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

The City of Perris Building Department reviews fence and wall work for compliance with zoning height limits and structural standards. Block (masonry) walls require a building permit and footing, rebar, and final inspections. The city publishes a standard block-wall design and a site-plan example through Development Services at 135 N. D Street.

The City of Perris caps residential walls, fences, and hedges at 6 feet in interior side and rear yards. In the front yard, only 3 feet of solid fencing is allowed; heights to 5 feet are permitted if the portion above 3 feet is at least 50 percent open. Commercial fencing may reach 12 feet.

The City of Perris publishes a standard plan for a block wall atop a 2-foot retaining wall and requires footing, rebar, and final inspections for masonry work. Under the California Building Code the city enforces, retaining walls over 4 feet (measured from the bottom of the footing) require a building permit.

Perris zoning sets fence heights, but shared boundary fences between neighbors are governed by California Civil Code 841, the 'Good Neighbor Fence' law. Adjoining owners are presumed to share equally in the reasonable cost of building, maintaining, or replacing a dividing fence, and 30 days' written notice is required before incurring costs.

Perris specifies which fence and wall materials are acceptable. Section 19.02.040 permits split-face masonry, stone and stone veneer, brick, slump block, stucco, wood, and block/wrought-iron combinations in residential zones. Commercial and public-facing walls must use decorative materials such as block or wrought iron.

Perris pools follow California's Swimming Pool Safety Act and the California Building/Electrical/Plumbing Codes. New and remodeled pools need at least two drowning-prevention features, anti-entrapment suction outlets, and GFCI-protected equipment. Riverside County's uniform barrier letter must be signed by the owner before a permit is issued.

The City of Perris requires a building permit (issued through its Accela online portal) for any in-ground or permanent swimming pool or spa. Zoning sets the location; the structure must conform to the California Building Code and Health and Safety Code. Plan check follows the Western Riverside County uniform pool standards.

Spas and hot tubs in Perris follow the same accessory-structure setbacks and California safety codes as pools. A self-contained spa or hot tub with a listed ASTM F-1346 safety cover is exempt from the pool-barrier requirements, under the Western Riverside County standards Perris uses.

Perris defers to California's Swimming Pool Safety Act for pool barriers. New or remodeled pools at single-family homes must have at least two approved drowning-prevention features. Enclosures must be at least 60 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates, per state law and the Western Riverside County barrier standards.

Above-ground pools in Perris are treated as accessory structures under Zoning Chapter 19.29 and must meet the same setbacks and the California Swimming Pool Safety Act barrier rules as in-ground pools. Small portable/prefabricated pools under 5,000 gallons may avoid a building permit, but the 60-inch barrier still applies.

The City of Perris permits accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs ministerially under its own Zoning Code Chapter 19.81, implementing California Government Code Chapter 13 (Gov. Code 66310 et seq.). Detached ADUs may reach 1,200 sq ft, JADUs are capped at 500 sq ft, and ADUs may not be rented for under 31 days.

Perris allows garages and other existing structures to be converted into ADUs or JADUs under Municipal Code Chapter 19.81. A converted-space ADU has no maximum size limit, and when a garage is converted the lost parking for the primary home does not have to be replaced. Conversions must stay within the existing building envelope.

Perris regulates sheds as accessory buildings under Municipal Code Chapter 19.29. Detached tool/storage sheds up to 120 sq ft and 10 feet tall with no utilities are permit-exempt. Larger accessory buildings cap at 750 sq ft and must sit at least five feet from side and rear lot lines.

Perris regulates carports, canopies, and overhanging structures under Municipal Code Chapter 19.29. Such structures must sit at least five feet from any rear or interior side lot line, stay unenclosed on at least three sides, and may not cover more than 25% of the required rear yard. Alley-access garages and carports must sit 20 feet from the opposite alley line.

Perris has no separate 'tiny home' ordinance. A tiny house on a permanent foundation is generally permitted as an accessory dwelling unit under Municipal Code Chapter 19.81 (minimum 320 sq ft). A tiny house on wheels is treated as a recreational vehicle and may not be used as a permanent residence on a standard residential lot.

Recreational fires and outdoor fire pits in Perris are governed by the California Fire Code, which the city adopts through Title 20 of the Perris Municipal Code and enforces with CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire. The Fire Code allows small recreational fires and approved portable outdoor fireplaces but sets clearance distances from structures and requires constant attendance.

Open outdoor burning of trash and yard waste is effectively prohibited in Perris. Any open burning requires a permit from the fire code official under the California Fire Code (adopted in Title 20), and South Coast AQMD limits burning to permissive burn days and issues mandatory no-burn orders. Routine backyard burning of leaves, debris or rubbish is not allowed.

Perris water customers are now served by Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD). EMWD's permanent rules limit irrigation to 9 p.m.-6 a.m., cap unattended sprinkler stations at 15 minutes, ban runoff, hosing pavement, and watering within 48 hours of rain. EMWD's contingency plan can mandate 2 watering days/week (Jun-Aug) and 1 day/week (Sep-May).

Perris protects public and certain private trees under Chapter 19.71. Mature backyard trees are exempt, but front-yard and street trees are protected. Removing a public, heritage, or protected tree requires city/arborist review (PMC 19.71.090, 19.71.100). Hazardous-tree removals need a city arborist recommendation and replanting within 45 days.

Perris addresses tree trimming through its Urban Forestry chapter (PMC 19.71) for public and protected trees, and through weed/fire abatement (PMC 7.08.045), which requires trees on abatement parcels to be trimmed clear of their trunk at least eight feet above ground. Crown-raising and crown-reduction standards for street trees are defined in code.