Before You Build in Chico, CA: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

CMC §19.60.060(F) prohibits barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fencing in all zoning districts unless approved by use permit in a commercial or industrial zone. Approved commercial electrified fences must sit behind a 6-ft perimeter fence with warning signs.

Chico defers to California Civil Code §841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act. Adjoining owners are presumed to share equally in the cost of a boundary fence's construction, maintenance, and replacement. A landowner planning fence work must give 30 days' written notice to neighbors.

Under Chico Municipal Code (CMC) §19.60.060, front-yard fences on standard parcels are capped at 3 feet, while side and rear yard fences may rise to 7 feet. Greater heights require an administrative use permit or use permit through the Planning Division.

Per CMC §16.10.020 and the City of Chico Building FAQ, retaining walls 4 feet or less in height (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall) that do not support a surcharge are exempt from building permits. Walls exceeding 4 feet, supporting a structure/fence, or impounding hazardous liquids require a building permit with engineered plans.

Chico enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (HSC §115920–115929, amended by SB 442). New or remodeled pools/spas at single-family homes must install at least two of seven drowning-prevention safety features, including a 60-inch enclosure meeting Cal. Building Code Appendix AX.

Above-ground pools holding water more than 18 inches deep are 'swimming pools' under Cal. HSC §115921(a) and are treated the same as in-ground pools by the Chico Building Division. A building permit is required, the pool must comply with the California Building Code/California Residential Code, and at least two of the seven SB 442 drowning prevention features must be installed. The pool wall itself (if 60+ inches high) may satisfy the enclosure requirement, provided ladders are removable or secured.

Chico does not publish a standalone pool ordinance in the Municipal Code. Pool, spa, and hot tub installations are permitted by the Chico Building Division under Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations (California Building Standards Code), which is enforced citywide per the Building Division's stated mandate. A building permit is required for in-ground pools, above-ground pools, and permanently installed spas before excavation or installation begins; plumbing and electrical sub-permits typically attach.

Chico follows the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (Cal. HSC §§115920–115929). At new pool construction or any pool/spa remodel requiring a building permit, the property must have at least two of seven drowning prevention safety features, verified at final inspection by the Chico Building Division. State law preempts the field; there is no separate Chico pool safety ordinance.

Cal. Health & Safety Code §115921(a) expressly includes 'hot tubs, spas, portable spas' within the definition of 'swimming pool.' Chico enforces the Swimming Pool Safety Act and the California Building/Electrical Codes for spa installation. Permanently installed spas require a building and electrical permit through the Chico Building Division. A locking safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is the most common way to satisfy one of the two required SB 442 drowning prevention features.

Chico does not adopt a standalone pool fence ordinance; the controlling rule is the California Swimming Pool Safety Act enforced through the building permit process. If an isolation enclosure is selected as one of the two required SB 442 safety features, it must be at least 60 inches high with no more than a 2-inch gap from the ground (Cal. HSC §115923). Gates must be self-closing, self-latching, and open outward away from the pool, with the latch located at least 60 inches above ground.

Chico Municipal Code §19.76.130 authorizes ADUs on every R-zoned lot consistent with state law (Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2). Detached ADUs are capped at 16 ft height; attached ADUs may reach 25 ft. Statewide-exempt ADUs up to 800 sq ft are by-right with 4 ft side/rear setbacks. Larger ADUs on multifamily lots are capped at 850 sq ft (1 BR) or 1,000 sq ft (2 BR). Minimum efficiency unit = 150 sq ft. Post-Camp-Fire, Chico stripped out barriers to ADU production.

Chico Municipal Code §19.76.130 permits conversion of an existing attached or detached garage into an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in R1 and R2 zones. When a garage, carport, or covered parking structure is demolished or converted as part of ADU creation, the city cannot require replacement off-street parking. This aligns with California Government Code §66323. Conversions still require a building permit and must comply with CALGreen, Title 24 energy, and fire-rated wall standards. Owner-occupancy is not required for ADUs (eliminated post–Camp Fire to encourage housing).

Chico Municipal Code §19.76.020 governs detached accessory structures including tool sheds. Sheds 120 sq ft or smaller without plumbing or electricity are exempt from a building permit but must still comply with zoning setbacks. Detached accessory structures may not exceed 15 ft in height and cannot be located in a front yard setback or closer than 10 ft from any property line adjoining a public street. Architectural compatibility with the main dwelling is required.

Chico Municipal Code §19.76.020 defines a carport as an attached or detached accessory building not enclosed on more than two sides, designed to shelter motor vehicles. Carports may not be located in front yard setbacks and must be set back at least 10 ft from any property line adjoining a public street. A garage entrance face approximately parallel to the lot line must be set back at least 20 ft from the property line providing driveway access to preserve off-street parking depth. Building permits are required.

Chico has no separate tiny-home ordinance; tiny dwellings are regulated under CMC §19.76.130 (ADUs) and California state law. A tiny home on a permanent foundation that meets the California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5) may qualify as an ADU in R1/R2 zones (detached minimum 4 ft side/rear setback, max 1,200 sq ft). Tiny Houses on Wheels (THOWs) that do not meet HCD park trailer (HSC §18009.3) or manufactured home definitions are not legal full-time dwellings outside a permitted mobilehome/RV park, per HCD Information Bulletin 2016-01.

Chico Municipal Code Chapter 9.35 (Outdoor Warming Appliances with Open Flame) restricts where residents may operate fire pits, chimineas and similar open-flame warming devices. CMC 9.35.020 limits use to private property or to a city park where allowed under CMC 12.18.230. Use on public sidewalks, streets, alleys, open spaces, greenways and non-designated park areas is prohibited. The ordinance, adopted to mitigate fire risk in this WUI-adjacent community (10 miles from the 2018 Camp Fire burn scar), targets unattended or unauthorized open flames; cooking devices such as barbecues remain permitted under the exemptions in CMC 16R.42.070.

Open burning of yard waste, vegetation, debris and similar material is prohibited inside Chico city limits year-round, regardless of lot size or burn-day status. The rule is enforced by the Butte County Air Quality Management District (BCAQMD) under its Outdoor Residential Burning rule and by Chico Fire under CMC Ch. 16R.42 (which adopts the California Fire Code). Recreational fires, cooking fires and exempt devices listed in CMC 16R.42.070 (BBQs, fireplaces, gas heating) are still allowed if attended and CFC-compliant. In Chico's unincorporated 'sphere of influence,' residential burning is allowed only on lots of at least 0.90 acre, only on a declared permissive 'burn day,' and only between 8:45 a.m. and one hour before sunset.

Chico has one of the stronger urban-forest ordinances in inland California. CMC Chapter 16.66 (Tree Preservation Regulations) requires a Tree Removal Permit for protected and heritage trees, and CMC Chapter 14.40 governs the urban forestry program covering street trees. Topping, severe pruning, or removal without a permit is a violation.

Most Chico residents are served by California Water Service (Cal Water). Under Cal Water's Water Shortage Contingency Plan (CPUC Rule 14.1), outdoor irrigation is limited to two days per week, watering between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. is prohibited, no watering within 48 hours of rain, and leaks must be repaired within 5 days of notification.