Bolthole Index

San Bernardino County, California

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Chino Hills, California

Chino Hills, California requires a building permit for all residential and commercial construction, including additions, alterations and repairs1. The city applies its own residential zoning districts, with different lot sizes in each2. Building permits come from the city's Building & Safety Division, not San Bernardino County. We could not confirm who permits septic systems inside city limits, so ask the county's Environmental Health Services before you buy.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for all residential and commercial construction1
Zoning
City zoning with residential districts R-A, R-R, R-S, RM-1, RM-2 and RM-323
Minimum lot size
R-A 5 acres; R-R 20,000 sq ft; R-S 7,200 sq ft4
Building code
2025 California Building Code adopted5
Accessory dwellings
ADUs and junior ADUs allowed6
RV living
Limited in flood zones; city open space bans camping78
Septic
Authority inside city limits not confirmed; ask the county9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Chino Hills Building & Safety Division

Building permits and permit questions inside Chino Hills city limits

(909) 364-2780

14000 City Center Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709

Septic permits

San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services - Land Use & Wastewater Program

Onsite wastewater (septic) systems and wells in unincorporated San Bernardino County; ask this office whether it also covers a lot inside Chino Hills

(800) 442-2283

385 N. Arrowhead Ave, 2nd Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0160

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 Chino Hills means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Chino Hills have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Chino Hills adopts its own zoning for residential land inside city limits2. The residential districts are R-A, R-R, R-S, RM-1, RM-2 and RM-3, and Planned Development and R-S-1 land follows separate standards3.

Lot size depends on the district. For single-family homes, R-A requires at least 5 acres, R-R at least 20,000 square feet and R-S at least 7,200 square feet4. Front-yard setbacks are 25 feet in R-A and R-R and 20 feet in R-S10. Maximum building height is 35 feet from R-A through RM-1 and 42 feet in RM-2 and RM-311. R-S allows 40 percent building coverage, RM-1 allows 55 percent and RM-2 and RM-3 allow 60 percent12. Find the parcel's district before you plan anything.

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

Yes. The City of Chino Hills requires a building permit for all commercial and residential construction, including adding, altering, repairing or demolishing a building or structure1. The city enforces the 2025 California Building Code5.

The city's Building & Safety Division answers permit questions at (909) 364-278013. Building permit applications, inspection requests and planning applications all go through the city's online portal14. Fees are listed in the city's Master Schedule of Fees, Fines & Penalties15. San Bernardino County's Building and Safety office serves unincorporated land only, so it is the wrong counter for a Chino Hills address16.

We could not confirm an owner-builder rule specific to the city. California's statewide owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensing and does not remove permit or inspection requirements17.

How do septic permits and wells work in Chino Hills?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Chino Hills city limits. The city's code gives a regional water board an approval role, but we did not find the full permitting path. Statewide, septic oversight is shared between the State Water Board, regional boards and local agencies running approved local programs9.

The county office that handles septic systems and wells in unincorporated San Bernardino County is Environmental Health Services, reachable at (800) 442-228318. Ask that office, and the city's Building & Safety Division, which agency covers the specific lot, and whether sewer service is available, before you rely on a septic system. Well permits in California are generally administered by a local enforcing agency such as the county environmental health department19.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Chino Hills?

Chino Hills has no citywide private-land RV rule that we could confirm. In FEMA flood zones A1-30, AH and AE, an RV must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or else meet the city's permit and elevation requirements7. On city-owned open space, tents, shanties and other temporary structures are prohibited8.

We did not find a dedicated tiny-home rule. The practical route is an accessory dwelling unit: Chino Hills allows ADUs and junior ADUs of at least 220 square feet, and rentals must exceed 30 days6. Confirm the parcel's flood zone and the RV question with the Building & Safety Division at (909) 364-278013.

Building a home in Chino Hills: the steps, in order

  1. Look up the parcel's zoning district and confirm lot size, setbacks and height against the district standards4.
  2. Check whether the parcel lies in a FEMA flood zone, because manufactured homes and RVs there face extra elevation rules20.
  3. Call the Building & Safety Division at (909) 364-2780 to confirm which applications your project needs13.
  4. Apply for the building permit through the city's online portal14.
  5. Ask Environmental Health Services at (800) 442-2283 about septic or well requirements for the lot18.
  6. Build to the 2025 California Building Code and request inspections through the portal5.

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

San Bernardino County's rules for unincorporated land do not apply inside Chino Hills; the county's building permits and zoning cover only unincorporated areas16. For land outside the city, see the San Bernardino County page.

County-level numbers are context only. San Bernardino County's effective property tax rate is 0.7 percent21, and about 14.5 percent of its soils rate as not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so many county lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system22. We could not confirm city rules on driveway access, subdivision or a water or sewer connection requirement, so ask the Building & Safety Division about those.

Watch-outs

  • Building permits inside Chino Hills come from the city, not San Bernardino County, so the county planning counter will not help with a city address1.
  • Septic authority inside city limits is unconfirmed; call San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services at (800) 442-2283 before assuming a septic system is allowed18.
  • The city's permit page warns that permit applications can change without notice, so confirm current forms in the online portal14.

Sources

  1. City of Chino Hills—Permits (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 16.10.030—Development standards (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 16.10.030—Development standards (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 16.10.030—Development standards (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chino Hills Municipal Code Chapter 15.04—California Construction Codes Adopted (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 16.10.140—Accessory dwelling units (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 15.12.210—Standards for recreational vehicles (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 12.32.160—Camping (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  9. Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS Policy) (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 16.10.030—Development standards (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 16.10.030—Development standards (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 16.10.030—Development standards (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Chino Hills Building & Safety Division (chinohills.org)
  14. City of Chino Hills—Permit Applications and Handouts (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  15. City of Chino Hills—Master Schedule of Fees, Fines & Penalties (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  16. Building and Safety Questions – Land Use Services, quoted and re-checked
  17. Approved Building Standards (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services - Land Use & Wastewater Program (ehs.sbcounty.gov)
  19. Well Standards (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Chino Hills Municipal Code § 15.12.210—Standards for recreational vehicles (Chino Hills), quoted and re-checked
  21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Chino Hills

Chino Hills’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Commercial and residential construction inside Chino Hills.

    • Includes adding, altering, repairing, or demolishing a building or structure.
    “Building | Required for all Commercial & Residential construction, including adding, altering, repairing, or demolishing a building or structure.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings and structures in Chino Hills.

    • The ordinance states 'Except as hereinafter provided.'

    California Building Code edition: 2025 (Includes the listed appendix chapters.)

    “15.04.010 - 2025 edition of the california building code adopted. except as hereinafter provided, those certain building codes known and designated as the california building code 2025 edition volumes 1 and 2 including appendix chapters "i," "j," "l," "p," and "q," shall become the building codes of the city”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Residential land inside Chino Hills city limits.

    • Planned Development, PD, and R-S-1 residential uses use separately identified standards.
    “table 20-1(a) sets forth the development standards that all residential units in the residential zone districts must comply with, except for residential uses in the planned development district or in a pd or in r-s-1 residential zone district.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Residential zoning districts inside Chino Hills.

    • The table excludes PD, Planned Development, and R-S-1 standards, which are separately identified in the code.
    “residential zone districts—development standards development standard zoning district: r-a zoning district: r-r zoning district: r-s zoning district: rm-1 zoning district: rm-2 zoning district: rm-3”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached residential development in R-A, R-R, R-S, RM-1, RM-2, and RM-3 districts inside Chino Hills.

    • Small-lot overlay and Planned Development districts have additional or alternative standards; lots created in RM districts must comply with R-S standards.

    R-A minimum lot size: 5 acres · R-R minimum lot size: 20000 sq ft · R-S minimum lot size: 7200 sq ft

    “minimum lot size (single-family detached residential development) or minimum project area (a) 5.0 ac 20,000 sf 7,200 sf 10,000 sf project area 20,000 sf project area 20,000 sf project area”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential development in R-A, R-R, R-S, RM-1, RM-2, and RM-3 districts inside Chino Hills.

    • Front-yard variation is required; R-S side-yard aggregate and structure-separation rules apply; Planned Development and hillside standards are separately addressed.

    R-A front-yard setback: 25 ft · R-R front-yard setback: 25 ft · R-S primary-structure front-yard setback: >= 20 ft (22-foot average.)

    “h. minimum front yard setback (d) primary structure 25 ft. 25 ft. 20 ft. min.; 22 ft. avg. (e) 25 ft. 25 ft. 20 ft.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential development in R-A, R-R, R-S, RM-1, RM-2, and RM-3 districts inside Chino Hills.

    • R-A and R-R are listed as N/A; other districts have stated maximum building coverage.

    R-S maximum building coverage: <= 40 percent · RM-1 maximum building coverage: <= 55 percent · RM-2/RM-3 maximum building coverage: <= 60 percent

    “d. maximum lot coverage by: buildings (g) n/a n/a 40% 55% 60% 60%”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential development in R-A, R-R, R-S, RM-1, RM-2, and RM-3 districts inside Chino Hills.

    • Exempt antennas defined by the Development Code are exempt from maximum-height restrictions.

    R-A through RM-1 maximum building height: <= 35 ft (R-A subject to table note (c).) · RM-2/RM-3 maximum building height: <= 42 ft

    “g. maximum building height (c) 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. 42 ft. 42 ft.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed in FEMA Zones A1-30, AH, and AE inside Chino Hills.

    • Vehicle must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, fully licensed, highway-ready, and connected only by quick-disconnect utilities/security devices; alternatively it must meet Article IV permit requirements and manufactured-home elevation and anchoring requirements.

    maximum consecutive days on site: < 180 days (Alternative compliance route under § 15.12.210(A)(2).)

    “be on the site for fewer than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days, and be fully licensed and ready for highway use”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    City-Owned Open Space in Chino Hills.

    • This claim is limited to City-Owned Open Space; it does not establish a citywide private-land camping rule.
    “No person shall maintain, erect, or permit the erection of any hut, shanty, tent, tarpaulin, or other type of temporary structure at or upon the City-Owned Open Space.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes placed or substantially improved in FEMA Zones A1-30, AH, and AE inside Chino Hills.

    • Outside/ new/expanded parks and substantially flood-damaged sites require a permanent anchored foundation and lowest floor at least one foot above base flood elevation; existing parks have alternative elevation/chassis requirements.

    lowest-floor elevation above base flood elevation: >= 1 ft (For sites specified in § 15.12.200(A).)

    “all manufactured homes that are placed or substantially improved, within zones a1-30, ah, and ae on the community's flood insurance rate map, on sites located: 1. outside of a manufactured home park or subdivision; 2. in a new manufactured home park or subdivision;”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units inside Chino Hills.

    • Unit must conform to § 16.10.140; rentals or leases must exceed 30 days; specified public-safety overlay locations are ineligible except under listed criteria.

    minimum ADU/JADU size: >= 220 sq ft · minimum rental period: > 30 days

    “accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units shall have a minimum size of two hundred twenty (220) square feet.”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Development involving manufactured homes or recreational vehicles in FEMA Zones A1-30, AH, and AE inside Chino Hills.

    • Manufactured homes and recreational vehicles must satisfy the applicable floodplain standards; recreational vehicles may use the limited-duration/highway-ready alternative.
    “all manufactured homes that are placed or substantially improved, within zones a1-30, ah, and ae on the community's flood insurance rate map, on sites located:”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    City services and permits inside Chino Hills.

    • Most fees are reviewed annually; the city page links schedules effective January 1 and July 1, 2026.
    “The Master Schedule of Fees, Fines & Penalties contains the fees for most City services.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building, inspection, and planning applications inside Chino Hills.

    • Applicants are directed to the online portal; permit applications can change without notice.
    “the online portal is used for all: building permit applications building inspection requests planning applications”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Chino Hills or San Bernardino County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Chino Hills.
  • Inspections — Construction inside Chino Hills.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Buildings inside Chino Hills.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Chino Hills.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Chino Hills.
10 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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 Chino Hills publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. San Bernardino County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of San Bernardino County: county rules, score and offices