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Los Gatos, California: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-05

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. On a single-family lot Los Gatos allows one ADU plus one junior ADU (up to 500 sq ft inside the house), approved ministerially through a Building Permit within 60 days. ADUs can be up to 1,200 sq ft, one story, and 16 feet tall if detached, with 4-foot side and rear setbacks; the owner must live on site only when there is a junior ADU.Allowed with a permit
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Yes, but only at your primary residence and with an annual Town short-term rental license plus a business license. Hosted rentals (you live there during the stay) are capped at 180 nights a year and un-hosted rentals at 30 nights a year, with a limit of 2 overnight guests per bedroom plus 1.Allowed with a permit
• Fences
  In Los Gatos most fences can be 6 feet tall plus 1 foot of lattice (7 feet total), but fences in a required front yard, a street-side yard, or near driveways and corners are limited to 3 feet. In the hillside area the limit is 6 feet with stricter design rules, and taller fences up to 8 feet need a Town exception.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Yes. In Los Gatos residential zones, one shed under 120 sq ft can go in a side or rear setback with no zoning approval. Larger or additional accessory buildings must be no taller than 15 feet and one story, stay out of the required front and side yards, and sit at least 5 feet from property lines and other buildings.Allowed
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Burning brush or yard waste at home is generally not allowed in Los Gatos: the Bay Area Air District's Regulation 5 bans open burning except for 17 listed fire types, mostly agricultural, land-management and fire-agency burns, plus fire-hazard-reduction burns authorized by a fire official. The Town Code we reviewed has no local burn-permit or fire-pit rules.Restricted
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes, with a home occupation permit from the Planning Director. Los Gatos allows home businesses in any dwelling, but only resident family members may work there, no more than one customer may be on site at a time, and no signs are allowed.Allowed with a permit
• Swimming Pools
  Yes. A private backyard pool needs no zoning approval in Los Gatos, but it must be at least 5 feet from property lines and out of the required front yard and street-side yard. Every pool or spa must be fully enclosed by a barrier at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates, and the Building Division won't final the pool until it is.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Coast or Creeks
  Los Gatos is inland, so there is no coastal permit; near creeks the main rules are the Town's floodplain regulations. Any development in a mapped flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit from the Floodplain Administrator (Parks and Public Works), fill in a floodway is barred unless it causes no rise in flood levels, and no fence may be within 20 feet of a riparian corridor.Allowed with a permit
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Los Gatos's ordinances we reviewed don't regulate docks, piers or floats; the town's waterways are creeks. Any structure in a mapped flood hazard area along a creek would need a floodplain development permit and any required state and federal permits.Not specifically regulated

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