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Santa Barbara, California: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-14

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Santa Barbara allows an ADU in any zone that allows homes, approved ministerially with a building permit. A detached ADU can be up to 850 sq ft (1,000 sq ft with two or more bedrooms; 1,200 sq ft on lots of 15,000 sq ft or more) with 4-foot side and rear setbacks, and no parking is required outside High Fire Hazard Areas.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes. Santa Barbara lets anyone keep up to two chickens as pets; above that, up to 15 are allowed in the RS-7.5 and RS-10 single-family zones and 30 in the larger-lot RS-15, RS-25 and RS-1a zones. The RS-6 zone isn't named in either list, so on an RS-6 lot plan on two pet hens unless the city confirms otherwise. Roosters are banned, and coops must be outside the front yard and at least 35 feet from a neighbor's home.Allowed
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Not in a single-family neighborhood under current rules. Santa Barbara treats any rental of 30 days or less (under 30 days in the coastal zone) as a hotel use, which is prohibited in single-unit (RS) zones and allowed only in certain multifamily, commercial and coastal visitor zones. New STR and homeshare ordinances were introduced by the City Council on October 6, 2026 and are scheduled for final adoption on October 27, 2026, so these rules are about to change.Not allowed
• Fences
  Yes, within height limits. Under Santa Barbara's 2026 inland zoning rules, fences can be 3.5 feet tall within 10 feet of the front lot line, 5 feet in the rest of the front yard, and 8 feet elsewhere. Fences up to 5 feet don't need a building permit, and anything at a driveway must stay below 42 inches in the visibility triangle.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Yes. A garden shed up to 120 sq ft counts as a 'yard building': you can have two (200 sq ft combined), none in the front yard, and one up to 8 ft tall may sit in a side or rear setback if screened. It needs no building permit if it's under 10 ft tall, has no utilities and sits outside required setbacks and open yards, so a shed placed inside a setback likely needs a building permit. Bigger accessory buildings follow main-building or garage setbacks and a 30-ft height limit.Allowed
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Brush burning is tightly limited: in the city's High Fire Hazard Area no outdoor fire is allowed without a Fire Department permit, and never in high winds or a Red Flag Warning; elsewhere, check with the Fire Department and the County Air Pollution Control District before any burn. Barbecues and outdoor fireplaces are fine for cooking but must be at least 30 feet from grass or brush and can't be used to burn trash or yard waste.Restricted
• Swimming Pools
  Yes, with a building permit. Santa Barbara lets an in-ground pool or spa sit as close as 15 feet from the front lot line and 5 feet from side and rear lot lines (or outside the zone's setbacks, whichever is less), and every pool must be fenced to Building Code and state standards. Only prefabricated pools under 24 inches deep skip the permit.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Coast or Creeks
  Building near Santa Barbara's coast or creeks takes extra review. In the Coastal Zone, new homes and additions need a City coastal development permit, and on bluff-top lots they must sit behind a site-specific bluff-edge buffer sized for 75 years of erosion. Inland, any structure, fence, deck or grading within 25 feet of Mission Creek's top of bank needs Community Development Director approval.Allowed with board review

We couldn't download Santa Barbara's ordinance text for the other 2 topics yet, so we don't cover them rather than guess.