Zoning, building permits and septic rules in San Fernando, California

At a glance

Zoning

San Fernando adopts its own zoning (Code Chapter 106)¹

Building permits

Applied for through the city's online permit counter²

Minimum lot size

7,500 sq ft in R-1, R-2 and R-3³

Residential setbacks

20 ft front and rear, 5 ft side⁶

Maximum height

35 ft in R-1 and R-2, 45 ft in R-3⁷

RV living

Unlawful on streets, alleys and public parking places⁸

Septic

Los Angeles County Public Health plan approval⁴

Wells

Permitted by the County Drinking Water Program⁵

Who to call

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

Does San Fernando have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

San Fernando adopts its own zoning inside city limits, with R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential zones¹. The city's Planning Division administers the zoning and subdivision ordinances⁹.

In all three residential zones the minimum lot size is 7,500 square feet³. R-1 allows one unit per lot, R-2 allows one unit per 2,562 square feet of lot area, and R-3 allows one unit per 1,013 square feet³. Minimum lot width is 50 feet, or 55 feet on a corner, and minimum depth is 100 feet³.

Residential setbacks are 20 feet in the front, 20 feet in the rear and 5 feet on the side; the front setback depends on a block-average rule⁶. Maximum height is 35 feet in R-1 and R-2 and 45 feet in R-3⁷. Lot coverage tops out at 50% in R-1 and 40% in R-2 and R-3¹⁰. We reviewed only the residential zones, so commercial and other districts need a call to the Planning Division¹¹.

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

San Fernando takes applications for building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits through its own online permit counter². The code chapter that sets when a permit is required was not among the sections we reviewed, so confirm the exact threshold for your project with the city before you start.

California applies its statewide building standards in every city¹². An owner-builder who signs a building permit application takes responsibility for the project, which must pass codes and building inspections¹³. The state's owner-builder exemption covers contractor licensing only and does not waive a local building permit¹⁴.

A lot inside San Fernando city limits is a city matter for building permits, so the county's unincorporated-area permit office is not the place to apply².

Who do you contact at the City of San Fernando for planning and building permits?

Zoning questions go to the Community Development Department's Planning Division at (818) 898-1227 or communitydevelopment@sanfernando.gov⁹. The in-person planning counter is open Monday through Wednesday mornings or by appointment⁹. Bring two architectural plan sets and a completed application for a submittal⁹.

Building permit applications start at the city's online permit counter, which lists separate applications for planning review, building permits and public works permits². City Hall is at 117 MacNeil Street, and the main line is (818) 898-1200².

How do septic permits work inside San Fernando?

Septic permits are not issued by the city's permit counter. In Los Angeles County, anyone who constructs, installs, alters or repairs a septic system must submit an application and receive plan approval from the Director of Public Health before any work begins⁴. The county's Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program reviews plans, soil evaluations and percolation test data¹⁵.

The county's reviewed rule is written for unincorporated land, and the same program also serves contracted cities¹⁶. We could not confirm whether a private septic system inside San Fernando city limits goes through that program or through another office, so call Environmental Health at (626) 430-5380¹⁵ and ask the city's Community Development Department whether sewer connection is required for your lot.

Wells for a property in San Fernando are permitted by the County Drinking Water Program; only Long Beach, Pasadena and Vernon are excluded⁵.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in San Fernando?

Living in an RV on a street, alley or public parking place in San Fernando is unlawful, except at a designated public campground or a licensed mobile home park⁸. Overnight RV street parking requires a resident or guest RV permit⁸.

Keeping an RV in a required front setback is limited to 72 hours⁸. We could not confirm whether the city allows anyone to live in an RV on private residential property.

California law says RVs are not intended as permanent dwellings and, unless a local ordinance says otherwise, generally may be occupied only in mobilehome parks or special occupancy parks¹⁷. A tiny home can be occupied only if it is approved as a HUD-Code manufactured home, a Residential Code home, factory-built housing, an RV, a park trailer or a camping cabin¹⁸. San Fernando's own tiny home rule was not confirmed.

Building a home in San Fernando: the steps, in order

1. Confirm your lot's zone and its lot size, setback, height and coverage limits with the Planning Division⁹.
2. Check whether any part of the lot sits in a flood-prone area; new construction and substantial improvements there must be anchored, use flood-resistant materials and elevate utilities¹⁹.
3. Submit planning applications and building permit applications through the city's online permit counter².
4. If you want an accessory dwelling unit, apply for it at the same counter; California requires the permitting agency to decide whether the application is complete within 15 business days²⁰.
5. Ask Los Angeles County Public Health about any septic system¹⁵, and about a well through the County Drinking Water Program⁵.

What stays with Los Angeles County, and what should you check before buying in San Fernando?

Inside San Fernando, the city sets zoning¹. Los Angeles County handles septic plan approval⁴ and well permits⁵. For land outside any city, see the Los Angeles County page, where the county's own rules for unincorporated areas apply.

Before you buy, check flood exposure¹⁹, the parcel's residential zone¹¹ and whether sewer service is available. Los Angeles County's typical home value is about $888,426²¹ and its effective property tax rate is 0.7%²²; both are county-level figures, not San Fernando's own.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm San Fernando's building permit thresholds, owner-builder handling, ADU rules or tiny home rules from the city code; ask the Community Development Department at (818) 898-1227⁹.
• Los Angeles County's septic rule is written for unincorporated areas and contracted cities, so confirm with Environmental Health whether it covers your San Fernando address¹⁶.
• RV habitation on streets and public parking places is unlawful in San Fernando, and overnight RV street parking needs a permit⁸.
• Only the residential zones were reviewed; check commercial and other districts with the Planning Division before buying¹¹.

Sources

1. San Fernando Code Sec. 106-43 Density and massing development standards (San Fernando), quoted and re-checked
2. City of San Fernando, Online Permit Counter (building permits) (sanfernando.gov)
3. San Fernando Code Sec. 106-43 Density and massing development standards (San Fernando), quoted and re-checked
4. admin.publichealth.lacounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
5. State Small Water Systems and Wells, quoted and re-checked
6. San Fernando Code Sec. 106-43 Density and massing development standards (San Fernando), quoted and re-checked
7. San Fernando Code Sec. 106-43 Density and massing development standards (San Fernando), quoted and re-checked
8. San Fernando Code Sec. 106-44 Residential zoned property development standards (San Fernando), quoted and re-checked
9. City of San Fernando Community Development Department, Planning Division (sanfernando.gov)
10. San Fernando Code Sec. 106-43 Density and massing development standards (San Fernando), quoted and re-checked
11. San Fernando Code Sec. 106-43 Density and massing development standards (San Fernando), quoted and re-checked
12. California Health and Safety Code Section 17922 (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Owner-Builder Responsibilities (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. California Business and Professions Code Section 7044 (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. LA County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health – Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program (admin.publichealth.lacounty.gov)
16. Local Agency Management Program (LAMP), quoted and re-checked
17. hcd.ca.gov (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Information Bulletin 2016-01: Tiny Homes (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. San Fernando Code Sec. 26-155 Provisions for flood hazard reduction (San Fernando), quoted and re-checked
20. Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook March 2026 (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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.