Garden Grove · Building on your lot
Building on your lot in Garden Grove
Garden Grove sets its own limits for fences in residential zones, detached accessory structures in the R-1 zone, and home businesses. Fence height depends on the yard, and home businesses may not serve customers on site.
Key points
- Fence height: In Garden Grove's R zones, fences are limited to 36 inches in the front yard and 7 ft behind the required front yard.
- Accessory structures: In R-1, Garden Grove limits detached accessory structures to 1 story and 17 ft, 800 sq ft each and 1,000 sq ft combined.
- Home businesses: Garden Grove home businesses need a home occupation permit, may have no customers on site, and may employ only people living on the lot.
Each rule below is marked Garden Grove code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Fences and walls
| Corner visibility |
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|---|---|
| Height anywhere on the lot |
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Sheds, garages and other accessory structures
Garden Grove code In R-1, Garden Grove limits detached accessory structures to 1 story and 17 ft, 800 sq ft each and 1,000 sq ft combined.
All 5 Garden Grove rules on sheds, garages and other accessory structures, with the code text →
Running a business from home
Garden Grove code Garden Grove home businesses need a home occupation permit, may have no customers on site, and may employ only people living on the lot.
All 5 Garden Grove rules on running a business from home, with the code text →
Lot splits under SB 9
Garden Grove code At most 2 new lots of about equal area; neither may be smaller than 40% of the original lot. At most 800 square feet of floor area.
All 14 Garden Grove rules on lot splits under SB 9, with the code text →
Solar panels and EV chargers
Garden Grove code Administrative, nondiscretionary review limited to health and safety rules. The permit can be issued once the Chief Building Official finds the application meets every checklist requirement.
All 5 Garden Grove rules on solar panels and EV chargers, with the code text →
Swimming pools
Garden Grove code The gap from the ground to the bottom of the enclosure is at most 2 inches. Gaps must not let a sphere 4 inches or wider pass through.
All 8 Garden Grove rules on swimming pools, with the code text →
Garage and yard sales
| Sales per year |
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|---|---|
| Signs |
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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
| Garage and covered spaces |
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|---|
Home alarm permits and false alarms
Garden Grove code The fee is set by council resolution, only after 2 or more false alarms in the prior 365 days. The fee is set by council resolution and charged for each false alarm.
All 4 Garden Grove rules on home alarm permits and false alarms, with the code text →
Other Garden Grove rules on this
Garden Grove's code also has these chapters. We have not summarized their values on this page yet; read them in the library.
- Street parking of RVs, trailers and oversize vehicles (§ 10.56.110) — on public and private streets
- Flood hazard overlay zone (§ 9.08.030.040) — flood hazard overlay only
- Noise control (Ch. 8.47)
- Development mitigation fees (Ch. 9.44)
- Traffic impact mitigation fee (§ 10.110.030)
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
How tall can a fence be in Garden Grove?
In Garden Grove's R zones, fences are limited to 36 inches in the front yard and 7 ft behind the required front yard.
What are the garage sale rules in Garden Grove?
Garden Grove's code: Garage sales are limited to 4 days per calendar year. (Garage sales at a single-family home.) (§ 9.18.030.200); No signs may be posted away from the sale site. (Garage sales at a single-family home.) (§ 9.18.030.200).
Can I run a family child care home in Garden Grove?
California law sets this for every city, including Garden Grove: 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)).
How many parking spaces does a home need in Garden Grove?
Garden Grove's code: At least 10 ft by 20 ft inside per space; a two-car garage is 20 ft by 20 ft. (Applies to enclosed parking spaces.) (§ 9.18.140.040).
General information, not legal advice.
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