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Manhattan Beach, California: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-05

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Manhattan Beach allows ADUs on single-family lots in all Area Districts with a ministerial ADU permit (no public hearing) plus a building permit. Studio and 1-bedroom ADUs can be up to 850 sq ft and 2+ bedroom ADUs up to 1,200 sq ft, with 4-foot side and rear setbacks and a 16-foot height limit for a detached unit.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Hens appear to be allowed as small domestic pets in Manhattan Beach's residential districts, but they count toward a limit of five small household pets per home. Roosters, ducks, geese and other farm animals or livestock are not allowed.Restricted
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Outside the Coastal Zone, renting a home or room in a Manhattan Beach residential zone for less than 30 consecutive days is prohibited, and so is advertising it. The city's short-term rental ban expressly excludes properties in the Coastal Zone, where rules come from the city's Local Coastal Program, so check with the city if your home is near the beach.Depends on your zone
• Fences
  In Manhattan Beach residential zones, fences, walls and hedges can be up to 42 inches tall in the required front yard and 6 feet tall in required side and rear yards. Extra height up to 8 feet is possible in some cases, such as with written approval from the abutting neighbor, and fences near driveways and on corner lots must keep sight lines clear.Restricted
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Sheds and other accessory buildings can't sit in your required front or side yards or in front of the house, but they can go in the required rear yard if placed right on the rear or interior side property line or at least 3 feet from it. They're limited to 12 feet tall (15 feet with a sloped, centered-ridge roof). The zoning code doesn't say what size shed needs a building permit; check with Building and Safety.Restricted
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Burning brush, yard waste or trash at your home isn't allowed: South Coast AQMD Rule 444 prohibits residential burning. Recreational fires and cooking or warming fires using natural gas, propane, untreated wood or charcoal are exempt from the air district's open-burning permit rules, but the city's fire code still applies.Restricted
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes, with a Home Occupation Permit from the Community Development Director. The business must be run entirely indoors in no more than 500 sq ft, with no on-site employees other than residents, no walk-in visitors without appointments, and nothing visible from outside the property.Allowed with a permit
• Swimming Pools
  Pools and hot tubs are allowed in Manhattan Beach and may go in the required rear or side yard, but the pool and its equipment must stay at least 5 feet from every property line (unless the equipment is fully enclosed). All pools and hot tubs must be fenced under the city's building code, and a building permit is needed.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Coast or Creeks
  In Manhattan Beach's Coastal Zone, most development (new homes, additions, grading, demolition) needs a coastal development permit from the city under its certified Local Coastal Program, in addition to other permits. Routine improvements to an existing single-family home, such as garages, pools, fences and sheds, are exempt unless the property is on the beach, near a bluff, or between the sea and the first public road (or within 300 feet of the beach) and the work is large enough.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Manhattan Beach's code chapters we reviewed have no rules for private docks, piers or floats. The city fronts an open ocean beach with no harbor or bay frontage for homes, and its coastal permit rules only mention docks as one kind of structure that isn't exempt from a coastal development permit near the beach.Not specifically regulated