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

Rialto Municipal Code Chapter 18.61 (Design Guidelines), specifically section 18.61.170 Fences and Walls, governs residential fence and wall heights in zoning districts. Standard California municipal practice limits front-yard fences to 3-4 feet and side/rear yards to 6 feet; anything taller requires a building permit per the California Building Code (Title 24 CCR) adopted in Rialto Code Title 15.

California Health & Safety Code §115922 (Swimming Pool Safety Act, amended by SB 442) preempts local rules. New or remodeled residential pools must have at least two of seven drowning prevention safety features, one of which is an enclosure meeting HSC §115923. Rialto enforces via building permits issued under Rialto Code Title 15.

Retaining walls in Rialto are governed by California Building Code §105.2 (adopted via Rialto Code Title 15) and zoning standards in §18.61.170. Any retaining wall over 4 feet measured from bottom of footing to top of wall, or any wall supporting a surcharge, requires a building permit.

Rialto has no local boundary-fence cost-sharing ordinance. California Civil Code §841 (the Good Neighbor Fence Act) governs: adjoining landowners are presumed to share equal responsibility for shared fences and must give 30 days' written notice before incurring fence expenses to be shared.

Rialto Code §18.61.170 (Fences and Walls) within the Chapter 18.61 Design Guidelines governs fence material standards. Standard residential materials (wood, masonry block, wrought iron, vinyl) are allowed; barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fences are restricted to specified non-residential contexts under the zoning code.

Rialto pools must comply with California's SB 442 drowning-prevention law (H&S Code §115920 et seq.) and the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act for anti-entrapment drain covers. Public and semi-public pools are also regulated by San Bernardino County Environmental Health under Cal. H&S Code §116025 et seq.

Pools and spas in Rialto must be enclosed by a barrier meeting California Building Code Section 3109 / CRC Appendix V: at least 60 inches high, non-climbable, gaps under 4 inches, with self-closing, self-latching gates opening away from the pool. Rialto enforces these standards under RMC Title 15 (Buildings and Construction).

Above-ground pools capable of holding water more than 18 inches deep are regulated as swimming pools in Rialto and require a building permit, barrier compliance under CBC §3109, and SB 442 safety features. Smaller inflatable or wading pools under 18 inches typically do not require a permit but remain subject to nuisance and mosquito-abatement rules.

Rialto requires building permits for all swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs through the Building & Safety Division per the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 CCR) as adopted in Rialto Municipal Code Title 15 (Buildings and Construction). Plans must include barrier, electrical, and plumbing details and meet SB 442 drowning-prevention requirements.

Hot tubs and spas in Rialto require building, electrical, and plumbing permits under RMC Title 15. Per CBC §3109 and CRC Appendix V, an ASTM F1346 locking safety cover can substitute for a barrier on portable spas. SB 442 drowning-prevention features apply to new installs and remodels of $1,500 or more.

Rialto allows ADUs on single-family and multifamily lots under California Government Code §66314 (formerly §65852.2), with local zoning standards in Rialto Municipal Code Title 18 (Zoning). State law preempts most restrictive local provisions: a detached ADU up to 1,200 sq ft and a JADU up to 500 sq ft are allowed by right on a single-family lot, plus the city must permit at least one ADU and one JADU per single-family parcel.

Converting a garage into living space in Rialto is governed by Rialto Municipal Code Title 18 (Zoning) and Title 15 (Buildings). Most garage conversions are processed as ADUs (accessory dwelling units) under California Government Code §65852.2 (state ADU law), which preempts most local restrictions and requires Rialto to ministerially approve a qualifying garage-to-ADU conversion.

Carports in Rialto are regulated as accessory structures under Rialto Municipal Code Title 18 (Zoning), Chapter 18.06 (Zone Regulations), and require a building permit under Title 15's adoption of the California Building Code. Carports must meet residential setbacks, height limits, and design standards in Chapter 18.61 (Design Guidelines).

Tiny homes in Rialto are regulated either as ADUs under California Government Code §65852.2 (state ADU law) and Rialto Municipal Code Title 18, or as RVs/manufactured housing under state HCD rules. Permanent tiny homes on foundations qualify as ADUs and benefit from California's ministerial-approval preemption.

Detached accessory structures including sheds are regulated under Rialto Municipal Code Title 18 (Zoning), Chapter 18.06 (Zone Regulations). Sheds 120 square feet or smaller are exempt from a building permit under the California Building Code (CBC) as adopted by Rialto Municipal Code Title 15, but still must comply with zoning setbacks, height, and lot-coverage rules.

Open burning of yard waste, trash, or vegetation is prohibited in Rialto under both Cal. Fire Code §307 (adopted by Rialto Mun. Code Ch. 15.28) and South Coast AQMD Rule 444 (Open Burning). The only legal outdoor combustion is a small attended recreational fire meeting CFC §307.4.2 limits, BBQ/grilling, and gas/propane appliances.

Rialto adopts the California Fire Code by reference in Municipal Code Chapter 15.28 (Fire Code). Recreational fires are governed by CFC Section 307, which limits fires to a 3-foot pile, 25 feet from any structure, and prohibits them during AQMD no-burn days. South Coast AQMD Rule 445 separately restricts wood-burning devices on declared no-burn days throughout San Bernardino County.

Rialto Public Works owns and maintains street trees in the right-of-way under Title 12 (Streets, Sidewalks). A permit is required before any pruning, removal, or planting of a street/parkway tree. Private-property trees must be kept clear of sidewalks (8 ft) and streets (14 ft) and may not block sight triangles.

Rialto Water Services enforces year-round CA prohibited-use rules and assigned watering days. Under State Water Board Emergency Regulations and city policy, outdoor irrigation is limited to designated days, no runoff, no hose-down of hardscape, and no watering within 48 hours of rain.