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Rancho Palos Verdes, California: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-14

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Rancho Palos Verdes approves ADUs ministerially (no hearing) within 60 days of a complete application. Under the standard rules a single-family lot can have one ADU and one junior ADU (JADU); a detached ADU can be up to 850 sq ft (1,000 sq ft with more than one bedroom) and 16 ft tall, with side and rear setbacks of no more than 4 ft. The code's state-exemption rules also guarantee a new detached ADU of up to 800 sq ft, and state law may allow more units than the standard one-plus-one limit.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Rancho Palos Verdes' code doesn't mention chickens or poultry. It allows "household pets and small domestic animals" by right, and requires an exotic animal permit (with notice to neighbors within 500 feet) for animals that aren't household pets; chickens aren't on the city's household-pet list, but "small domestic animals" isn't defined in the sources we reviewed. Ask the Planning Division which reading applies before getting hens; the cautious assumption is that you'll need the permit.Allowed with board review
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  No. Rancho Palos Verdes bans short-term rentals in all single-family and multifamily residential zones, and it's also illegal to advertise one on Airbnb, VRBO or anywhere else. ADUs, junior ADUs and SB 9 units can't be used as short-term rentals either; second units must be rented for at least 31 consecutive days.Not allowed
• Fences
  In Rancho Palos Verdes, fences, walls and hedges in the front setback are limited to 42 inches, and fences and walls elsewhere on the lot can be up to 7 feet. A city fence/wall permit, which reviews whether the fence would block a neighbor's view, is needed for most fences in the side or rear setback next to another lot, unless the grade difference is 2 feet or less or your lot is upslope.Allowed with a permit
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Sheds and other detached accessory structures in Rancho Palos Verdes are limited to 12 feet tall and normally have to meet the zone's setbacks. A storage shed under 120 sq ft can go in a side or rear setback with the director's site plan review approval if it's no taller than 6 feet and at least 3 feet from the property line. A shed of 12 ft or less and under 250 sq ft skips neighborhood compatibility review.Allowed with a permit
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  You can't burn brush, yard waste or trash at a Rancho Palos Verdes home: South Coast AQMD Rule 444 bans residential burning and burning to dispose of waste. Recreational fires, and fires using propane, natural gas, untreated wood or charcoal for cooking or warmth at a gathering, are exempt from that rule. The city's own code doesn't regulate fire pits; it adopts the Los Angeles County Fire Code, enforced by LA County Fire.Restricted
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes, with a home occupation permit from the Community Development Director. You must live in the home, can have only one non-resident employee (who parks on site), and can't put up any signs or displays or show any exterior evidence of the business.Allowed with a permit
• Swimming Pools
  Yes. Private swimming pools are an allowed use in Rancho Palos Verdes single-family zones, and they can go in an interior side or rear setback as long as no part is closer than 3 feet to the property line. Pools and spas 18 inches or deeper need a fence or wall at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates, and a building permit is required. No new pool permits are issued in the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Coast or Creeks
  Most development on land seaward of Palos Verdes Drive South and West is in the Coastal Specific Plan District and needs a city coastal permit. New permanent structures, including pools and spas, are banned in the coastal structure setback zone. In the coastal setback zone nearest the bluffs, pre-1975 homes are limited to one minor addition under 250 sq ft. The code doesn't give these zones as a set distance from the bluff edge; their lines are drawn on the city's zoning map, so ask the Planning Division where they fall on your lot.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Rancho Palos Verdes's code chapters we reviewed have no rules for private docks, piers or floats. The city's coastline is mostly bluffs and rocky shore with no harbor, and its Natural Overlay rules bar projects that alter the shoreline at mean high tide or dredge, fill or drill the ocean floor.Not specifically regulated