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

Retaining walls under 36 inches are exempt from Rancho Cucamonga's fence chapter under Development Code Section 17.48.020(A), while taller walls, or terraced retaining walls on hillside lots, must meet hillside development standards under Section 17.122.030 and the general height-measurement rules of Section 17.48.030.

New fences and walls in Rancho Cucamonga require site development review under Development Code Section 17.48.020, but residential fences and walls that meet the height and location standards in Section 17.48.030, retaining walls under 36 inches, and government-required fencing are exempt from that planning entitlement.

Table 17.48.050-1 caps residential fences at 3 feet in the front yard (6 feet if the top 3 feet is 90 percent open), 6 feet along rear and interior side lines, 6 feet in the street side yard set back 5 feet, and 36 inches within the clear visibility triangle at street and driveway intersections.

Rancho Cucamonga follows California Civil Code 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act. Adjoining owners share the reasonable cost of a shared boundary fence unless they agree otherwise.

Rancho Cucamonga enforces California Swimming Pool Safety Act barrier rules: minimum 60 inch enclosure with self-closing, self-latching gate, plus at least two additional pool safety features on new residential pools.

Above-ground pools deeper than 18 inches in Rancho Cucamonga require a building permit, barrier compliance, and setbacks. Temporary inflatable pools may be exempt from permits but still subject to barrier rules.

Rancho Cucamonga regulates accessory dwelling units under Development Code Chapter 17.100. Detached ADUs are capped at 1,200 square feet and 16 feet in height (18 feet near transit), attached units at 1,200 square feet or half the main house, and every ADU must clear a four-foot side and rear setback under § 17.100.060.

Converting a garage into an ADU or JADU in Rancho Cucamonga does not trigger a requirement to replace the lost parking, and a JADU built inside an attached garage counts as part of the main house rather than a separate accessory structure, under Development Code §§ 17.100.060(I)(4) and 17.100.070(B).

Detached solid-roof structures like garages and sheds under 120 square feet and six feet tall are exempt from planning review, but larger sheds must meet Table 17.42.040-1's five-foot side and rear setbacks, a 16-foot height cap, and a 30 percent rear-yard coverage limit under Development Code Section 17.42.040.

Open burning of refuse, recyclables or organics is flatly illegal in Rancho Cucamonga unless the city council or the fire district has first issued a special permit. Municipal Code Section 8.17.140 also bars burying or dumping that same waste anywhere in the city at any time.

Removing, relocating or topping more than 25% of a heritage tree on private property in Rancho Cucamonga requires a tree removal permit from the planning director under Municipal Code section 17.16.080. A heritage tree is defined by size and trunk diameter thresholds that vary by property type.

Rancho Cucamonga regulates trimming of street trees through the Public Works Department. Homeowners may trim private trees but must not damage parkway trees or encroach on public right-of-way without a permit.

Cucamonga Valley Water District sets outdoor watering schedules for most of Rancho Cucamonga. AB 1572 bans irrigating non-functional commercial turf with potable water, and MWELO applies to new landscapes.