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

In Redlands, retaining walls over 3 feet high (measured from top of footing) require a city building permit; walls under 3 feet are exempt unless they support a surcharge or impound hazardous liquids. Exceptions to garden/retaining-wall heights under zoning standards are granted through the Minor Exception Permit committee.

In the City of Redlands, Municipal Code Chapter 18.168 limits fences and walls to 6 feet along side and rear property lines. In a required front yard, only open fences up to 4 feet are permitted, and no fence or wall over 3 feet may stand in a required front yard area.

Redlands requires a building permit for taller and structural fences/walls and a Minor Exception Permit for fences exceeding zoning height limits. Wood, chain-link, vinyl, or metal fences not over 6 feet are generally exempt from a building permit; masonry walls over 3 feet and most retaining walls over 3 feet require one.

Redlands has no separate boundary-fence cost statute; shared fences fall under California Civil Code 841, which presumes adjoining owners share equally in construction and maintenance and requires 30 days' written notice. The city's role is procedural: a fence crossing a property line needs signatures from affected neighbors on a Minor Exception application.

Common materials — wood, chain-link, vinyl, metal, masonry — are all usable in Redlands within the height/permit rules of RMC 18.168. Required buffer walls must be solid masonry, and front-yard 'open fences' must be see-through wire mesh. In Victorian/Craftsman historic districts, fence design and materials are subject to a Certificate of Appropriateness.

The City of Redlands requires a building permit from its Building & Safety Division to construct a new swimming pool or spa or to remodel an existing one. Issuing a pool permit also triggers California's Swimming Pool Safety Act drowning-prevention requirements before final approval.

Redlands enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act for residential pool barriers. The City's official handout requires a non-climbable enclosure at least 5 feet (60 inches) tall measured opposite the pool, with a maximum 2-inch gap below and tightly spaced verticals so children cannot climb or squeeze through.

When a Redlands pool/spa permit is issued, the pool must have a code-compliant barrier plus at least one of seven state drowning-prevention features. Gates must swing away from the pool and be self-closing and self-latching, with latch release at least 54 inches above the floor, and house doors need exit alarms or self-latching hardware.

Redlands does not publish a separate above-ground pool ordinance. Above-ground pools deep enough to hold water that can drown are treated as swimming pools: they require a building permit and the same California Swimming Pool Safety Act barrier and drowning-prevention features as in-ground pools.

Redlands regulates spas and hot tubs as part of its pool/spa permitting. Spas need a building permit, and a permitted spa at a single-family home must meet the same California Swimming Pool Safety Act barrier and drowning-prevention requirements as a pool unless it qualifies for the state's approved safety-cover option.

Redlands allows an existing garage (attached or detached) to be converted into an ADU under California state law, which the City applies directly. Converting a garage to living space requires a building permit, and historic-district conversions are subject to design-compatibility review.

Redlands processes ADUs and junior ADUs under current California state law (Gov. Code 66310-66342), not its outdated Municipal Code 'second unit' sections. Detached ADUs are capped at 1,200 sq ft, JADUs at 500 sq ft, with 4-foot side/rear setbacks. ADUs in historic districts get design review.

Under Redlands Municipal Code 18.21.140, accessory buildings such as storage sheds must sit at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines (10 feet if over 10 feet tall), and cannot exceed 15 feet in height. Sheds must be at least 10 feet from the main house.

Carports are treated as accessory buildings in Redlands' residential zones and follow the same standards as garages and sheds under Title 18: at least 5 feet from side/rear property lines (10 feet if over 10 feet tall) and a 15-foot height cap under RMC 18.21.140.

Redlands has no separate 'tiny home' ordinance. A permanent tiny house on a foundation is regulated as a dwelling or ADU under California state ADU law; a tiny house on wheels is treated as an RV/trailer and cannot be used as a permanent residence outside a licensed park.

Redlands has no separate fire-pit ordinance; backyard fire pits are governed by the 2022 California Fire Code, which the City adopted in Chapter 15.20. Recreational fires must stay at least 25 feet from structures, and manufactured portable outdoor fireplaces must stay at least 15 feet away.

Open residential burning is effectively prohibited in Redlands. South Coast AQMD Rule 444 bans residential open burning throughout the San Bernardino Valley, and AQMD Rule 445 prohibits wood and solid-fuel burning on declared winter No-Burn days. The Redlands Fire Department enforces the adopted California Fire Code.

Redlands treats street trees as city assets. Trimming any tree in a city easement or public place requires a Public Tree Encroachment Permit, and the work must meet International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) standards per Municipal Code Chapter 12.52. The city waives permit fees when residents hire certified contractors.

Removing any tree in a Redlands city easement or public place requires a Public Tree Encroachment Permit under Municipal Code Chapter 12.52. Heritage trees, landmark trees, and historic species groves (such as the Cajon Street palms) receive special protection, and significant or historic removals can require an independent arborist review.

Redlands runs its own water utility (Municipal Utilities & Engineering) and enforces permanent outdoor watering rules under Municipal Code Chapter 13.06 (Water Conservation Plan). Even addresses water Mon/Thu/Sat, odd addresses Tue/Fri/Sun, never on Wednesdays, and never between noon and 8 p.m.