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Malibu, California: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-14

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Under Malibu's 2026 ADU ordinance (Ord. 535), a single-family lot can have a converted ADU plus a junior ADU, and a new detached ADU of up to 800 sq ft with 4-ft side and rear setbacks, approved ministerially with an ADU permit and a building permit. Ord. 535 allows other ADUs up to 1,000 sq ft, but all of Malibu is in the Coastal Zone and the certified coastal rules we reviewed still cap a second unit at 900 sq ft, with the city's coastal amendment still pending, so confirm with Planning which size limit applies to your lot.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Under Malibu's coastal zoning plan, raising poultry is limited to parcels of at least one acre, and the use table permits it in the Rural Residential (RR) zone but not in the Single Family (SF) zone. Most typical in-town lots are too small or zoned SF, so backyard chickens generally aren't allowed there. The city's separate animal-control code (Title 6) wasn't available to us, so check with the city before getting hens.Restricted
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Yes, with a city short-term rental (STR) permit (rules from Ordinance 468 of 2020 and the city's STR page; they may have changed since), required since January 15, 2021 for any rental of 30 days or less. Permits last one year and must be renewed annually; the mail-in fee listed is $372. Occupancy is capped at 2 more than twice the number of bedrooms (14 max), you must have a valid septic (OWTS) operating permit or compliance agreement, and operating without a permit is fined $1,000 a day or more.Allowed with a permit
• Fences
  In a required front yard, Malibu limits solid fences and walls to 42 inches, though see-through (open/permeable) fencing can go up to 6 feet. In interior side and rear yards the limit is 6 feet. Fences are prohibited within 5 feet of a building if they're flammable, and beachfront and bluff lots have extra limits.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Storage sheds are allowed as accessory structures on Malibu residential lots. The coastal zoning rules we reviewed (current through 2020) have no shed-specific setback, so the regular yard setbacks apply: rear at least 15 ft (or 15% of lot depth, if greater) and each side at least 5 ft (or 10% of lot width, if greater), with an 18 ft height limit and 6 ft from the house. A shed at an existing home is usually exempt from a coastal development permit, except near beaches, bluffs or habitat areas; the city's building-permit thresholds weren't available to us.Allowed
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  No brush or yard-waste burning: South Coast AQMD Rule 444, which covers Malibu, bans residential burning outright. Recreational fires and cooking or warming fires that burn natural gas, propane, untreated wood or charcoal are exempt from the air district's burn-day system. But all of Malibu is a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the city and LA County Fire rules for fire pits weren't available to us, so check with LA County Fire before lighting any outdoor fire.Restricted
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. In Malibu, a home office, studio, or teaching use like tutoring or music lessons is allowed without a permit if no more than 6 non-resident people (clients, students or employees) are there at once. Other home businesses need a home occupation permit from the Planning Manager, with notice to neighbors within 500 ft. All home businesses must keep to 8 a.m.-9 p.m., use no more than 20% of floor area (2,000 sq ft max), and can't be apparent from outside.Allowed
• Swimming Pools
  Pools and spas are allowed as accessory structures on Malibu residential lots. An in-ground pool can extend into required yards if it stays at least 5 ft from property lines and the house and no more than 2.5 ft above grade. Every pool must be double-wall construction with leak detection, and chlorinated pool water can't be drained off the property.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Coast or Creeks
  All of Malibu is in the Coastal Zone, so most new building needs a coastal development permit from the city under its Local Coastal Program. On the beach, new homes generally can't extend seaward of a stringline drawn between the neighboring homes and must be at least 10 ft landward of the mean high tide line. On bluff tops the setback is at least 100 ft from the bluff edge (50 ft with geotechnical approval), and streams and wetlands get at least 100-ft buffers.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Malibu's Local Coastal Program rules we reviewed have no standards for private docks, piers or floats; the city fronts open ocean beach with no harbor. They do say docks near the shore aren't exempt from a coastal development permit, and that any development on tidelands or submerged lands needs a permit from the California Coastal Commission itself.Not specifically regulated