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

San Leandro requires a building permit for fences over 6 feet tall or any masonry/retaining wall over 3 feet. Under 6 feet wood fences are permit-exempt.

San Leandro defers to California Civil Code §841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act): adjoining owners are presumed equally responsible for the reasonable cost of a shared boundary fence, and a 30-day written notice is required before billing a neighbor.

California Health & Safety Code §§115920–115929 governs pool fencing in San Leandro: a 60-inch enclosure with self-closing, self-latching gates plus at least two of seven approved drowning-prevention features for any new or remodeled pool at a single-family home.

Permitted fence/wall materials are wood, steel, finished concrete, and stucco. Chain-link and corrugated metal fencing are prohibited. Street-facing fences may not exceed 75% opacity.

Up to 7 feet in rear and interior side yards in residential districts; only 3 feet in required front yards or corner side yards abutting a street. RO district caps at 6 feet; industrial districts allow up to 8 feet.

Retaining walls 4 feet or less measured from bottom of footing to top of wall are exempt from a building permit, unless they support a surcharge (e.g., driveway, slope) or impound Class I, II, or IIIA liquids. Walls over 4 feet require a permit and engineered plans.

New and remodeled San Leandro pools must include at least two of the seven drowning-prevention safety features from California Health & Safety Code §115922 (SB 442) and anti-entrapment dual drains per §115928, in addition to the 5-foot barrier and door alarms required by §115923.

Per 2022 CBC §3109.2 (incorporating California Health & Safety Code §115923), every San Leandro pool or spa must be completely surrounded by a fence/enclosure at least 5 feet high, with self-closing self-latching gates that swing away from the pool and have latches at least 60 inches above grade.

Above-ground pools in San Leandro need the same building permit as in-ground pools if water exceeds 18 inches, and electrical service must use a single-outlet locking GFCI receptacle at least 6 feet from the pool wall (or 10 feet if conditions are not met), per the City's submittal handout citing 2022 CEC Article 680.

A building permit from the San Leandro Division of Building & Safety Services is required for any pool, spa, hot tub, decorative pond, or fountain containing water more than 18 inches deep, per 2022 CBC §202 and §3109.2.

San Leandro classifies hot tubs and spas as 'swimming pools' under 2022 CBC §202 once water exceeds 18 inches deep, so the full permit, 5-foot barrier, and door-alarm rules apply. 240-volt spas additionally need a readily accessible disconnect within sight of the spa and at least 5 feet from the water (2022 CEC §680.41).

San Leandro Zoning Code §2.04.388 allows one detached ADU and one JADU per single-family lot through ministerial review, implementing California Government Code §§65852.1, 65852.2 and 65852.22.

Converting an existing attached or detached garage into an ADU or JADU is a ministerial 60-day approval under San Leandro Zoning Code Sec. 2.04.388, and California Government Code Sec. 66314 prohibits the city from requiring replacement of the displaced parking spaces.

Detached storage sheds 120 sf or less and under 8 ft tall are permit-exempt under the California Building Code as adopted by San Leandro, but still must meet Zoning Code Section 2.04.348 setbacks and lot coverage limits.

San Leandro has no separate tiny-home ordinance; site-built tiny houses are permitted only as ADUs under Zoning Code Sec. 2.04.388, and tiny houses on wheels (THOWs) are only allowed when they qualify as movable ADUs meeting California HCD registration and ANSI A119.5/NFPA 1192 standards.

A carport in San Leandro counts as a covered parking space and is regulated jointly by Zoning Code Sec. 2.04.348 (accessory-structure setbacks) and Chapter 4.08 (Off-Street Parking and Loading), which limits visible above-ground parking to 40% of street frontage and requires screening for carports serving five or more cars.

Open burning of yard waste, leaves, brush, or trash is effectively banned in San Leandro. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District Regulation 5 (Open Burning) prohibits residential open burning year-round in urbanized Alameda County, and California Fire Code §307 (adopted by SLMC §7-5-810) requires permits for any open fire.

San Leandro adopts the 2022 California Fire Code under SLMC §7-5-810, which incorporates California Fire Code §307.4 governing recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces. Wood burning in outdoor fire pits is also illegal anywhere in the Bay Area on any day a Spare the Air Alert is in effect (BAAQMD Regulation 6, Rule 3).

San Leandro requires permits to remove protected and street trees. Private non-protected trees generally do not need permits on residential lots.

San Leandro is served by East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). EBMUD's permanent Section 29 Water Use Restrictions ban runoff, mid-day irrigation, and watering within 48 hours of rain in every drought stage, including Stage 0.

San Leandro has no heritage tree ordinance for private property: owners may trim or remove trees on their own land without a City permit. Street trees in the public right-of-way require an encroachment permit, and unauthorized work is fined up to $1,000.