same day. (Complete over-the-counter applications that meet the approved checklist and standard plan.) (§ 10.70.060).

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

Sausalito's code: Routine pruning needs no permit. (Applies to protected trees.) (§ 11.12.030); Yes. A permit is required. (Applies to removing or altering any protected tree, except routine pruning.) (§ 11.12.030).

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

Sausalito's code: Keeping bees needs a written permit from the City Health Officer. (§ 6.16.010); Keeping fowl, poultry or domesticated animals needs a permit from the City Health Officer. (§ 6.08.020).

General information, not legal advice.

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