Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Upland, California

At a glance

Zoning

Upland's own Title 17 zoning ordinance¹

Building permits

Applications go online through the city's Citizen Self Service portal²

Planning office

City Planning Division handles zoning questions³

Minimum home size

1,400 sq ft in RS-7.5; 2,000 sq ft in RS-20⁵⁶

Minimum lot size

7,500 sq ft in RS-7.5; 20,000 sq ft in RS-20⁷⁸

Septic

Not confirmed inside city limits; ask county Environmental Health⁴

RV and tiny home living

Not confirmed; ask the Planning Division³

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Does Upland, California have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and home size?

Yes. Upland, California applies its own Title 17 Zoning Ordinance to land inside city limits¹. The residential zones are RS-20, RS-15, RS-10, RS-7.5, RS-4, RS-MH and the multifamily RM-10 through RM-40⁹.

Standards change by district. In RS-7.5, a new parcel needs at least 7,500 sq ft and 60 ft of width, lot coverage tops out at 45%, and the main dwelling must be at least 1,400 sq ft⁷¹⁰⁵. In RS-20, a new parcel needs at least 20,000 sq ft and 100 ft of width, coverage tops out at 35%, and the main dwelling must be at least 2,000 sq ft⁸¹¹⁶. Primary structures in both districts are capped at 35 ft¹²¹³. We did not review the other districts here, so ask the Planning Division for your parcel's zone³.

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

Upland's own Building & Safety Division handles building permits for work inside city limits, and it requires every application to be submitted online through its Citizen Self Service portal². The division enforces the 2025 California Building Code and Title 15 of the Upland municipal code². California's statewide building code applies to residential construction across the state¹⁴.

We could not confirm the city's fee schedule, inspection steps or owner-builder procedure. California law offers an owner-builder exemption from contractor licensing, and an owner who signs a permit application takes on the responsibilities that come with it¹⁵. Confirm how that works in Upland with the Building & Safety Division at (909) 931-4110².

Who handles zoning and setback questions in Upland?

The City of Upland Planning Division is the first call. The city's page tells property owners to contact the Planning Division at (909) 931-4130 to verify zoning requirements, including setbacks³. Inside city limits, the county's Planning counter is not the right office, because Upland sets zoning under its own code¹. Land divisions are regulated by Title 16 of the city code¹⁶, so ask Planning before you count on splitting a lot.

How do septic permits work inside Upland?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits for land inside Upland city limits, or whether a new septic system is allowed there at all. San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services runs the septic program for unincorporated areas of the county, and its program page lists the Land Use & Wastewater Program office⁴. California requires a permit for new and replacement septic systems¹⁷. Call Environmental Health Services at (800) 442-2283 before you assume a lot can use a septic system, and ask the Building & Safety Division whether sewer connection is required⁴². We also could not confirm the city's private well rules.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Upland?

We could not confirm whether Upland allows long-term RV living on a residential lot. Upland's use table lists recreational vehicle storage and parking only in a non-residential column⁹, so do not assume an RV can be a home. Tiny homes are not addressed in the residential chapters we reviewed. The RS-MH zone is for mobile homes in a mobile home park of at least 10 acres, with at least 4,400 sq ft of land per home¹⁸. Ask the Planning Division at (909) 931-4130³.

Building a home in Upland: the steps, in order

1. Call the Planning Division to confirm your parcel's zone, setbacks and any historic design requirement³.
2. Ask San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services whether septic or sewer applies to your lot⁴.
3. Register for the Citizen Self Service portal and submit plans online to the Building & Safety Division².
4. Build to the 2025 California Building Code as adopted in Title 15 of the city code².
5. Schedule inspections through the same portal and ask about final approval for occupancy².

What stays with San Bernardino County, and what to check before you buy in Upland

The county's unincorporated rules do not apply inside Upland. For land outside city limits, see the San Bernardino County page. Septic and well authority inside the city is unconfirmed, so ask county Environmental Health Services⁴. Costs are county-level: San Bernardino County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%¹⁹ and the typical home value is $553,855²⁰. Confirm floodplain status and driveway or access rules with the city before you buy; we did not find them in the city code we reviewed².

Watch-outs

• Upland's Building & Safety Division takes permit applications online only, so a paper application is not an option².
• We could not confirm septic, well, RV, tiny-home or permit-fee rules inside Upland city limits; ask Planning at (909) 931-4130 and Environmental Health Services at (800) 442-2283³⁴.
• Minimum lot and home sizes differ by zone, so verify your parcel's district before you rely on the RS-7.5 or RS-20 figures⁹.

Sources

1. Code of Ordinances, City of Upland, CA (eCode360 table of contents) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
2. City of Upland Building & Safety Division (uplandca.gov)
3. City of Upland Planning Division (uplandca.gov)
4. San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services - Land Use & Wastewater Program (ehs.sbcounty.gov)
5. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
6. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
7. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
8. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
9. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
10. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
11. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
12. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
13. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
14. Approved Building Standards (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. California Business and Professions Code Section 7044 (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Code of Ordinances, City of Upland, CA (eCode360 table of contents) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
17. 2023 OWTS Policy (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Upland Municipal Code, Title 17 Zoning Ordinance, Part 2, § 17.04 Residential zones (eCode360) (Upland), quoted and re-checked
19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
20. Typical home value (Zillow): 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.