Cerritos · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Cerritos

Cerritos sets permit rules for block walls and limits the space, workers and traffic of home businesses.

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Key points

Block walls: City rule: building a new or replacement block wall more than 30 inches high needs a permit.
Home businesses: City rule: a home business is limited to one room in the main building and one accessory building; only residents may work there.

Each rule below is marked Cerritos code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

Fences and walls

Cerritos code What Cerritos's code adds
Permit	Yes. Block walls over 30 inches tall need written approval and a building permit. Applies: For a new or replacement block wall. § 22.70.450 · code text Any construction of a new or replacement block wall greater than the height of thirty inches shall require prior approval in writing as well as a building permit from the department of community development.

Running a business from home

Cerritos code What Cerritos's code adds
Space used	No more than 1 room in the main building and 1 accessory building. § 22.40.240 · code text Not more than one room in a main building and one accessory building shall be used in connection with the home occupation;
Customer visits	No traffic from customers, deliveries or others beyond what is normal for a home. § 22.40.240 · code text There shall be no traffic to or from the premises by customers, salesmen, repairmen, service vehicles, deliverymen, messengers or others beyond the amount of such traffic generally incidental to residential uses;
Employees	Only residents of the property may work there in the business. § 22.40.240 · code text No persons other than residents of the premises shall work on the premises in connection with the home occupation;

Solar panels and EV chargers

Cerritos code What Cerritos's code adds
Solar permit process	The city uses the Los Angeles County Building Code's expedited permit process; applications must be submitted in person. Applies: Applies to small residential rooftop solar energy systems. § 15.04.060 · code text The expedited permitting process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems, as described within the Los Angeles County Building Code, shall be and become the expedited permitting process for the city of Cerritos.

Outdoor lighting

Cerritos code What Cerritos's code adds
Light at the property line	Glare may add no more than 1 footcandle above normal night light. Applies: In any residential district. § 22.80.440 · code text No operation, activity, or use, except those governmental operations activities or uses essential to public safety, shall produce glare so as to cause illumination in any residential district in excess of one footcandle above the ambient night illumination.

Family child care homes

CA state law California law
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)

Parking spaces required for homes

Cerritos code A concrete parking apron at least 20 feet long is required. No parking space may be located within required front yards.

All 10 Cerritos rules on parking spaces required for homes, with the code text →

Home alarm permits and false alarms

Cerritos code $30 fine. $50 fine.

All 4 Cerritos rules on home alarm permits and false alarms, with the code text →

Signs on homes

Cerritos code 1 sign per 100 lineal feet of street frontage per independently owned parcel, or 1 per parcel, whichever is greater. Up to 32 square feet of sign area.

All 4 Cerritos rules on signs on homes, with the code text →

Trash and recycling carts

Cerritos code What Cerritos's code adds
When carts must come back	Remove containers from the place of collection before midnight on the day they are emptied. § 6.08.070 · code text all containers and receptacles shall be removed from the place of collection prior to midnight of the day the containers and receptacles have been emptied.

Other Cerritos rules on this

Cerritos's code also has these chapters. We have not summarized their values on this page yet; read them in the library.

Keeping household pets at a home (§ 22.40.210)
Floodplain management (Ch. 6.36)
Noise limits at property lines (§ 22.80.480)
Leaf blower use limits (Ch. 9.66)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Cerritos?

City rule: building a new or replacement block wall more than 30 inches high needs a permit.

Can I run a business from my home in Cerritos?

City rule: a home business is limited to one room in the main building and one accessory building; only residents may work there.

Do I need a permit for solar panels or an EV charger in Cerritos?

Cerritos's code: The city uses the Los Angeles County Building Code's expedited permit process; applications must be submitted in person. (Applies to small residential rooftop solar energy systems.) (§ 15.04.060).

What are the outdoor lighting rules for homes in Cerritos?

Cerritos's code: Glare may add no more than 1 footcandle above normal night light. (In any residential district.) (§ 22.80.440).

Can I run a family child care home in Cerritos?

California law sets this for every city, including Cerritos: 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)).

When can trash carts go out to the curb in Cerritos?

Cerritos's code: Remove containers from the place of collection before midnight on the day they are emptied. (§ 6.08.070).

General information, not legal advice.

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