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

Santa Clara follows California Civil Code 841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act) presuming equal shared responsibility between adjoining owners for boundary fence construction and maintenance.

Santa Clara limits retaining walls to three feet in height under Title 18 Zoning Code § 18.34.040(B), with a six-foot fence and one foot of lattice allowed on top. Where the grade differential between properties exceeds four feet, a taller wall is permitted only with Community Development Director approval. Most new fences and walls also need Architectural Review under § 18.34.020 unless built to the code's residential exemption standards.

Santa Clara caps fences, walls and hedges at 3 feet in the required front setback and in the street-side setback along a corner lot, and at 6 feet everywhere else on the parcel, with up to one additional foot of open lattice on top. Corner lots also carry a 3-foot cap inside the visibility triangle.

Santa Clara requires Architectural Review under Chapter 18.120 for any new fence, wall, hedge or screen unless it qualifies for the residential exemption. Fences on R1-6L, R1-8L or R2 zoned lots skip that review only if they meet the height and measurement standards of Section 18.34.030; every other zone, and any noncompliant residential fence, must go through review first.

Santa Clara pool owners must comply with anti-entrapment drain covers under the federal VGB Act, approved safety features, proper electrical bonding, and chemical storage rules to prevent drownings and injuries.

Santa Clara treats above-ground pools deeper than 18 inches as regulated swimming pools, requiring permits, barrier compliance under California H&S Code 115921, and setback conformity.

Santa Clara permits ADUs and JADUs under California Gov Code 65852.2. Ministerial approval applies to compliant designs with no owner-occupancy requirement and no discretionary review.

Turning an existing garage into living space in Santa Clara counts as a converted ADU under Title 18 Zoning Code Section 18.60.020(J), which waives rear, side and street-side setbacks for the conversion, caps any expansion at 150 square feet for entry access, and drops the unit off the standard ADU size cap entirely.

Santa Clara caps detached sheds and other residential accessory structures at 16 feet tall and 600 square feet under Title 18 Zoning Code Chapter 18.32. Sheds over 120 square feet or 16 feet tall need an Architectural Review Check, and all sheds must clear a 3-foot side and 5-foot rear setback.

Santa Clara bans burning solid waste anywhere in the city except fuel burned in a compliant wood burning appliance, and no fire may be kindled on any public street, alley or waterway unless the Fire Department itself is directing it.

Santa Clara lets residents run a freestanding outdoor fireplace without a wood-heater certification, but a backyard bonfire or other outdoor fire needs a permit the Fire Marshal issues under the Municipal Fire and Environmental Code.

Santa Clara requires a City permit before removing any protected tree, including heritage trees, listed native species twelve inches or wider, and any private tree with a thirty-eight-inch or wider trunk, under City Code Section 12.35.080. Violations can draw a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per tree plus the tree's assessed monetary value.

Santa Clara Water and Sewer Utilities enforces year-round outdoor watering rules under Valley Water guidance. AB 1572 also phases out potable water on non-functional turf.

Santa Clara protects designated heritage and street trees. Routine trimming on private trees is allowed, but major work on protected trees requires a permit from the city.