Palm Springs · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in Palm Springs

Palm Springs limits wall and fence heights by yard, zone and corner visibility, and caps home businesses by floor area. Lot splits, RV parking in the front yard and pool draining have separate city chapters.

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Key points

Fences: Walls and fences in any front yard are limited to 4.5 feet unless another rule allows otherwise; side and rear yards, 6 feet.
Home businesses: Home businesses are limited to 200 square feet of living area per home, staffed by no more than 2 residents, inside the home only.
Landscape noise: Non-emergency outdoor landscape work in residential zones, such as mowing, is not allowed 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.; gasoline powered leaf blowers are prohibited.
Flood zones: New or substantially improved homes in AE, AH and A1-30 zones need the lowest floor at least 2 feet above base flood elevation.
Outdoor lighting: Pole-mounted fixtures in residential zones must be full-cutoff, with lamps of 15,000 lumens or less and poles at most 18 feet high.
Garage sales: A permit is required for sales on residentially zoned property; 1 single-sided sign on site, up to 5 square feet and 4 feet tall.

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

Fences and walls

Palm Springs code Walls and fences in any front yard are limited to 4.5 feet unless another rule allows otherwise; side and rear yards, 6 feet.

All 16 Palm Springs rules on fences and walls, with the code text →

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

Palm Springs code What Palm Springs's code adds
Maximum height	No more than 10 feet. Applies: R-1 zones: non-living structures in the rear part of the front yard, on lots at least 10% too shallow facing major or secondary thoroughfares. § 92.01.03 · code text No accessory structures within such rear portion shall have a height greater than 10 feet;

Running a business from home

Palm Springs code Home businesses are limited to 200 square feet of living area per home, staffed by no more than 2 residents, inside the home only.

All 7 Palm Springs rules on running a business from home, with the code text →

Solar panels and EV chargers

Palm Springs code You may apply electronically with electronic signatures; the charger stays off until the city grants approval and all permits. Administrative, nondiscretionary review: a building permit is issued when the application meets the city checklist.

All 3 Palm Springs rules on solar panels and EV chargers, with the code text →

Pets, chickens and bees

Palm Springs code What Palm Springs's code adds
Permit	Breeding a cat or dog needs a permit; a first violation is cured by getting it within 30 days. Applies: Applies to cat and dog owners; otherwise a $500 penalty applies. § 10.24.045 · code text Any cat or dog owner whose animal has been bred no more than once in a 12 month period without a permit may correct such violation by obtaining the necessary permit required by this chapter

Building in a flood zone

Palm Springs code What Palm Springs's code adds
Floodplain permit	A special flood hazard area permit is needed before any construction, including manufactured homes; the council sets the fee. § 8.68.150 · code text An area of special flood hazard development permit shall be obtained before any construction or other development, including manufactured homes, within any area of special flood hazard established in Section 8.68.070.
Building in a floodway	Fill, new buildings and other development are not allowed unless a civil engineer certifies no rise in flood levels. Applies: Within an adopted regulatory floodway. § 8.68.220 · code text Within an adopted regulatory floodway, the city of Palm Springs shall prohibit encroachments, including fill, new construction, substantial improvements, and other development, unless certification by a registered civil engineer is provided demonstrating that the proposed encroachment shall not result in any increase in flood levels during the occurrence of the base flood discharge. No new development or fill is allowed unless all development together raises the base flood no more than 1 foot. Applies: Until a regulatory floodway is adopted, in zones A1-30 and AE. § 8.68.220 · code text Until a regulatory floodway is adopted, no new construction, substantial development, or other development (including fill) shall be permitted within zones A1-30 and AE, unless it is demonstrated that the cumulative effect of the proposed development, when combined with all other development, will not increase the water surface elevation of the base flood more than one foot at any point within the city of Palm Springs.
Height of the lowest floor	The lowest floor must be at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation. Applies: New or substantially improved homes in AE, AH and A1-30 zones. § 8.68.170 · code text In AE, AH, A1-30 zones, elevated at least two feet above the base flood elevation. The lowest floor must be 2 feet higher than the FIRM depth number, above the highest nearby ground. Applies: New or substantially improved homes in an AO zone with a depth number on the FIRM. § 8.68.170 · code text In an AO zone, elevated above the highest adjacent grade to a height two feet above the depth number specified in feet on the FIRM, or elevated at least four feet above the highest adjacent grade if no depth number is specified. The lowest floor must be at least 4 feet above the highest nearby ground. Applies: New or substantially improved homes in an AO zone with no depth number on the FIRM. § 8.68.170 · code text In an AO zone, elevated above the highest adjacent grade to a height two feet above the depth number specified in feet on the FIRM, or elevated at least four feet above the highest adjacent grade if no depth number is specified. The lowest floor must be at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation. Applies: New or substantially improved homes in an unnumbered A zone, where the FIRM shows no base flood elevation. § 8.68.170 · code text In an A zone, without BFEs specified on the FIRM (unnumbered A zone), elevated at least two feet above the base flood elevation; as determined under Section 83.68.140(c).

Building on a hillside

Palm Springs code What Palm Springs's code adds
When hillside rules apply	Hillside rules apply when any part of a parcel has a grade of 10% or more. Applies: Hillside homes go through architectural review, with notice to neighboring owners. § 93.13.00 · code text the term "hillside area" is defined as any parcel of land within the city of Palm Springs which contains any portion thereof with a grade of 10% or more.

Noise and construction hours

Palm Springs code Non-emergency outdoor landscape work in residential zones, such as mowing, is not allowed 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.; gasoline powered leaf blowers are prohibited.

All 5 Palm Springs rules on noise and construction hours, with the code text →

Outdoor lighting

Palm Springs code Pole-mounted fixtures in residential zones must be full-cutoff, with lamps of 15,000 lumens or less and poles at most 18 feet high.

All 10 Palm Springs rules on outdoor lighting, with the code text →

Garage and yard sales

Palm Springs code What Palm Springs's code adds
Permit	A permit is required, with an application and a fee set by city council resolution. Applies: Sales on residentially zoned property. § 5.58.020 · code text Any person (herein the applicant) intending to conduct a garage sale, patio sale, yard sale, or similar sale of personal property to the general public on residentially zoned property shall concurrently pay a fee, as established by resolution of the city council, and file an application with the city information and permit center.
Signs	1 single-sided sign on site, up to 5 square feet and 4 feet tall; no off-site signs; sale days only. § 5.58.050 · code text One sign not to exceed five square feet advertising the sale shall be authorized subject to the following provisions:

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)

Home alarm permits and false alarms

Palm Springs code A civil penalty in an amount set by city council resolution. A civil penalty in an amount set by city council resolution.

All 6 Palm Springs rules on home alarm permits and false alarms, with the code text →

Historic homes

Palm Springs code A Certificate of Appropriateness is required. The HSPB reviews the permit application.

All 14 Palm Springs rules on historic homes, with the code text →

Other Palm Springs rules on this

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

Urban lot splits (SB 9) (§ 9.62.055)
Two-unit projects (SB 9) (§ 93.23.21)
Permit to park an RV in the front yard (§ 11.96.050)
Permit to drain a pool (§ 14.24.060)
Transportation mitigation fee (Ch. 8.90)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How big can a shed or accessory building be in Palm Springs?

Palm Springs's code: No more than 10 feet. (R-1 zones: non-living structures in the rear part of the front yard, on lots at least 10% too shallow facing major or secondary thoroughfares.) (§ 92.01.03).

What are the rules for building in a Palm Springs flood zone?

New or substantially improved homes in AE, AH and A1-30 zones need the lowest floor at least 2 feet above base flood elevation.

What extra rules apply to a hillside lot in Palm Springs?

Palm Springs's code: Hillside rules apply when any part of a parcel has a grade of 10% or more. (Hillside homes go through architectural review, with notice to neighboring owners.) (§ 93.13.00).

What are the garage sale rules in Palm Springs?

A permit is required for sales on residentially zoned property; 1 single-sided sign on site, up to 5 square feet and 4 feet tall.

Can I run a family child care home in Palm Springs?

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

General information, not legal advice.

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