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

Chino exempts retaining walls under eighteen inches from a building permit under Municipal Code Section 15.04.180, but a retaining wall built as part of a required perimeter wall around a new residential development must still be six feet high under Section 20.10.080(F)(4)(a)(iii), with a second wall required on the street side once the retained earth exceeds two feet.

Chino lets neighbors build a wall or fence right on a shared side or rear property line for division or security, with a setback rule on corner lots.

Chino exempts block walls and fences under three feet from a building permit; a fence that reaches three feet or taller requires a full permit under the city's amended Building Code.

Chino limits front-yard fences to 3 feet (4 feet if light-permeable) and bans sight-blocking walls or landscaping over 3 feet near street corners.

Building a residential swimming pool in Chino requires a city building permit under Chino Municipal Code § 15.06.030, the local amendment to California Residential Code Section R105.2. Only a narrow class of small, prefabricated above-ground pools is exempt; any in-ground, larger, or partly buried pool needs plan review, a council-set permit fee, and inspections before construction and before the pool can be filled.

Chino's Building Code amendment sets detailed pool-barrier specs, a 60-inch minimum height and openings that block a 4-inch sphere, that must be installed and approved before a pool is filled.

Chino's zoning code allows accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs on residential lots, capping size, height, and setbacks, though state ADU law can override any conflicting local limit.

Chino exempts garage-to-ADU conversions from new setback requirements as long as the existing structure's dimensions don't change, and doesn't require replacing the lost parking.

Chino caps small nonhabitable structures like sheds at 14 feet and bars them from the front yard or front setback, with larger structures capped at 1,200 square feet and two stories.

Chino requires the Director of Community Development's written approval before removing a mature tree, oak trees over 8 inches, other trees over 10 inches, or multi-trunk trees with 38+ inches combined circumference, on qualifying development.

In Chino, no one may remove, trim, prune, or cut a tree standing on a public street or planting strip without written permission from the city service department, which then supervises the work.

Chino permanently bans automated irrigation from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and caps non-drip sprinkler runtime at fifteen minutes per station per day, citywide.