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Tiburon, California: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-05

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Tiburon allows ADUs in every residential zone through a ministerial building permit decided within 60 days, with no hearing. A typical detached ADU can be up to 850 sq ft (one bedroom, lot under 10,000 sq ft) or 1,000 sq ft (two or more bedrooms, or a larger lot) and 16 feet tall, with 4-foot side and rear setbacks. A junior ADU of up to 500 sq ft inside the house is also allowed.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes, with a chicken keeping permit from the Community Development Director. The permit is ministerial (no hearing), but your flock must meet the town council's adopted chicken keeping standards, which set the detailed rules such as numbers and coop placement and are not in the code text we reviewed.Allowed with a permit
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  No. Tiburon bans vacation rentals in all zones: no one may operate, facilitate or advertise one, and the old seasonal rental permits expired on December 31, 2015. Renting a room to one paying guest is allowed only for stays of at least 31 consecutive days, and ADUs and junior ADUs can't be rented for less than 30 days.Not allowed
• Fences
  Fences may go in any setback, but any fence or wall over 3.5 feet tall needs site plan and architectural review, and no fence may exceed 6 feet in a setback (up to 9 feet on the low side of a sloped shared property line, with review). Near street corners, fences and hedges are limited to 30 inches inside a 35-foot sight triangle.Allowed with board review
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  A shed in Tiburon generally needs site plan and architectural review (decided by staff for buildings under 500 sq ft) and a building permit, because the town narrowed the state's 120 sq ft permit exemption to portable playhouses. Sheds can't go in front or side setbacks; one up to 12 feet tall may sit in the rear setback if accessory buildings cover no more than 25% of it.Allowed with board review
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Backyard brush and yard-waste burning is effectively not allowed: the Bay Area Air District bans open burning except for listed fire types, and a hazard-reduction fire must be set or allowed by a fire official. Built-in fire pits and other exterior fire features in the Tiburon Fire Protection District must run on natural gas, sit 10 feet from the house, and are treated as a minor alteration under the town's design review.Restricted
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes, for low-impact businesses. Home occupations are permitted in all residential zones but need a home occupation permit (renewed yearly) and a town business license. They're limited to art and craft work, tailoring and office-only uses, with at most one nonresident employee and no signs or visible displays.Allowed with a permit
• Swimming Pools
  Yes, with two approvals: site plan and architectural review (pools and spas are a minor alteration decided by the Community Development Director) and a building permit for any pool, hot tub or spa. Pools and spas may go in the rear setback but not in front or side setbacks.Allowed with board review
• Building Near the Coast or Creeks
  Tiburon's bay shoreline below the mean high tide line is in the Marine (M) zone, where any grading or construction needs a town tidelands permit and is also subject to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). On dry land, normal zoning applies, and an ADU must stay at least 10 feet from the top of any creek bank.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Yes, with approvals. Piers, docks, boat lifts and mooring facilities in Tiburon's Marine (M) zone need a town tidelands permit, and bay work is also subject to BCDC. Floats for private pleasure craft are listed as a permitted use, but the town requires a tidelands permit for all construction in the M zone, so expect one for a float too. The code sets no specific dock size limits; projects that aren't minor go to the Planning Commission with a conditional use permit.Allowed with board review