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

Santa Clarita limits residential fences and garden walls to six feet along interior side and rear lot lines under UDC Section 17.57.070(A), and to 42 inches, or 48 inches for open pipe or rail fencing, in any yard facing a street or a shared driveway. Taller fences up to 15 feet in a rear yard need an adjustment permit, and anything higher requires the same review.

Santa Clarita caps retaining walls on typical residential lots (under a 10% average slope) at six feet in a side yard and eight feet in a rear yard, requires terracing above that, and sends walls over six feet measured from a neighbor's parcel to a Section 17.24.100 adjustment, while a separate building-code section exempts only short walls from a construction permit.

Santa Clarita does not require neighbor consent to build a fence on your property. California's Good Neighbor Fence Act (CC 841) may require shared costs for boundary fences. A property survey is recommended before building near the line.

Building permit required for new pool construction in Santa Clarita. Pools must comply with residential setback requirements per the underlying zone.

Every private pool or spa in Santa Clarita built or remodeled since January 1, 1997 must sit behind a barrier meeting California's Swimming Pool Safety Act, Health and Safety Code Section 115923: a 60-inch enclosure with a self-closing, self-latching gate that swings away from the water. Removable mesh fencing, an approved pool cover, or alarms can substitute as one of two required drowning-prevention layers.

Santa Clarita reviews accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs through a ministerial Class I application under Section 17.22.090, with substantive standards set in Section 17.57.040(L). A final certificate of occupancy for the ADU cannot issue before the primary dwelling's own final certificate of occupancy.

Santa Clarita limits how many detached accessory structures, including sheds, a residential lot may hold and how tall they can be under UDC Section 17.57.040. Lots under 20,000 square feet get one accessory structure, larger lots up to an acre get two, and lots an acre or bigger get three. Height in the UR2 through UR5 zones tops out at 20 feet or the house's height, whichever is less.

Santa Clarita requires built-in fire pits, along with built-in barbecues, detached fireplaces and built-in entertainment centers, to sit at least five feet from every property line and stay under 10 feet tall, smoke stacks and chimneys included, under UDC Section 17.57.060(H)(6). The standard sits inside the residential setback rules letting these features encroach into required side and rear yards.

Santa Clarita requires property owners to maintain trees that overhang public sidewalks and streets. Minimum clearance is typically 8 feet over sidewalks and 14 feet over streets. The city manages trees in the public right-of-way.

Santa Clarita follows California's statewide water conservation mandates and local water agency restrictions. Outdoor watering is subject to day-of-week and time-of-day limits. The city has adopted California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO).