Chino Hills, CA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)
Shed permit rules in Chino Hills, CA, also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations, set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
Key Facts
- Permit-exempt size
- 120 sq ft floor area or less
- Permit-exempt height
- 10 feet from grade or less
- Structure type
- One-story detached tool/storage shed
- Still applies
- Fire Code and WUI Code rules
- Governing amendment
- CBC § 105.2, Item 1
Summary
A detached, one-story tool or storage shed in Chino Hills does not need a building permit if it is no taller than 10 feet from grade and no larger than 120 square feet of floor area, measured outside surface to outside surface, under the local amendment to California Building Code § 105.2. The shed still must meet California Fire Code and Wildland-Urban Interface Code rules even without a permit.
1.One-story detached accessory buildings used as tool or storage sheds, provided the height does not exceed 10-feet from lowest adjacent grade to the highest point and the floor area as measured from outside surface to outside surface does not exceed 120 square feet. Accessory structures must comply with regulations of the California Fire Code and California Wildland Urban Interface Code, despite exemption from a building permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
2 of the 2025 California Building Code specifically for accessory sheds. To skip the building permit, the structure must be one-story, detached, used as a tool or storage shed, no more than 10 feet tall measured from the lowest adjacent grade to its highest point, and no larger than 120 square feet of floor area measured from outside surface to outside surface. 1. The exemption from a building permit does not remove the shed from every other layer of regulation: the amendment specifically states that accessory structures must still comply with the California Fire Code and the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, which matters in Chino Hills because much of the city sits in a fire hazard severity zone mapped by the Chino Valley Independent Fire District.
3. Placement of a shed also still has to clear Title 16 Development Code standards, such as accessory-structure setbacks from property lines, separately from the building-permit question addressed here.
Violations & Fines
An accessory shed built past the 120-square-foot floor area or 10-foot height limit without first obtaining a building permit becomes an Unpermitted Structure under § 105.1.3, exposing the owner to a stop-work order and the citywide misdemeanor penalty at § 1.36.020: up to a $1,000 fine, six months in county jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard storage shed in Chino Hills?
Does a permit-exempt shed still have to meet fire rules?
What happens if I enlarge my shed past 120 square feet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
How Chino Hills compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Shed & Carport Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle shed & carport rules.