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

Per the City of Chino Hills Building Department, a building permit is not required for freestanding walls or fences 6 feet or less in height located in the required side and rear yard, or 4 feet or less in the required front yard. Retaining walls, and any fence/wall combination over 6 feet, do require a permit.

Under the City of Chino Hills Development Code (Title 16, Section 16.06.120), single-family residential fences and walls may be a maximum of 4 feet in the required front yard and 6 feet in the required side and rear yards. A 6-foot front fence is allowed only if the portion above 3 feet is open (e.g. tubular steel) or transparent material.

Per the City of Chino Hills Building Department, a retaining wall permit is required if any portion of a slope is cut into (no matter how slight), the exposed wall is over 3 feet, there is sloping backfill or a surcharge, or any fence/wall combination exceeds 6 feet. Level-backfill walls 3 feet or less with adequate setback are exempt.

Chino Hills regulates fence height and materials through Development Code 16.06.120, but cost sharing for a boundary fence between neighbors is governed by California Civil Code 841 (Good Neighbor Fence Law), which presumes equal responsibility and requires 30 days' written notice before incurring costs.

Chino Hills Development Code 16.06.120 favors durable, finished materials such as masonry, stone, brick, concrete, and wrought iron/tubular steel, with wood allowed for single-family homes when complementary and maintained. Barbed wire and razor ribbon are barred (with narrow exceptions) and chain link is restricted in street-facing yards.

The City of Chino Hills requires a building permit to construct a new pool or spa, or to remodel an existing one. Permitted plans include an inspection (job) card, and the City urges owners not to use the pool until it passes final inspection of the barrier, electrical, and other life-safety items.

In Chino Hills, above-ground pools are held to the same enclosure standard as in-ground pools. The City's Pool/Spa Enclosure Requirements state plainly that 'fencing requirements are the same for above-ground pools as are required for other pools,' so the 60-inch barrier and self-latching gate rules apply.

Chino Hills adopts an amended version of the California Pool Safety Act: new or remodeled residential pools and spas must include at least two approved drowning-prevention safety features, such as an isolation enclosure, approved safety cover, exit alarms, self-latching access devices, or a pool alarm. A City inspection confirms compliance before final approval.

Chino Hills regulates spas and hot tubs under the same pool/spa enclosure and safety-feature requirements as swimming pools. A new or remodeled spa needs a permit, a compliant 60-inch barrier (or a qualifying approved safety cover), and at least two drowning-prevention features.

Chino Hills requires all pools and spas to be fully enclosed by a permanent barrier at least 60 inches high with no more than a 2-inch ground gap. Gates must open away from the pool and be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch placed no lower than 54 inches above the ground.

The City of Chino Hills permits accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs ministerially under its Development Code, CHMC 16.10.140, implementing California's statewide ADU law (Gov. Code 66310 et seq.). Detached ADUs are capped at 850 sq ft (1 bedroom) or 1,000 sq ft (2+ bedrooms), JADUs at 500 sq ft, with 4-foot side/rear setbacks.

Chino Hills allows an existing garage to be converted into an accessory dwelling unit or JADU under Development Code Section 16.10.140, following California ADU law. When a garage is converted to an ADU, parking lost for the primary home need not be replaced. Converting a garage into unpermitted living space without ADU permits is a code violation.

Chino Hills exempts small detached sheds from a building permit: one-story tool/storage sheds and playhouses up to 120 sq ft and 10 feet tall. Per Development Code Section 16.06.070, accessory structures must stay out of setbacks, but those 10 feet or under may sit in a side or rear setback if at least 5 feet from the property line.

Chino Hills regulates carports as accessory structures under Development Code Chapter 16.06. Carports are not on the city's building-permit exemption list, so a building permit is generally required. Like other accessory structures, a carport must observe the Section 16.06.070 setbacks - kept out of required setbacks, with limited side/rear placement at least 5 feet from the property line.

Chino Hills has no separate 'tiny home' ordinance. A tiny house on a permanent foundation is generally permitted as an ADU under Development Code Section 16.10.140 (detached ADUs up to 850-1,000 sq ft). A movable tiny house on wheels is treated under California law as a recreational vehicle, not a dwelling, and cannot be a permanent residence.

Outdoor fire pits and recreational fires in Chino Hills follow the California Fire Code, enforced by the Chino Valley Independent Fire District. Small recreational fires and approved portable outdoor fireplaces are generally allowed at homes, but solid-fuel burning is restricted near structures and prohibited in wildfire hazard zones such as Carbon Canyon.

Open outdoor burning of trash, leaves and yard waste is prohibited in Chino Hills. The city lies within the South Coast Air Basin, where the South Coast Air Quality Management District bans residential waste burning everywhere. Any limited open burning would also require Chino Valley Fire District approval under the California Fire Code.

Residents may prune their own private trees without a permit, but must follow ISA arboriculture standards for protected native trees. Parkway and public right-of-way trees may only be trimmed by the City; residents trimming them risk penalties under the Encroachments chapter (CHMC 12.24) and City-Owned Trees chapter (CHMC 12.26).

Removing protected native trees or heritage trees in Chino Hills requires a Tree and Plant Removal Permit from Community Development. Four native species 4+ inches DBH and any tree 44+ inches DBH (heritage) are protected. Public/parkway trees may not be removed by residents at all under CHMC 12.26.

Chino Hills runs its own water utility and is under a Stage II Moderate Water Conservation Alert (effective May 9, 2023). Outdoor watering is limited to 3 assigned days per week, only 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., 15 minutes per sprinkler station. No hard-surface runoff, no watering within 48 hours of rain.