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

In A and R zones, fences, walls, or gates up to 8 feet high may be placed in required front, side, or rear yards only with Zoning Administrator approval via a Class 1 Conditional Use Permit process.

LAMC § 41.30 prohibits the malicious construction or maintenance of any fence, wall, hedge, or similar growth unnecessarily exceeding 6 feet in height for the purpose of annoying adjoining property owners or occupants: the classic 'spite fence' prohibition. Malice must be proven for a conviction.

Los Angeles caps front-yard fences, walls and hedges at the height set for each residential zone, but LAMC Sec. 12.24 X.8 lets a Zoning Administrator approve taller fencing, up to six feet, for groups of R-zone lots within 1,000 feet of a public beach. The exception exists specifically for privacy: lots must show beachgoers are causing a documented loss of privacy, loose dogs, or strewn refuse.

In Hillside Area A and R zones, freestanding retaining walls are limited to one wall at 12 feet maximum, or two walls each no taller than 10 feet with at least 3 feet between them; walls 8 feet or taller require a landscape screening plan.

A building permit from LADBS is required for construction of any in-ground or permanent above-ground swimming pool. Electrical and plumbing permits are also needed. Plans must show barrier compliance, drainage, and setbacks. Pools in hillside areas may require additional grading permits. Express permits are available for simple installations meeting standard criteria.

Hot tubs, spas, and portable spas are included in the LAMC definition of swimming pool and are subject to the same barrier and safety requirements when containing 18+ inches of water. Covers meeting ASTM F1346 can serve as one of the required drowning prevention features. A lockable safety cover may reduce but not eliminate barrier requirements. Electrical installation requires a permit.

ADU applications in Los Angeles require no discretionary approval; the City must issue a ministerial decision based solely on objective standards within 60 days of receiving a complete application when a dwelling already exists on the lot.

When a garage, carport, or covered parking structure is demolished or converted to create an ADU in Los Angeles, no replacement parking may be required for the lost spaces.

Los Angeles has no size exemption for backyard storage sheds. LAMC § 91.106.1.1 requires a building permit before anyone erects, constructs or alters any structure, and the only shed-specific carve-out in § 91.106.2 covers temporary construction-site sheds, not the tool or storage shed homeowners put in a yard.

Los Angeles allows one Movable Tiny House per lot as an ADU, with wheels hidden from view, connections to water/sewer/electric, compliance with ANSI A119.5 or NFPA 1192 safety standards, a 2-story height limit, and prohibition from placement in the front yard.

Exterior fireplaces, BBQ devices, and portable outdoor fireplaces used for cooking or entertainment are permitted in Los Angeles without an open-burning permit, but cannot be used to burn or dispose of combustible waste, and must not create a fire hazard.

Open burning in Los Angeles is nearly entirely prohibited and requires a Special Permit from the Fire Chief, available only for four narrowly defined purposes: firefighting instruction, industrial employee training, civic/fraternal/religious public gatherings, and cooking on the ground.

In any subdivision proceeding, a protected tree may not be removed or relocated without Advisory Agency approval in consultation with the City's Chief Forester, and no subdivision application is complete without a tree expert report evaluating all protected trees on site. When removal is approved, the owner must replace each protected tree with at least two 15-gallon protected-variety trees and post a bond guaranteeing their survival for three years.

All LADWP customers are permanently prohibited from irrigating between 9 am and 4 pm, during rain, or within 48 hours after rain. Spray-head sprinklers are capped at 10 minutes per station per day; standard rotors at 15 minutes per cycle with a 2-cycle daily maximum.

Street trees are maintained by StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division and residents may not trim or remove them without authorization. Private tree trimming does not require a permit unless the tree is a protected species under LAMC 46.00. Protected species include CA Live Oak, Southern CA Black Walnut, Western Sycamore, and CA Bay. Improper trimming of a protected tree can constitute removal under the ordinance.