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

Redondo Beach requires a building permit for wood fences over six feet, block walls over five feet, and retaining walls over four feet, while shorter fences are exempt but still must meet zoning height limits.

Redondo Beach zoning regulates fence height and location citywide but permits standard residential materials such as wood, masonry, and block, while reserving chain link and barbed wire restrictions for prohibited contexts.

Redondo Beach zoning sets fence heights by setback location but does not assign cost-sharing for boundary fences; a retaining wall on the lot line may be topped only to the height a fence would otherwise be allowed there.

Redondo Beach requires a building permit for retaining walls over four feet from footing to top, and a lot-line retaining wall may be topped by a fence only to the height a fence would otherwise be allowed there.

Redondo Beach caps fences, hedges, and walls at 42 inches within any required front or exterior side setback, and at six feet within rear and interior side setbacks under RBMC zoning Section 10-2.1524.

Redondo Beach Municipal Code 10-2.1524 requires every swimming pool and hot tub to be entirely enclosed by buildings, fences, or walls not less than six feet nor more than eight feet high, fitted with self-latching gates whose latches sit at least four feet above the ground.

Beyond the local 6-8 foot enclosure in RBMC 10-2.1524, Redondo Beach pools must meet California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code 115920-115929), which requires two of seven drowning-prevention features and anti-entrapment drains whenever a pool permit is issued.

Above-ground pools, spas, and hot tubs in Redondo Beach are regulated the same as in-ground pools: they need a building permit under RBMC Title 9, Chapter 13 and the same six-to-eight-foot self-latching enclosure required by RBMC 10-2.1524.

Redondo Beach requires a building permit to construct any swimming pool, spa, or hot tub. The Building & Safety Division applies the city-adopted Swimming Pool, Spa, and Hot Tub Code in Title 9, Chapter 13 of the Municipal Code, with fees set by Section 9-13.02.

Redondo Beach regulates hot tubs and spas as pools. RBMC 10-2.1524 expressly requires hot tubs to be enclosed by a six-to-eight-foot fence with a self-latching gate, and a building permit applies under the adopted Swimming Pool, Spa, and Hot Tub Code in Title 9, Chapter 13.

Redondo Beach permits accessory dwelling units ministerially under RBMC Section 10-2.1506, implementing California state ADU law (Gov. Code 65852.2). Single-family lots may add one ADU plus one junior ADU; detached new ADUs are capped at 800 square feet.

Redondo Beach allows garage conversions chiefly through its ADU ordinance (RBMC 10-2.1506). Single-family homes must provide two parking spaces in an enclosed private garage, so converting that garage usually triggers replacement-parking and permit review.

Redondo Beach regulates sheds as accessory structures in residential zones under its zoning ordinance. Accessory buildings must be detached, limited to one story, and kept a minimum distance from the main dwelling and other accessory buildings.

In Redondo Beach single-family zones the two required parking spaces must be inside an enclosed private garage, so open carports generally cannot satisfy required parking. Carports are regulated under the zoning ordinance parking and accessory-structure standards.

Redondo Beach has no separate tiny-home ordinance. A permanent backyard tiny dwelling is allowed only as a permitted ADU under RBMC 10-2.1506. Living in a trailer, camper, RV, or movable tiny house on wheels is prohibited under RBMC 10-2.1708.

A backyard fire pit in Redondo Beach requires a Fire Department permit. The fee is $169 and you must submit a plot plan showing the pit location and a water hose or extinguisher. Fires follow the adopted California Fire Code; beach fires are limited to City-designated fireplaces.

Open outdoor burning of leaves, yard waste and trash is effectively prohibited in Redondo Beach. The adopted California Fire Code requires a permit for any open burning, and South Coast AQMD bans residential open burning across this urban air basin. Only small permitted recreational and cooking fires are allowed.

Redondo Beach water is supplied by California Water Service (Cal Water), and outdoor irrigation follows Cal Water and West Basin rules, including a two-day-per-week standard and no daytime watering during the 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. window.

Trimming City-owned street and parkway trees requires City approval, and any tree work during bird breeding season faces strict nesting-survey requirements under the city tree-protection law.

Removing a City-owned street or parkway tree requires City approval, while removal of most private-yard trees is generally not permit-regulated unless tied to development review.