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

Shared fences between Mountain View neighbors are governed by California Civil Code 841 which presumes equal cost sharing for maintenance with 30 day written notice required before work.

In Mountain View's R1 single-family zone, a fence needs no permit at all below set heights under City Code Sec. 36.06.50, but anything from six up to seven feet triggers a development review permit under Sec. 36.10.30(c). Taller fences and walls citywide face the same seven-foot ceiling and review process under Sec. 36.08.20.

Mountain View only waives its zoning permit for a retaining wall when the wall retains earth only and creates a grade change of 18 inches or less, and even then only if Chapter 8 (Buildings) does not separately require a grading permit for the work.

Mountain View caps fences in R1 and R2 residential zones at three feet in the front yard and six feet on rear and side property lines without any permit, under City Code Sec. 36.06.50(g). Corner lots carry extra rules: fences stay at three feet inside a 35-foot traffic visibility triangle at the street corner.

Mountain View requires pool barriers at least 60 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates to comply with the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (H&S 115920).

Mountain View requires building, plumbing, and electrical permits to construct or install any in-ground or above-ground swimming pool deeper than 18 inches under the California Building Code.

Converting a garage into living space in Mountain View is regulated as an accessory dwelling unit conversion under City Code Sec. 36.12.95. The city waives replacement parking entirely when a garage is converted, and lets the converted structure keep its existing height, setbacks and footprint instead of meeting current standards, so long as the new use fits the old walls.

A single-family lot in Mountain View can add one accessory dwelling unit plus one junior ADU under Sec. 36.12.75(a). Sec. 36.12.80 caps a single-family ADU at 850 square feet (one bedroom or fewer) or 1,000 square feet (two-plus bedrooms), with a 4-foot side and rear setback and a 28-foot height limit.

A backyard shed under 120 square feet in Mountain View needs no zoning permit if it stays one story and skips a building or grading permit under Chapter 8, per City Code Sec. 36.06.50(b). Bigger sheds fall under Sec. 36.12.50: a 500 square-foot size cap, 16-foot height with a 9-foot wall plate, and a 7-foot side setback that drops to zero if the shed sits entirely in the rear yard.

Mountain View allows built-in fire pits, barbecues, chimneys and outdoor kitchens as residential accessory structures, but Sec. 36.12.50(i) requires a minimum 5-foot setback from every side and rear property line for any structure with cooking or smoke-producing components, overriding the smaller zero-foot setbacks other accessory structures can use.

Mountain View enforces permanent water waste rules and follows state mandates. Outdoor watering is limited and runoff, hosing down pavement, and leaks are prohibited.

Cutting down, destroying, removing or relocating a heritage tree anywhere in Mountain View, public or private property, takes a heritage tree removal permit. City Code Sec. 32.27(a) also extends the permit requirement to construction within a heritage tree's drip line, and Sec. 32.27(b) lists six narrow exemptions, mostly emergencies and utility safety work.

Trimming, pruning or cutting back any street tree or shrub in Mountain View takes the prior written permission of the director of parks and recreation. City Code Sec. 32.6 bars cutting, trimming, pruning, spraying, removing or injuring a street tree without a permit, caps that permit at thirty (30) days, and lets the director require a replacement tree conforming to the master street tree plan as a condition of approval.