Bolthole Index

Los Angeles County, California

Zoning, building permits and septic in Redondo Beach, California

Redondo Beach, California requires a building permit for nearly all construction inside city limits, issued by the city's Building & Safety Division12. The city administers its own zoning under Title 10 of its municipal code3. We could not confirm who handles septic permits inside the city, so ask Building & Safety before assuming any septic system is allowed2.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for building, alteration, moving and demolition inside city limits; small sheds up to 120 square feet are exempt only with no electrical, mechanical or plumbing work1
Zoning
Redondo Beach runs its own zoning (Title 10 of the municipal code)3
Building code
2025 California Building Code with city amendments4
Single-family height
30 feet and 2 stories in R-1 and R-1A56
Certificate of occupancy
For a new single-family home, the final of the building permit serves as the certificate7
Septic
Not confirmed inside city limits; ask Building & Safety2
Wells
Los Angeles County runs a well permit program that covers all of the county except Long Beach, Pasadena and Vernon8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Redondo Beach Building & Safety Division

Building permits, plan check and inspections inside Redondo Beach city limits

(310) 318-0636

buildingredondo@redondo.org

415 Diamond Street, Door 2, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Zoning

City of Redondo Beach Community Development Department, Planning Division

Zoning questions, the zoning map and zoning code, and ADU information inside Redondo Beach city limits

415 Diamond Street, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Septic permits

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

Septic (onsite wastewater treatment) plan review for unincorporated Los Angeles County; the office to ask whether it has any role inside a city

(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 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Redondo Beach have zoning, and what does it mean for setbacks and height?

Yes. Redondo Beach administers its own zoning under Title 10, Planning and Zoning, of the municipal code, and the rules apply only inside city limits, not to unincorporated Los Angeles County land3. Setbacks and heights depend on the district, so find the lot's zone on the city's zoning map first9.

In the R-1 single-family zone, the front setback averages at least 25% of lot depth or 25 feet, whichever is less, and never drops below 20 feet; side setbacks are 5 feet10. In R-1A, the front setback is 25 feet and the side setback is the greater of 3 feet or 10% of lot width11. Both zones cap buildings at 30 feet and 2 stories56.

We could not confirm minimum lot size, lot coverage, or rules for other districts such as the multifamily, mixed-use and coastal zone districts; ask the Planning Division9.

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

Yes. Redondo Beach requires a separate building permit from the building official before a building or structure is erected, enlarged, altered, moved, converted or demolished inside city limits1. A small one-story detached accessory building, such as a tool shed, is exempt only if its floor area is 120 square feet or less, it has no electrical, mechanical or plumbing work, and it conforms to zoning1.

The city's Building & Safety Division issues building permits, and applications go through its online iWorQ portal2. Phone (310) 318-0636 to ask whether a specific project needs a permit and what the fees are2. The city adopts the 2025 California Building Code with its own amendments4. We could not confirm whether the city offers an owner-builder path; ask Building & Safety2.

How do septic permits work inside Redondo Beach?

We could not confirm a septic authority for addresses inside Redondo Beach, and we found no city rule on septic permits or wells. Statewide, every new or replacement septic system needs a permit from the local city or county agency, so the question is which agency applies to a given lot12.

Los Angeles County's septic program is documented for unincorporated areas only, which does not describe city lots13. Ask Redondo Beach Building & Safety first, then the county's Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program214.

For private wells, Los Angeles County Public Health runs a well permit program covering the county except Long Beach, Pasadena and Vernon8.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Redondo Beach?

We could not confirm Redondo Beach's rules for living in an RV, camping on private land or occupying a tiny home. Ask the Planning Division before parking anything you plan to sleep in9.

California's baseline rule is that RVs are not intended as permanent dwellings, and unless a local ordinance allows otherwise they may generally be occupied only in mobilehome parks or special occupancy parks15. A tiny home can be occupied only if it qualifies as a recognized type such as a manufactured home, a California Residential Code home or an RV, and sits where that type is approved16.

Can you add an accessory dwelling unit in Redondo Beach?

California law requires local agencies to approve accessory dwelling units (ADUs) ministerially, without a discretionary review or hearing, and the agency must tell the applicant within 15 business days whether the application is complete17. Local site, building, health, fire and utility requirements still apply17.

The city's Planning Division lists ADU information on its page, but we could not confirm Redondo Beach's own ADU standards, so ask Planning for the current checklist9.

Building a home in Redondo Beach: the steps, in order

  1. Find the lot's zoning district on the city's zoning map and read the Title 10 standards for it, including setbacks and the 30-foot height limit in R-1 and R-1A59.
  2. Ask the Planning Division about anything these rules do not cover, such as lot size and coverage9.
  3. Confirm sewer or septic with Building & Safety before design starts2.
  4. Submit plans and the permit application online through the iWorQ portal to Building & Safety2.
  5. Build to the 2025 California Building Code as amended by the city, and schedule inspections4.
  6. For a new single-family home, the final of the building permit acts as the certificate of occupancy7.

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

Los Angeles County's building, planning and septic offices serve unincorporated land, so a lot inside Redondo Beach goes to the city's offices instead; see the Los Angeles County page for land outside the city213.

County-level figures give context: Los Angeles County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%18, the median property tax bill is $5,438 a year19, and a typical home is valued around $888,42620. Insurance premiums average about $1,492 a year21. Check the zoning map, confirm sewer or septic, and confirm the permit path before closing.

Watch-outs

  • Redondo Beach's zoning and building rules apply only inside city limits; land outside the city falls under Los Angeles County or another city3.
  • We could not confirm Redondo Beach's rules on septic, RV living, tiny homes, minimum lot size, permit fees or short-term rentals; call Building & Safety at (310) 318-0636 or the Planning Division before relying on them29.
  • Permit applications and plan checks must be submitted online through the iWorQ portal, not at the counter2.

Sources

  1. Chapter 1: Building Code - City of Redondo Beach, CA (eCode360) (Redondo Beach), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Redondo Beach Building & Safety Division (redondo.org)
  3. Chapter 1: Building Code - City of Redondo Beach, CA (eCode360) (Redondo Beach), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 1: Building Code - City of Redondo Beach, CA (eCode360) (Redondo Beach), quoted and re-checked
  5. Division 1: Single-Family Residential Zones - City of Redondo Beach, CA (eCode360) (Redondo Beach), quoted and re-checked
  6. Division 1: Single-Family Residential Zones - City of Redondo Beach, CA (eCode360) (Redondo Beach), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 1: Building Code - City of Redondo Beach, CA (eCode360) (Redondo Beach), quoted and re-checked
  8. State Small Water Systems and Wells, quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Redondo Beach Community Development Department, Planning Division (redondo.org)
  10. Division 1: Single-Family Residential Zones - City of Redondo Beach, CA (eCode360) (Redondo Beach), quoted and re-checked
  11. Division 1: Single-Family Residential Zones - City of Redondo Beach, CA (eCode360) (Redondo Beach), quoted and re-checked
  12. 2023 OWTS Policy (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Local Agency Management Program (LAMP), quoted and re-checked
  14. LA County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health – Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program (admin.publichealth.lacounty.gov)
  15. hcd.ca.gov (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Information Bulletin 2016-01: Tiny Homes (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook March 2026 (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  21. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Redondo Beach

Redondo Beach’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, alteration, moving, demolition or change of occupancy of buildings and structures inside Redondo Beach city limits

    • Small one-story detached accessory buildings (tool sheds, playhouses) are exempt only if the floor area is limited, there is no electrical, mechanical or plumbing work, and the building conforms to zoning.
    • Wood fences up to 6 feet and certain masonry fences are listed as exempt in the same section; the full list was not reviewed in detail.

    exempt accessory building floor area: <= 120 square feet (only with no electrical, mechanical or plumbing work and conforming to zoning)

    “no building or structure regulated by this code shall be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, improved, removed, converted, demolished, or change of occupancy of a building or structure, unless a separate permit for each building or structure has first been obtained from the building official.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building construction, alteration and demolition inside Redondo Beach city limits

    • Adopts the 2025 California Building Code with chapter 33 and appendices b, f, g, h, i, j, p and q, subject to city amendments in Chapter 1 of Title 9.
    • Administrative sections of the state codes are replaced by the city's chapter 1 division II text.
    “and subject to the particular additions, deletions and amendments set forth in this chapter”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    New single-family dwellings and condominiums inside Redondo Beach city limits

    • A separate certificate of occupancy is issued only for new commercial construction; for new single-family dwellings the final of the building permit acts as the certificate.
    • Change of use in existing buildings is also handled through the building permit final.
    “the final of a building permit shall act as the certificate of occupancy for change of use in existing buildings or structures and new single-family dwellings and new condominiums. a certificate of occupancy shall only be issued for new commercial construction.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    All land inside Redondo Beach city limits; the city administers its own zoning under Title 10 Planning and Zoning of its code

    • Applies only inside city limits; does not describe unincorporated Los Angeles County land.
    • Zoning district standards are in Title 10, Chapter 2 (Division 1 and Division 2 zone sections).
    “the building conforms to the applicable zoning regulations of title 10 planning and zoning of the municipal code”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning district development standards inside Redondo Beach city limits (R-1 and R-1A sections shown; other zones not opened)

    • Only the R-1 and R-1A development standards were opened; other districts (R-2, mixed-use, coastal zone) are not summarized here.
    “§ 10-2.503 development standards: r-1 single-family residential zone.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 single-family residential zone inside Redondo Beach city limits (main single-family district)

    • Front setback is an average: at least 25% of lot depth or 25 feet, whichever is less, never less than 20 feet; second-story front setback averages 10 feet more (setback averaging per § 10-2.1520, not opened).
    • Side setback is five feet along the full length of the lot, with an exception for additions to existing dwellings on lots under 50 feet wide that have side setbacks under five feet (may match existing, not less than 10% of lot width).
    • Two-unit projects under § 10-2.505 have their own setback standards, not reviewed here.

    front setback average: >= 25 percent of lot depth, or 25 feet whichever is less (never less than 20 feet) · side setback: >= 5 feet (lots under 50 feet wide with existing side setbacks under 5 feet may match existing, not less than 10% of lot width) · rear yard average: >= 20 percent of lot depth (never less than 15 feet)

    “the front setback shall average no less than 25% of the depth of the lot or 25 feet, whichever is less, except that at no point shall the setback be less than 20 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 single-family residential zone inside Redondo Beach city limits (main single-family district)

    • Two-story maximum applies in addition to the height limit.
    • Height measured per the building height definition in § 10-2.402 (not opened).

    maximum building height: <= 30 feet (per definition of building height in § 10-2.402) · maximum stories: <= 2 stories (none stated)

    “no building or structure shall exceed a height of 30 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permits inside Redondo Beach city limits
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Redondo Beach city limits
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Redondo Beach city limits
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot area in R-1 and R-1A single-family zones inside Redondo Beach city limits
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage in R-1 and R-1A inside Redondo Beach city limits
17 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Redondo Beach 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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