Banning · Building on your lot
Building on your lot in Banning
Banning sets fence heights with lower limits in the front yard setback and in corner sight areas. The city limits accessory structures near interior lot lines and lists businesses not allowed at home.
Key points
- Fence height: Banning limits fences, walls and hedges to 48 inches in the front yard setback and 6 feet elsewhere; corner sight areas, 36 inches.
- Accessory structures: Banning limits accessory structures built within 5 feet of the interior side and rear property lines to 10 feet.
- Home business: Banning does not allow home businesses such as animal grooming or breeding, medical offices, repair and welding shops, or vehicle repair and storage.
Each rule below is marked Banning code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Fences and walls
Banning code Banning limits fences, walls and hedges to 48 inches in the front yard setback and 6 feet elsewhere; corner sight areas, 36 inches.
All 3 Banning rules on fences and walls, with the code text →
Sheds, garages and other accessory structures
| Side and rear setback |
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|---|---|
| Distance from the house |
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Running a business from home
Banning code Banning does not allow home businesses such as animal grooming or breeding, medical offices, repair and welding shops, or vehicle repair and storage.
All 8 Banning rules on running a business from home, with the code text →
Solar panels and EV chargers
Banning code Fast administrative, nondiscretionary review with standard checklists. Administrative review; a permit issues when a complete application meets the checklist and standard plan; e-mail, fax or internet filing.
All 3 Banning rules on solar panels and EV chargers, with the code text →
Swimming pools
Banning code No openings, holes or gaps larger than 4 inches square. Openings may not form a horizontal row that works as steps or another way to climb.
Pets, chickens and bees
Banning code Up to 16 fowl per acre. Up to 10 fowl.
All 11 Banning rules on pets, chickens and bees, with the code text →
Grading and erosion control
| Grading without a permit |
|
|---|
Building on a hillside
| Height on hillside lots |
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|---|---|
| When hillside rules apply |
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Noise and construction hours
| Construction hours on weekdays |
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|---|---|
| Leaf blowers and equipment |
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Family child care homes
| Zoning | A small or large family child care home is a residential use and a use by right under all local ordinances, including zoning |
|---|---|
| Business license or fee | A city or county may not charge a business license, fee or tax to run a family child care home |
| Local rules | Local limits on height, setbacks, lot size, health and safety must be the same as for every other home in the same zone |
| Small home | Up to eight children, counting the provider's own children under 10 who live there |
| Large home | 7 to 14 children, counting the provider's own children under 10 who live there |
Parking spaces required for homes
Banning code Two covered spaces within an enclosed garage. Two covered spaces within an enclosed garage for each unit.
All 13 Banning rules on parking spaces required for homes, with the code text →
Home alarm permits and false alarms
| False alarm fees |
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|---|---|
| Alarm permit |
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Signs on homes
Banning code Remove within 7 days after the election. There is no limit on how early signs go up. No permit is required, except as the subsection provides.
Historic homes
Banning code A certificate of appropriateness from the city council is required before any demolition, removal, substantial alteration or other work. No alteration, demolition or removal until the commission decides on designation.
Other Banning rules on this
Banning's code also has these chapters. We have not summarized their values on this page yet; read them in the library.
- Parking RVs and trailers on the street (§ 10.12.105) — on public streets
- Plan to remove and replace old trees (§ 17.32.060)
- Floodplain management and building in flood zones (Ch. 15.64)
- Development impact fees for new homes (Ch. 15.68)
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
How big can a shed or accessory building be in Banning?
Banning limits accessory structures built within 5 feet of the interior side and rear property lines to 10 feet.
What are the grading rules in Banning?
Banning's code: Excavation less than two feet in vertical depth; excavation not creating a cut slope greater than three feet in vertical height and steeper than two horizontal to one vertical; fill less than one foot in vertical depth on natural terrain flatter than five horizontal to one vertical; or fill less than three feet in depth, not intended to support structures or mobile homes, not exceeding fifty cubic yards on any one site and not obstructing a drainage course (Not intended to support structures; not in open space, waterways, wetlands or FEMA floodplains; not when finish grading follows a rough-grading permit) (§ 18.03.040); No permit for digging basements and footings of a building, retaining wall, septic system, well or other permitted structure. (Does not cover fill made from the excavation, or an excavation left with an unsupported height over 2 feet.) (§ 18.03.040).
What extra rules apply to a hillside lot in Banning?
Banning's code: No development on slopes over 25%; the required slope analysis must map all slopes over 5%. (R/A/H and RR/H hillside districts.) (§ 17.08.200); Single story or 22 feet. (R/A/H and RR/H districts; plateau development at the 100-foot setback from ridgelines or the plateau edge.) (§ 17.08.200).
What are the noise rules and construction hours in Banning?
Banning's code: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Every day. Other hours need a building inspector permit. Never over 55 dB(A) for over 15 minutes an hour inside the nearest home or school.) (§ 8.44.090); Landscape maintenance noise above the city's limits is not allowed outside 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (§ 8.44.090).
Can I run a family child care home in Banning?
California law sets this for every city, including Banning: Zoning: A small or large family child care home is a residential use and a use by right under all local ordinances, including zoning (Health & Safety Code § 1597.45(a)); Business license or fee: A city or county may not charge a business license, fee or tax to run a family child care home (Health & Safety Code § 1597.45(b)); Local rules: Local limits on height, setbacks, lot size, health and safety must be the same as for every other home in the same zone (Health & Safety Code § 1597.45(e)); Small home: Up to eight children, counting the provider's own children under 10 who live there (Health & Safety Code § 1596.78(c)); Large home: 7 to 14 children, counting the provider's own children under 10 who live there (Health & Safety Code § 1596.78(b)).
Do I need a permit for a home alarm in Banning?
Banning's code: The fee is set by city council resolution and is due when invoiced. (Each alarm subscriber, for each false alarm. Unpaid after 30 days adds a 10% penalty, plus 10% each month, up to the invoiced amount.) (§ 5.46.100); A permit is required. The fee is set by city council resolution. (The fee may not exceed the city's processing and administration cost. Government and public school buildings are excepted.) (§ 5.46.040).
General information, not legal advice.
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