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

Corona requires a building permit for any retaining wall over two feet in height, measured from the top of the footing, or any wall of any height that supports a surcharge load. Walls built with a grading permit go to the Public Works Department; standalone walls go to the Building Department. Every wall must be engineered by a registered civil or structural engineer.

A fence over three feet tall in Corona needs a building permit: Corona Code of Ordinances § 15.02.090 exempts only fences three feet or under from the permit requirement, meaning anything taller triggers plan review. A separate zoning fence permit from the Director of Community Development is required for the taller 84-inch fences allowed in certain street-side yards under § 17.70.060(F)(2)(c).

Corona caps side and rear yard fences at seven feet under Corona Code of Ordinances § 17.70.060(A), with entry and vehicular gates allowed up to eight feet. Front yards and street-side yards adjacent to a street are held to a strict three-foot wall limit, though residential lots can go up to 60 inches of fence with wrought iron or a wrought-iron-and-block combination under subsection (F).

Above-ground pools in Corona need building permits if over 18 inches deep or 2,000 gallons (CRC Appendix V). Pool Safety Act applies; small inflatable kiddie pools under the threshold are exempt.

Corona enforces California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code §115920+) requiring pool barriers at least 60 inches tall with self-closing, self-latching gates. Two of seven safety features are required for new pools, including isolation fencing, removable mesh fence, ASTM-compliant pool cover, and door/gate alarms. Permits required for all installations.

Corona reviews accessory dwelling units ministerially through a building permit plan check, with a 60-day decision deadline. Detached units are capped at 1,200 square feet, up to two ADUs are allowed per single-family lot, and setbacks drop to as little as four feet from side and rear lines.

Corona keeps detached sheds and accessory buildings at least five feet from the primary dwelling and four feet from side or rear lot lines under Corona Code of Ordinances § 17.66.010. Structures under six feet tall in the rear yard, or under 120 square feet, skip those setback standards, and Corona's building code separately exempts one-story tool and storage sheds up to 120 square feet from needing a building permit at all.

Corona bans burning any solid waste within city limits under Corona Code of Ordinances § 8.20.100, unless the burning is expressly allowed by Chapter 15.12 of the municipal code and the California Fire Code. Even permitted wood fires must stay clear of combustible structures and are barred outright in the city's fire hazard severity zones and wildland-urban interface areas.

Corona Municipal Code § 15.12.110 lets homeowners run a gas-fueled outdoor fireplace or fire pit with Building Division approval, keeping combustibles three feet back at single-family homes and ten feet at other residential occupancies. Wood-burning pits need a spark arrester and 25-foot clearance from structures, and the Fire Code Official can ban every outdoor fire once winds top 8 mph or humidity drops below 25%.

Corona restricts lawn and landscape irrigation to the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. every day under the city's baseline Water Conservation Stage 1, which is in effect at all times. Reclaimed water is exempt from the time limit. Once the General Manager declares Stage 2 or higher, watering also narrows to three assigned days a week by street address.

CMC Chapter 12.40 makes property owners maintain parkway street trees with 8 ft sidewalk and 14 ft street clearance. A free Public Works permit is required to remove or heavily prune street trees.