San Francisco · Building on your lot

Building on your lot in San Francisco

San Francisco sets its own limits on fences, structures in required yards and home businesses. Limits depend on whether a fence or structure sits in a front setback, a side or rear yard, or usable open space.

Ask about building on your lot in San Francisco See coverage

Key points

Fence height: Fences: at most 3 feet in required front setbacks, 6 feet in usable open space, 10 feet in required side and rear yards.
Yard structures: Detached structures in required side and rear yards: at most 10 feet high and 120 square feet combined, without sleeping quarters or full kitchens.
Home businesses: A home business may use at most 1/3 of the home's floor area, with at most 2 non-resident workers, not counting domestic workers.

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

Practical research questions and checklists

Fences and walls

San Francisco code What San Francisco's code adds
Front yard height	No more than 3 feet above grade. Applies: Fences in legislated setback lines and required front setback areas. Decorative railings at least 75% open may reach 6 feet. § 136 · code text (17) Fences no more than three feet in height above grade;
Side and rear yard height	No more than 10 feet above grade. Applies: Fences and wind screens in required side and rear yards only. Front setbacks limit fences to 3 feet; usable open space to 6 feet. § 136 · code text (19) Fences and wind screens no more than 10 feet in height above grade;

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures

San Francisco code Detached structures in required side and rear yards: at most 10 feet high and 120 square feet combined, without sleeping quarters or full kitchens.

All 5 San Francisco rules on sheds, garages and other accessory structures, with the code text →

Running a business from home

San Francisco code A home business may use at most 1/3 of the home's floor area, with at most 2 non-resident workers, not counting domestic workers.

All 6 San Francisco rules on running a business from home, with the code text →

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)

Other San Francisco rules on this

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

Permits for solar energy systems (§ 106A.1.15)
Building in a flood-prone area (§ 2A.283)
Residential child care impact fee (§ 414A.3)

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in San Francisco?

Fences: at most 3 feet in required front setbacks, 6 feet in usable open space, 10 feet in required side and rear yards.

Can I run a family child care home in San Francisco?

California law sets this for every city, including San Francisco: 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.

AI-assisted research · Source checks recorded

San Francisco: Building and ADUs

Before selecting design standards or a permit path. Start with a question, collect the records, and follow the cited law.

City and County of San Francisco. Source checks do not establish a property-specific outcome. Open questions appear in each verification record.

SF-B01 · Research pending