Los Gatos · Building on your lot
Building on your lot in Los Gatos
Los Gatos limits fence height near streets and intersections, limits accessory structures by height, stories and lot coverage, and protects trees by trunk size. It also has its own SB 9 lot-split standards and a separate floodplain chapter.
Key points
- Fences: Fences: 3 ft at most in required front or side yards abutting a street and in traffic view areas; Town Engineer may allow more.
- Accessory structures: Accessory structures in residential zones are limited to 15 feet and 1 story, and may cover no more than 15% of the lot.
- Home businesses: Home businesses need a home occupation permit, allow no more than 1 customer on site at a time, and no employees outside the family.
- Protected trees: Protected trees on developed residential property: any trunk 12 inches or more (multi-trunk 18 total); on hillside lots, any trunk 8 inches or more.
- Pools: Pool enclosures: at least 5 feet high, openings no more than 4 inches, gates self-closing and self-latching.
- Construction hours: Permitted construction is allowed 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays, and not on Sundays or legal holidays.
Each rule below is marked Los Gatos code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Fences and walls
Los Gatos code Fences: 3 ft at most in required front or side yards abutting a street and in traffic view areas; Town Engineer may allow more.
All 4 Los Gatos rules on fences and walls, with the code text →
Sheds, garages and other accessory structures
Los Gatos code Accessory structures in residential zones are limited to 15 feet and 1 story, and may cover no more than 15% of the lot.
All 8 Los Gatos rules on sheds, garages and other accessory structures, with the code text →
Running a business from home
| Customer visits |
|
|---|---|
| Employees |
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| Permit |
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| Businesses not allowed |
|
Lot splits under SB 9
Los Gatos code New lots must be about equal in area; neither can be smaller than 40% of the original lot. At most 1,200 square feet.
All 18 Los Gatos rules on lot splits under SB 9, with the code text →
Solar panels and EV chargers
| Solar permit process |
|
|---|---|
| Review time |
|
Tree removal
Los Gatos code Protected trees on developed residential property: any trunk 12 inches or more (multi-trunk 18 total); on hillside lots, any trunk 8 inches or more.
All 19 Los Gatos rules on tree removal, with the code text →
Swimming pools
Los Gatos code Pool enclosures: at least 5 feet high, openings no more than 4 inches, gates self-closing and self-latching.
All 10 Los Gatos rules on swimming pools, with the code text →
Pets, chickens and bees
Los Gatos code Only 2 hives. Only 3 hives.
All 7 Los Gatos rules on pets, chickens and bees, with the code text →
Grading and erosion control
| Steepest cut or fill slope |
|
|---|---|
| Grading without a permit |
|
Building on a hillside
| Height on hillside lots |
|
|---|---|
| When hillside rules apply |
|
Noise and construction hours
Los Gatos code Permitted construction is allowed 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays, and not on Sundays or legal holidays.
All 4 Los Gatos rules on noise and construction hours, with the code text →
Outdoor lighting
| Light at the property line |
|
|---|---|
| Shielding |
|
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
| Spaces per apartment or condo |
|
|---|---|
| Spaces for a single-family home |
|
Home alarm permits and false alarms
| Alarm permit |
|
|---|
Historic homes
Los Gatos code Planning approval is required. Planning approval is required.
All 6 Los Gatos rules on historic homes, with the code text →
Other Los Gatos rules on this
Los Gatos's code also has these chapters. We have not summarized their values on this page yet; read them in the library.
- Floodplain management (Ch. 29, Art. IX)
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Can I run a business from my home in Los Gatos?
Home businesses need a home occupation permit, allow no more than 1 customer on site at a time, and no employees outside the family.
Do I need a permit for solar panels or an EV charger in Los Gatos?
Los Gatos's code: Administrative permit for a complete application that meets the town checklist and standard plan. (Small residential rooftop solar energy systems.) (§ 29.20.230); The permit is issued the same day. (Complete over-the-counter applications for small residential rooftop solar that meet the approved checklist and standard plan.) (§ 29.20.230).
What are the grading rules in Los Gatos?
Los Gatos's code: Exempt: digging inside the footprint of a permitted structure; digs under 2 feet deep with under 50 cubic yards moved. (Small digs must also clear under 1,000 square feet of vegetation and create no unstable or erodible slopes; the grading chapter still applies.) (§ 12.20.015); Permanent cut slopes may be no steeper than 2 horizontal to 1 vertical. (Permanent excavation cut surfaces.) (§ 12.30.015).
What extra rules apply to a hillside lot in Los Gatos?
Los Gatos's code: Applies where the average slope is over 50 percent. (HR zone subdivisions: fixed minimum land per home (5 acres in HR-1, 10 in HR-2½, 40 in HR-5, 160 in HR-20).) (§ 29.40.250); Main buildings may be no taller than 30 feet. (Principal buildings in an HR zone.) (§ 29.40.275).
What are the outdoor lighting rules for homes in Los Gatos?
Los Gatos's code: Lights should have shields so no bulb shows and light points to the ground, not onto neighboring parcels. (Permanent outdoor light fixtures at homes; the code says 'should'.) (§ 29.10.09015); No direct or reflected glare may be visible from outside any property line. (§ 29.10.09035).
Can I run a family child care home in Los Gatos?
California law sets this for every city, including Los Gatos: 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 Los Gatos?
Los Gatos's code: One and one-half (1½) times the number of living units (areas outside the downtown; multiple-unit dwellings in all zones and two-family dwellings in the R-1D zone) (§ 29.10.150); 1 parking space per dwelling unit. (Multiple-unit and mixed-use projects with multiple units, within one-half mile walking distance of public transportation.) (§ 29.10.150).
Do I need a permit for a home alarm in Los Gatos?
Los Gatos's code: An alarm permit is required. (§ 14.50.240); Permit and renewal fees are set by council resolution. (§ 14.50.240).
General information, not legal advice.
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