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Del Mar, California: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-05

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Del Mar allows one ADU plus one junior ADU on a single-family lot. You'll need a building permit and, in many cases, an administrative Coastal Development Permit, both approved by staff without a public hearing. A detached ADU can be up to 850 sq ft (1,000 sq ft with more than one bedroom) and 16 feet tall, with 4-foot side and rear setbacks.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Possibly, but only on a large lot. Del Mar's R1-10 zone allows 'other domestic animals' as long as any animal or coop is at least 75 feet from any window or door of a home and 40 feet from every adjacent property line. The code doesn't name chickens or set a hen limit, and outside such zone allowances only household pets are permitted.Restricted
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Only with a city STR permit, and new permits are on hold. Del Mar caps short-term rentals (30 days or less) at 129 citywide, and the 150 registered existing STRs already exceed that cap, so new owners can only join a waitlist. A new STR must be in your primary residence, with a 3-night minimum stay.Restricted
• Fences
  In Del Mar's residential zones, fences in the rear yard or interior side yard can be up to 6 feet tall. In the front yard or a street-side yard the limit is 3.5 feet at the property line, rising 6 inches for every 2 feet of setback, up to 6 feet. On coastal bluff lots, new fences must be at least 10 feet back from the bluff edge.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Sheds and other accessory buildings are allowed in Del Mar's residential zones. Setbacks depend on the zone. In R1-10, R1-14 and R1-40, a shed must meet the full zone setbacks (in R1-10: 20 ft front, 25 ft rear, 7.5 ft interior side). In other residential zones, a one-story accessory building of up to 500 sq ft can ignore rear setbacks, and side setbacks too if it sits in the rear 30% of the lot.Depends on your zone
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes, but only a very low-impact one. Del Mar allows home occupations in residential zones if the business is run entirely inside the house by a resident family member, with no employees, signs, displays, stock, deliveries or customer traffic.Restricted
• Swimming Pools
  Yes. Pools and spas are an allowed accessory use in Del Mar's residential zones and may sit in the rear or interior side yard setbacks. Any pool or body of water over 12 inches deep needs a fence or barrier at least 5 feet high, with self-closing, self-latching gates. You can't fill the pool until final inspection confirms compliance.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Coast or Creeks
  All of Del Mar is in the Coastal Zone, so most development needs a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) from the city unless an exemption applies. On coastal bluffs, new structures must be 40 feet from the bluff edge. Next to the San Dieguito and Los Peñasquitos lagoons, a wetland buffer of 100 feet is required (50 feet at minimum). Building in the bluff, steep-slope and lagoon overlays needs a Conditional Use Permit and CDP from the Planning Commission.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Del Mar's municipal code chapters we reviewed don't regulate private docks, piers or floats. The city's waterfront is open ocean beach and protected lagoon wetland, where the code bars structures in wetlands and allows only seawalls and other protective structures west of the beach's Shoreline Protection Area line.Not specifically regulated

We couldn't download Del Mar's ordinance text for the other 1 topics yet, so we don't cover them rather than guess.