Bolthole Index

Los Angeles County, California

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Calabasas, California

The City of Calabasas, California adopts its own zoning, with residential districts such as RS and RR1, and its own Building and Safety Division runs a Permit Center and inspections2. Septic is a separate question: we could not confirm who permits septic systems inside city limits, so ask the city's Building and Safety Division and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health before you plan one.

At a glance

Zoning
City of Calabasas zoning, including RS, RM, RMH, RR and RC residential districts1
Building permits
Issued through the city's Building and Safety Division and its Permit Center2
Minimum lot, RS district
5,000 sq. ft. for new parcels, larger where the zoning map says so3
Height, RS district
35 feet maximum4
Accessory dwelling units
Allowed in listed districts with a zoning clearance5
Manufactured homes
Certified mobilehomes treated like single-family homes where those are allowed6
Septic
Not confirmed inside city limits; ask the city and LA County Public Health7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Calabasas Building and Safety Division

Building permits, plan check, inspections and code enforcement inside Calabasas city limits

(818)-224-2534

buildingsafetyinfo@cityofcalabasas.com

100 Civic Center Way Calabasas, CA 91302

Zoning

City of Calabasas Planning Division

Zoning questions, the zoning map and planning applications inside Calabasas city limits

(818) 224-1600

planninginfo@cityofcalabasas.com

100 Civic Center Way Calabasas, CA 91302

Septic permits

LA County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health – Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program

Review and approval of septic (onsite wastewater treatment) system plans under the Local Agency Management Program; ask whether it covers your Calabasas address

(626) 430-5380

5050 Commerce Drive, Baldwin Park, CA 91706

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Calabasas means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Calabasas have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

Calabasas, California administers its own residential zoning districts, including RS, RM, RMH, RR and RC1. The RS district is meant for detached single-family homes, from large-lot estates to ordinary tract neighborhoods1.

In the RS district, new parcels need at least 5,000 sq. ft., and a suffix on the zoning map can require more3. Required setbacks in RS are 20 feet in front, 10 feet on each side, 15 feet on a street side and 20 feet in back8. Buildings in RS top out at 35 feet4. Coverage in RS is capped at 50% of net site area on lots under one-third acre, and 35% (or 7,260 sq. ft., whichever is greater) on larger lots9. In the RR district the cap is 30%10.

The Planning Division keeps the city's zoning map; call it to confirm your parcel's district and any suffix11.

Do you need a building permit in Calabasas, and who issues it?

Inside Calabasas city limits, building permits come from the City of Calabasas Building and Safety Division, not from Los Angeles County Public Works2. The division works through a Permit Center, plan check, inspections and code enforcement2. Los Angeles County's own building-permit rule covers only unincorporated land, so it does not decide a Calabasas project12.

We could not confirm the city's full list of permit exemptions, its fee schedule or the adopted code edition from an opened city page. Before you start any work, call Building and Safety and ask whether your project needs a permit2. California owner-builders are exempt from contractor licensing, but they remain responsible for building permits and inspections13.

How do septic permits work inside Calabasas?

We could not confirm who reviews septic systems inside Calabasas city limits. Los Angeles County's Department of Public Health reviews and approves septic plans under its Local Agency Management Program for unincorporated areas and contracted cities14. Whether that program covers a given Calabasas address is not something we verified, so ask the County's Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program7 and the city's Building and Safety Division2.

In unincorporated Los Angeles County, plan approval is required before any septic work starts15. The County also will not permit a new septic system when a public sewer is available within 200 feet of the building16. Those are the County's rules for unincorporated land; confirm whether they reach your lot.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Calabasas?

We could not confirm a general rule on living in an RV or tiny home on a lot in Calabasas; ask the Planning Division11. One city rule we did confirm: RVs placed in flood Zones A1-30, AH and AE must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the city's floodplain permit, elevation and anchoring requirements17. Camping on public highways, green belts, sidewalks and other public ways is prohibited in Calabasas18.

Certified mobilehomes for permanent occupancy are treated like single-family dwellings in districts that allow single-family housing6. In flood zones, a manufactured home generally must sit at least two feet above base flood elevation19.

Can you add an accessory dwelling unit or split a lot in Calabasas?

Calabasas allows one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or junior ADU on a legal lot in the RS, RM, RR, HM, RC, PD or OS districts, in addition to the main home and subject to a zoning clearance5. Detached units are limited to 16 feet in height, and the minimum habitable floor area is 220 sq. ft.5. Renting an ADU for fewer than 30 days is prohibited20.

Urban lot splits need a parcel map from the director and a recorded covenant, and the applicant must live in one unit as a principal residence for at least three years21.

Building a home in Calabasas: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district and any map suffix with the Planning Division11.
  2. Check lot size, setbacks, height and coverage against the district standards above8.
  3. Ask Building and Safety what your project needs, then apply through its Permit Center, which routes plans to plan check2.
  4. Sort out septic or sewer before you design: ask the County's Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program and the city who has authority at your address7.
  5. Schedule field inspections with the city once permits are issued2.

What stays with Los Angeles County, and what to check before you buy

Land outside Calabasas city limits is governed by Los Angeles County; see the Los Angeles County page for unincorporated rules. County zoning under Title 22 does not automatically apply to incorporated cities22.

Before buying, check flood zone status, since the city has specific standards for Zones A1-30, AH and AE19. Los Angeles County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%23.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Calabasas's full building-permit exemptions, fee schedule or adopted code edition; call the Building and Safety Division before you start work2.
  • We could not confirm who permits septic systems or private wells inside city limits; ask the County Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program and the city7.
  • Los Angeles County's rules for RVs, tiny homes and septic apply to unincorporated land, not automatically to a Calabasas address24.

Sources

  1. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.13.010, Residential district purpose (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Calabasas Building and Safety Division (cityofcalabasas.com)
  3. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.13.020, Residential district general development standards (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  4. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.13.020, Residential district general development standards (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  5. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.12.170, Accessory dwelling units (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  6. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.12.140, Mobilehomes (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  7. LA County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health – Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program (admin.publichealth.lacounty.gov)
  8. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.13.020, Residential district general development standards (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  9. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.13.020, Residential district general development standards (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  10. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.13.020, Residential district general development standards (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Calabasas Planning Division (cityofcalabasas.com)
  12. Building and Safety - LA County Public Works Permits, quoted and re-checked
  13. Building Officials - Owner-Builder Overview, quoted and re-checked
  14. Local Agency Management Program (LAMP), quoted and re-checked
  15. admin.publichealth.lacounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
  16. New Ordinance Adopted - Local Agency Management Program, quoted and re-checked
  17. Calabasas Municipal Code § 15.16.150, Standards—Recreational vehicles (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  18. Calabasas Municipal Code § 9.38.020, Prohibition on camping in public right-of-way (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  19. Calabasas Municipal Code § 15.16.140, Standards—Manufactured homes (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  20. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.12.170, Accessory dwelling units (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  21. Calabasas Municipal Code § 17.82.070, Urban lot splits conditions of approval (Calabasas), quoted and re-checked
  22. Los Angeles County Code Title 22: Planning and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  24. planning.lacounty.gov, quoted and re-checked

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Calabasas

Calabasas’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Calabasas city limits; the city administers residential zoning districts including RS, RM, RMH, RR and RC.

    “RS (Residential, Single-Family) District. The RS zoning district is intended for detached, single-family homes, including large lot estates, typical suburban tract developments, small detached single-family homes, and similar and related uses compatible with a quiet, family living environment.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed on sites in Calabasas flood Zones A1-30, AH and AE.

    • The RV must either be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days; or be fully licensed and ready for highway use; or meet the cited floodplain permit, elevation and anchoring requirements.
    • The rule applies specifically to the listed flood insurance rate map zones.

    maximum consecutive days under first alternative: < 180 days (Alternative compliance methods are available.)

    “All recreational vehicles placed on sites within Zones A1-30, AH and AE on the community's flood insurance rate map will either: 1. Be on the site for fewer than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days; 2. Be fully licensed and ready for highway use”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Camping in public highways, green belts, median islands, alleys, sidewalks, crosswalks and other public places or ways open for pedestrian or vehicular travel inside Calabasas city limits.

    • Exceptions include temporary disability necessity, viewing a legally conducted parade or similar permitted event, sitting less than one hour on a lawful bench, expressive activity, and camping in a permitted public campground.
    “No person shall camp, sit, lie, loiter, sleep, or store their belongings in or upon any public highway, green belt, median island, alley, sidewalk, crosswalk or other public place or way open for pedestrian or vehicular travel or appurtenant thereto:”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Certified mobilehomes used as permanent dwellings on lots zoned for conventional single-family dwellings inside Calabasas city limits.

    • The mobilehome must be certified under the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974.
    • The foundation system must comply with Health and Safety Code § 18551.
    • Architectural standards require roof eave and gable overhangs of at least one foot.
    • Non-certified mobilehomes not meeting the cited requirements must be placed only in mobilehome parks.
    • Mobilehome parks and individual mobilehome permitting are regulated by California HCD.

    minimum roof eave and gable overhang: >= 1 foot

    “Location. As required by Government Code Section 65852.3, mobilehomes for permanent occupancy are considered the same as single-family dwellings, and are permitted by Chapter 17.11 in all zoning districts that allow single-family housing units;”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    One ADU or JADU on a legal lot in the RS, RM, RR, HM, RC, PD or OS zoning districts, in addition to a primary single-family dwelling.

    • A zoning clearance is required.
    • The lot must have one legally established detached single-family dwelling and sanitary sewer or septic service.
    • The ADU cannot be sold separately from the primary dwelling.
    • Short-term rental or transient rental occupancy under 30 days is prohibited.
    • Detached units are limited to one story and 16 feet maximum height.
    • Minimum habitable floor area is 220 square feet; JADUs are limited to 500 square feet.
    • The code states the ADU may be allowed in the listed districts.

    minimum habitable floor area: >= 220 sq. ft. (JADU maximum is 500 sq. ft.) · detached ADU maximum height: <= 16 ft (Units above a garage use applicable district height standards.)

    “A single accessory dwelling unit, or junior accessory dwelling unit as specified in subsection (D), may be allowed on a legal lot located in the RS, RM, RR, HM, RC, PD or OS zoning districts in addition to a primary single-family residential dwelling, subject to a zoning clearance, as follows:”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Urban lot splits and resulting parcels inside Calabasas city limits.

    • A parcel map issued by the director is required for an urban lot split.
    • The applicant must sign and record a covenant.
    • Each resulting parcel is limited to residential use and additional subdivision is prohibited.
    • Separate utility connections must be provided for each parcel before recordation.
    • The applicant must occupy one unit as a principal residence for at least three years.

    principal-residence occupancy period: >= 3 years

    “As a standard condition of issuance of a parcel map by the director for an urban lot split under this chapter, the applicant shall sign and record a covenant stating the following:”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Manufactured homes and recreational vehicles placed or substantially improved in Calabasas flood Zones A1-30, AH and AE.

    • Manufactured homes generally must be elevated at least two feet above base flood elevation and securely anchored; existing mobilehome-park exceptions allow reinforced piers at least 36 inches above grade with equivalent strength.
    • A registered civil engineer or licensed land surveyor must certify the lowest-floor elevation, and the community building inspector must verify it.
    • RV placement must satisfy the 180-day, highway-ready, or permit/elevation/anchoring alternatives.

    manufactured-home elevation above base flood elevation: >= 2 ft (Existing manufactured-home park/subdivision alternative may use reinforced piers at least 36 inches above grade.) · alternative reinforced-pier height: >= 36 inches (Applies to qualifying existing manufactured-home park/subdivision sites.)

    “Be elevated on a permanent foundation such that the lowest floor of the manufactured home is elevated at least two (2) feet above the base flood elevation and be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation system to resist flotation, collapse and lateral movement.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units and residential units developed under the ministerial design-review and urban-lot-split provisions inside Calabasas city limits.

    • The prohibition applies to rentals or occupancy for fewer than 30 days.
    • The ADU rule applies to ADUs; the ministerial-design and urban-lot-split provisions separately prohibit short-term rental occupancy.

    minimum rental period: >= 30 days

    “The residential units shall not be rented for a period of less than thirty (30) days and cannot be occupied as short-term rental units.”

Rules another office applies inside Calabasas

Calabasas does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    New parcels in the RS Residential, Single-Family district.

    • The table states the minimum lot area and width required for new parcels.
    • A zoning-map suffix may require a larger minimum lot area or overall density under § 17.12.030B.

    minimum lot area: 5000 sq. ft. (A suffix to the zoning-map symbol may require a larger area.) · minimum lot width, interior lot: 50 ft (Corner lots require 65 feet.) · minimum lot width, corner lot: 65 ft

    “Area 5,000 sq. ft. (1) 1 acre (1) 5 acres for a mobile home park width 50 feet for interior lots, 65 feet for corner lots.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential structures in the RS Residential, Single-Family district.

    • The code cross-references § 17.20.180 for setback measurement, exceptions and encroachments.

    front setback: >= 20 ft · side setback, each: >= 10 ft · street-side setback: >= 15 ft · rear setback: >= 20 ft

    “Setbacks Required (5) Front 20 feet minimum 30 feet minimum 30 feet minimum (2) Sides (each) 10 feet minimum 10 feet minimum 10 feet minimum (2) Street side 15 feet minimum 20 feet minimum 30 feet minimum (2) Distance Between Structures 10 feet minimum 20 feet minimum 10 feet minimum 10 feet minimum Rear 20 feet minimum 20 feet minimum 10 feet minimum (2)”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential structures in the RS Residential, Single-Family district.

    • For lots less than one-third acre, maximum coverage is 50% of net site area.
    • For lots of one-third acre or more, maximum coverage is 35% of net site area or 7,260 square feet, whichever is greater.

    maximum coverage on lots less than one-third acre: <= 50 percent of net site area · maximum coverage on lots one-third acre or more: <= 35 percent of net site area (Or 7,260 sq. ft., whichever is greater.)

    “50% of net site area, maximum, on lots less than 1/3 acre; 35% of net site area on lots of 1/3 acre or more or 7,260 square feet, whichever is greater, on lots of 1/3 acre or more”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Buildings in the RS Residential, Single-Family district.

    • The code cross-references § 17.20.140 for height measurement and exceptions.

    maximum height: <= 35 ft

    “Height Limits (6) 35 feet maximum 35 feet maximum 27 feet maximum 18 ft/or 1 story whichever is less”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Calabasas or Los Angeles County directly.

  • Building permit — Construction inside Calabasas city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permits inside Calabasas city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building construction inside Calabasas city limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Calabasas city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Buildings and changes of occupancy inside Calabasas city limits.
12 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Calabasas publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Los Angeles County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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