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

Davis reviews fences for zoning compliance under Municipal Code 40.27.060, and the city Building Division issues building permits for construction; taller walls and fences on retaining walls can trigger permit and design-review requirements.

Davis Municipal Code 40.27.060 regulates fence height and placement rather than prescribing specific materials; height is measured to the highest point of the fence, wall, or hedge on the high side.

Davis Municipal Code section 40.27.060 caps fences, walls, and hedges at seven feet behind the required front yard setback, four feet in any required yard, and six feet at the reduced front and street-side setbacks.

Davis Municipal Code 40.27.060 sets where and how tall boundary fences may be, but it does not assign shared-fence cost or maintenance; those disputes fall under California's Good Neighbor Fence Act (Civil Code 841).

Davis Municipal Code 40.27.060 measures a fence on top of a retaining wall from the lowest existing grade within a three-foot radius to the highest point of the fence on the high side of the wall.

The Davis checklist expressly covers above-ground pools, requiring three plan or manufacturer-specification sets and the same 5-foot setback and drowning-prevention rules as in-ground pools. Barrier and safety-feature requirements apply once the pool holds water more than 18 inches deep.

A Davis pool or spa must be isolated by an enclosure meeting California Health and Safety Code Section 115923: at least 60 inches high, no more than a 2-inch gap at grade, no opening passing a 4-inch sphere, and gates that self-close, self-latch, and open away from the pool.

Beyond the isolation enclosure, Davis pools and spas must include at least two of seven drowning-prevention safety features listed in the city checklist and California Health and Safety Code Section 115922, and all required devices must be in place before the pool is filled.

Davis requires a building permit for in-ground pools, spas, and above-ground pools. Plans, setbacks, and a signed/sealed steel schedule for gunite work are submitted to Community Development and Sustainability. In-ground pools also need a Public Works encroachment permit.

Davis regulates spas alongside pools: manufactured spas must be listed, spa submittals must include electrical and gas requirements, and outdoor pools or spas equipped with a gas or electric heater must have a pool/spa cover. Spas also meet the same 5-foot setback and drowning-prevention rules.

Davis regulates accessory dwelling units under Davis Municipal Code Section 40.26.450, implementing California state ADU law (Government Code Sections 66310 through 66342). A detached ADU of 800 square feet or less, no more than 16 feet tall, with 4-foot side and rear setbacks is deemed consistent with all city standards.

Converting a garage into living space or an accessory dwelling unit in Davis is governed by the ADU provisions in Davis Municipal Code Section 40.26.450 and state ADU law. When a garage or carport is converted to an ADU, the city may not require replacement of the displaced off-street parking.

Davis regulates accessory structures, including storage sheds, through its zoning code (Chapter 40) and published Accessory Structure Development Standards. A small storage shed no larger than 120 square feet may sit within the required rear and interior side yard setbacks.

Carports and covered parking structures in Davis are regulated as accessory structures under the zoning code (Chapter 40) and must meet the same setback and height standards. Under state ADU law, a carport converted to or demolished for an accessory dwelling unit does not require replacement parking.

Davis does not have a standalone tiny-home ordinance; a tiny home on a permanent foundation is regulated as an accessory dwelling unit under Davis Municipal Code Section 40.26.450, while a tiny home on wheels is treated as a recreational vehicle and generally may not be used as a permanent dwelling.

Open burning of yard waste, weeds, and debris is prohibited in Davis. The Yolo-Solano AQMD allows rural yard burning only outside incorporated cities, so residential open burning is not permitted within Davis. Cleared vegetation must be hauled, chipped, or composted instead.

Davis has no separate backyard fire-pit ordinance; residential fire pits follow the 2022 California Fire Code adopted in Article 13.01. On public property, Article 13.03 governs recreational fires with a permit and a 15-foot clearance. Only clean cooking fuels may be burned.

Davis, a City of Trees, requires a permit to remove City street trees and protected private trees under Municipal Code Chapter 37, and removing a healthy protected tree requires mitigation by replacement planting or an in-lieu payment to the Tree Preservation Fund.

In this Tree City USA community, substantial pruning of City street trees, Landmark Trees, Trees of Significance, and Private/Protected trees requires a Tree Modification Permit from the Urban Forestry Division under Municipal Code Chapter 37.

Davis Municipal Code section 39.02.045 bans landscape watering with sprinklers between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., prohibits irrigation within 48 hours of measurable rain, and forbids water that runs off the landscape onto pavement or neighboring property.