Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Firebaugh, California
Firebaugh is a city in Fresno County, California. Firebaugh adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Firebaugh’s rules apply, not the county’s. 8 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 22, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Fresno County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Firebaugh
Firebaugh’s own rules
Local zoningPresent
Land inside Firebaugh city limits. Firebaugh city adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 25, Zoning).
Chapter 25 is the city's own zoning ordinance; it is not county zoning.
Amendments are cited in the code, e.g., [amended 4-7-2025 by ord. no. 25-02].
“districts are areas within the city of firebaugh within which certain zoning regulations apply.”
Zoning districtsPublished
Land inside Firebaugh city limits.
Districts listed in § 25-9.3 include UR (urban reserve), RA (rural residential), R-1, R-1-5, R-1-4.25, the R-1 (TN) variants, R-2, R-3 and others; only the R-1 district standards were read in this pass.
Overlay districts are provided for in § 25-9.4; the official zoning map is provided for in § 25-9.5 (map not opened).
“the districts hereby established and into which the city is divided are as follows: district symbol zone district ur urban reserve ra rural residential r-1 single-family residential, minimum lot size of 6,500 square feet”
Minimum lot sizeSpecified
Single-family residential R-1 district inside Firebaugh city limits (conventional single-family residential). Other single-family subdistricts: R-1-5 5,000 sq ft; R-1-4.25 4,250 sq ft.
Lot width and depth standards also apply: R-1 interior lots 60 feet, corner lots 65 feet, cul-de-sac/curve frontage lots 40 feet, depth 100 feet.
The R-1 (TN) traditional-neighborhood variant (§ 25-17) is a separate district with its own lot-size list; not analyzed here.
Quoted text is the code as shown on eCode360 with amendment note [amended 4-7-2025 by ord. no. 25-02] at § 25-15.1.
minimum site area (R-1): >= 6500 square feet
“the minimum lot size for firebaugh's single-family residential districts are as follows: district minimum site area r-1 6,500 square feet r-1-5 5,000 square feet r-1-4.25 4,250 square feet”
SetbacksSpecified
Single-family residential R-1 district inside Firebaugh city limits. Yard setbacks per Table 15-2.
Front yard 14 feet (minimum) is permitted if a front porch is provided that is at least 6 feet deep and 10 feet wide; garages and carports facing a street must be set back at least 20 feet regardless.
Corner lot street side yard 10 feet, except 20 feet required where a garage or carport faces a street.
Detached accessory structures no taller than 12 feet may have a zero rear or side yard setback if set back behind the front yard setback and behind the street-side setback on a corner lot.
Minimum six feet between accessory structures and a dwelling; no building closer than five feet to an alley; swimming pools in rear/side yards set back at least five feet from rear and side lines.
Table 15-2 states R-1-5 and R-1-4.25 values separately; not analyzed here.
front yard: >= 20 feet (14 feet permitted with qualifying front porch (min 6 ft deep x 10 ft wide)) · interior side yard: >= 5 feet · corner lot street side yard: >= 10 feet (20 feet where garage or carport faces street) · rear yard: >= 10 feet (detached accessory structures up to 12 feet may have zero rear/side setback as described in conditions)
“interior side yard 5 feet, minimum 5 feet, minimum 5 feet, minimum corner lot street side yard 10 feet, minimum, except 20 feet required where a garage or carport faces a street”
Lot coverageSpecified
Multifamily R-2 district inside Firebaugh city limits (not single-family).
R-3 district maximum is 80%; R-3 is a separate multifamily district.
district coverage R-2 maximum: <= 50 percent
“d. lot coverage. district coverage r-2 50% maximum r-3 80% maximum”
Building heightSpecified
Single-family residential R-1 district inside Firebaugh city limits.
Accessory structures in R-1 are limited to 12 feet.
ADUs are separately limited (one story and 16 feet detached; 18 feet near qualifying transit; 25 feet or primary-dwelling limit if attached) under § 25-41.9.
residential structure height maximum: <= 25 feet (also limited to two stories) · accessory structure height maximum: <= 12 feet
“residential structures shall not exceed 25 feet/two stories in height; accessory structures shall not exceed 12 feet in height.”
Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)
Single-family R-1 lots inside Firebaugh city limits.
Permitted by administrative approval, subject to design standards in § 25-15.9.
Mobile homes/modular homes are listed alongside conventional stick-built single-family dwellings; this pass did not open § 25-15.9 design standards.
“the following uses are permitted by administrative approval, subject to development standards contained in this § 25-15. a. single-family dwellings, including conventional stick-built, and mobile homes/modular homes subject to design standards contained in § 25-15.9 of this chapter.”
Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)
Single-family residential lots (R-1 and R-1 TN) inside Firebaugh city limits.
One ADU and one JADU per single-family lot.
Permitted by administrative approval, subject to § 25-41.9 standards.
Detached ADU unit size: one-bedroom up to 850 sq ft; two-bedroom up to 1,000 sq ft; more than two bedrooms up to 1,200 sq ft; attached ADU up to 50% of primary floor area, max 800 sq ft; minimum 220 sq ft.
Four-foot side and rear setback for detached ADU; 10 feet from other residential buildings on the parcel; 6 feet from accessory buildings.
Mobile homes, trailers and recreational vehicles are not permitted to be used as ADUs.
Section amended 12-19-2022 by ord. no. 22-05 and 4-7-2025 by ord. no. 25-02; the more restrictive of city and state standards applies.
ADUs per single-family lot: 1 count (one ADU and one JADU) · detached ADU max size, one bedroom: <= 850 square feet
“e. accessory dwelling units (adus) and junior accessory dwelling units (jadus), subject to standards contained in section 25-41.9 (accessory dwelling units).”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Firebaugh or Fresno County directly.
Building permit — New residential construction inside Firebaugh city limits.
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Firebaugh city limits.
Building code adopted — Construction inside Firebaugh city limits.
Inspections — Inspections of residential construction inside Firebaugh city limits.
Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new homes inside Firebaugh city limits.
17 more unanswered
Minimum dwelling size
Living in an RV
Camping on your land
Tiny homes
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
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 Firebaugh publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Fresno County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Firebaugh means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
