Home › California › Danville

Danville, California: what can you build or do?

Plain-English answers to common homeowner questions, taken from Danville's published ordinances, with every rule linked to the section it comes from.

Last reviewed 2026-10-14

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Danville allows ADUs and junior ADUs on residential lots through a staff-level (ministerial) building permit review, with up to three extra units per single-family lot. A detached ADU can be up to 1,200 sq ft (2,000 sq ft in districts with 40,000 sq ft minimum lots), 16 feet tall with 4-foot side and rear setbacks, and the owner doesn't have to live on site.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Only on larger lots. Danville's single-family zoning (a 2019 copy) allows up to 10 hens in the R-20 and R-40 districts and up to 20 in R-65 and R-100, and bans roosters in every residential zone. Hens aren't listed as an allowed use in R-6 through R-15, which we read as not allowed there; confirm with the Planning Division. A coop must sit at least 60 feet from the front property line and 40 feet from side and rear lines.Depends on your zone
• Fences
  In Danville's single-family zones, fences and hedges in the front yard setback can be 3.5 feet tall, and side and rear property-line fences can be 6 feet, or 7 feet if the top foot is open lattice. On corner lots, fences in the sight triangle are limited to 2.5 feet above the curb. These limits come from a 2019 copy of the zoning code, so confirm them with the Planning Division.Restricted
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  A building permit is needed for any accessory structure over 120 sq ft, and electrical or plumbing work always needs a permit. A portable shed under 120 sq ft and no taller than 8 feet needs no permit and can go anywhere in the rear yard; other sheds must meet the house's side and rear setbacks (or 5 feet if set far enough back from the street) and stay under 15 feet tall. Our zoning text is a 2019 copy, so confirm setbacks with the Planning Division.Allowed with a permit
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Burning brush or yard waste isn't allowed in Danville: the Bay Area Air District's Regulation 5 bans open burning, and its only homeowner-relevant exception is a fire official-ordered defensible-space burn. A recreational fire such as a fire pit using only clean, dry wood is allowed, except during Mandatory Burn Ban periods. We couldn't review the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District's fire code, which may add limits.Restricted
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. Home occupations are allowed in all of Danville's single-family districts if you file a Home Occupation Application with your business license application and the Town confirms the business meets the rules. You can have one non-family employee, appointment-only client visits (one per hour, Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and a single nameplate sign of up to 2 sq ft. These rules come from a 2019 copy of the zoning code, so confirm them with the Town.Allowed with a permit
• Swimming Pools
  Pools and spas are allowed as accessory structures in Danville's single-family zones. The Town's handout requires a building permit for any accessory structure over 120 sq ft and electrical and plumbing permits at any size, which covers a typical pool; pools, spas and equipment under 6 feet tall must be at least 5 feet from side and rear lines and out of the front yard setback. The zoning text is a 2019 copy, so confirm with the Town.Allowed with a permit
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Danville's municipal code sections we reviewed don't regulate docks, piers or floats. Danville is an inland town with creeks but no harbor, lake or navigable shoreline.Not specifically regulated

We couldn't download Danville's ordinance text for the other 2 topics yet, so we don't cover them rather than guess.