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Orinda, California: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-14

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. ADUs are permitted in every Orinda residential district, and a single-family lot can have one ADU plus one junior ADU (JADU), approved through a ministerial building permit within 60 days with no hearing. A new detached ADU of up to 800 square feet, 16 feet tall and 4 feet from side and rear lines is "streamlined" (no parking required); larger ADUs can be up to 850 sq ft (studio or 1 bedroom) or 1,000 sq ft (2+ bedrooms).Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Only on larger lots: Orinda's zoning lets you keep chickens on a residential lot of 20,000 net square feet or more, with the coop at least 60 feet from the front or street line and 40 feet from side and rear lines. On smaller lots chickens aren't allowed, because the code doesn't count them as pets. The code sets no hen limit or rooster rule.Restricted
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Only as a hosted stay: Orinda allows rentals under 30 days only on property that is your primary residence, and you must stay there overnight during the rental. You must register with the Planning Department every year ($303 to register, $180 to renew) and pay transient occupancy tax. Stays must be at least two nights, with no more than 2 guests per bedroom plus 3.Restricted
• Fences
  Yes. In Orinda's residential zones a fence can be up to 6 feet tall anywhere on the lot, but within 5 feet of a street-facing property line it must be open (lattice or wrought iron) and no taller than 4 feet. A fence on top of a retaining wall counts toward the wall's height limit (4 feet within 10 feet of a property line or in the setback). The City says new and rebuilt fences don't need Planning Department approval; taller fences need an exception permit.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  A shed counts as an accessory structure in Orinda. It must meet your zone's normal side and rear setbacks (5 to 15 feet in most RL zones), stay at least 50 feet from any street-facing property line, and sit at least 5 feet from the house. Sheds aren't on the City's list of projects exempt from Planning review, so check with the Planning Department; building permits come from Contra Costa County.Depends on your zone
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Backyard brush or yard-waste burning is effectively not allowed in Orinda: the Bay Area Air District's Regulation 5 bans open fires unless a specific exemption applies, and those exemptions cover farming, fire-hazard fires set by fire officials and similar cases. A recreational fire pit using clean dry wood is allowed, except on Mandatory Burn Ban days. Check the Moraga-Orinda Fire District for its own fire-pit and fire-season rules, which we couldn't review.Restricted
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes, if it stays low-impact: Orinda allows home occupations in residential zones without a use permit, as long as they meet the code's standards. Only residents may work in the business (no employees or contractors, though state law may allow a registered cottage food business one employee), it can use at most one room or 20% of the home, and there can be no business signs or extra traffic. Some businesses, like salons, medical offices and on-site retail pickup, are banned outright.Allowed
• Swimming Pools
  Yes, with a building permit. In Orinda a pool or spa must be at least 5 feet from side and rear lot lines (measured from the water's edge) and meet the house setback from street-facing lines. The city code requires a full fence at least 4 1/2 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates, but state law requires new pools to have two of seven drowning-prevention features, and a qualifying enclosure must be at least 60 inches high, so plan for 5 feet.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Coast or Creeks
  In Orinda, "near the water" means creeks. Depending on the channel type, structures and grading must stay 15 to 45 feet back from the top of the creek bank, unless the City Engineer approves and you get an exception permit. Any work that alters a creek, its flow, or the vegetation along it needs a written watercourse permit from the Planning Director.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Orinda's ordinances we reviewed don't regulate docks, piers or floats; the city's waterways are creeks. Any structure built in or across a creek needs a written watercourse permit from the Planning Director first.Not specifically regulated