Bolthole Index

San Bernardino County, California

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Chino, California

Chino, California sets its own zoning under Title 20 of the Chino Municipal Code1, and building permits inside city limits come from the city's Building Division2, not San Bernardino County. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the city, because the county septic program covers only unincorporated land3. Call the city Building Division and County Environmental Health Services before you buy.

At a glance

Building permits
Issued by the City of Chino Building Division, not the county2
Zoning
City zoning under Title 20 of the Chino Municipal Code1
Building code
2025 California Building Code with city amendments4
RV living
Temporary only, for a senior citizen, 90 days plus a possible 30-day extension5
Septic
Not confirmed for general city land; county program excludes cities3
Short-term rentals
Not permitted in the city6
Agricultural (AG) district lots
50-acre minimum lot area7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Chino Development Services Department - Building Division

Building permits, plan review and inspections inside Chino city limits

909-334-3314

13220 Central Avenue Chino , CA 91710

Planning & zoning

City of Chino Planning Division

Zoning districts, the official zoning map and zoning clearances inside Chino city limits

909-334-3250

Septic permits

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

County septic and well review for unincorporated land; the office to ask whether it has any role for a parcel inside Chino

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

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Does Chino, California have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, lot size and height?

Yes. Title 20 of the Chino Municipal Code is the City of Chino's zoning ordinance1. Zoning is mapped on the official zoning map at the Planning Division counter, and allowed uses and development standards are listed district by district8. Standards differ by district, so look up your parcel's district before you plan anything.

In the AG agricultural district the table sets a 50-acre minimum lot area, 300 feet of width and 300 feet of depth7. Buildings in AG may rise to 35 feet9. In the RD 8 single-family district, maximum lot coverage is 60 percent10 and the height limit is also 35 feet11.

RV living is tightly limited. Chino allows a temporary RV living unit for a senior citizen on a parcel that already has a single-family residence, with zoning clearance, one unit, and a 90-day continuous stay that the Director of Community Development may extend once by 30 days; permanent residence in an RV is limited to designated mobile home parks5. Short-term rentals are not permitted in the city6.

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

Building permits inside Chino come from the city, not from San Bernardino County. The City of Chino's Development Services Department processes building and planning permit requests, and an online permit portal and guides are available on the city's site12. The Building Division issues building permits and takes in plans for review2.

Chino has adopted the 2025 California Building Code with city amendments listed in Chapter 15 of the Chino Municipal Code4. The county's permit rules, such as its threshold for detached buildings, apply only to unincorporated land13.

We could not confirm from the city's pages whether Chino offers an owner-builder exemption from permit requirements, so ask the Building Division before starting work. California's owner-builder rule covers contractor licensing only and does not remove permit or inspection requirements14.

How do septic permits and wells work inside Chino?

We could not confirm a general septic permit procedure for land inside Chino. San Bernardino County's septic program says incorporated cities and towns fall outside its scope3, and the city sources we found address private onsite wastewater only for farm employee housing. There, public water and public wastewater collection service are required unless the city approves a private onsite system15.

County Environmental Health Services is the office to ask whether it has any role for a parcel in the city16. Also ask about wells: the county says a well permit is required for building, destroying or rehabilitating any well in San Bernardino County, but its page does not say whether that rule overrides city requirements17. We found no Chino rule on wells.

Can you build farm employee housing in Chino?

Small farm employee housing, a permitted agricultural use in the agricultural, OS 1 and OS 2 zones, means no more than 36 beds in group quarters, or 12 units or spaces for a family or household, and it needs only a zoning clearance18. Larger projects need site approval by the planning commission18. Farm employee housing must use public water and public wastewater service unless the city approves a private onsite system19.

Building a home in Chino: the steps, in order

  1. Look up the parcel's zoning district on the city's zoning map or with the Planning Division, and check the district's development standards8.
  2. Confirm what the district allows for your use, such as an RV or farm housing, before you buy5.
  3. Submit plans through the city's permit portal to the Building Division, and build to the 2025 California Building Code with Chino's amendments124.
  4. Ask Building Division staff and County Environmental Health Services how water, sewer or any onsite system will be handled for your parcel216.

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

Land outside Chino city limits follows the county's rules instead. For unincorporated land, see the San Bernardino County page. Those rules apply only outside city limits20.

Several Chino topics we could not confirm from city sources: accessory dwelling units, tiny homes, manufactured homes, minimum dwelling size, subdivision and driveway standards12. Ask the Planning Division or Building Division about each before relying on it.

Costs are county-level: San Bernardino County's effective property tax rate is about 0.7 percent21, and the typical home value is about $553,85522.

Watch-outs

  • County rules for unincorporated land, including its septic program, do not apply inside Chino city limits3.
  • We could not confirm a general septic permit, well permit or owner-builder rule inside Chino; ask the Building Division and County Environmental Health Services216.
  • Short-term rentals are not permitted in Chino6.

Sources

  1. Zoning (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Chino Development Services Department - Building Division (cityofchino.org)
  3. San Bernardino County Local Agency Management Program, quoted and re-checked
  4. Building (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  5. Temporary recreational vehicle living units (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  6. cityofchino.org (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  7. library.municode.com (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  8. Zoning (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  9. library.municode.com (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  10. Residential development standards (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  11. Residential development standards (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  12. Development Services Permitting Process (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  13. Building and Safety Questions – Land Use Services, quoted and re-checked
  14. Building Officials - Owner-Builder Overview, quoted and re-checked
  15. Farm employee housing (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  16. San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services - Land Use & Wastewater Program (ehs.sbcounty.gov)
  17. Do I need a permit to construct or destroy a well?, quoted and re-checked
  18. Farm employee housing (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  19. Farm employee housing (Chino), quoted and re-checked
  20. Building & Safety Home – Land Use Services, quoted and re-checked
  21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Typical home value (Zillow): 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

Chino’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building construction inside Chino city limits.

    • The 2025 California Building Code is adopted with city amendments listed in Chapter 15 of the Chino Municipal Code.

    building code edition: 2025 California Building Code (with city amendments)

    “Currently, the City of Chino has adopted the 2025 Edition of the California Building Code with some amendments. The specific adoption and amendments are listed in Chapter 15 of the Chino Municipal Code.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Chino city limits.

    “Title 20 of the Chino Municipal Code is the City's Zoning Ordinance.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Chino city limits.

    • The City states that zoning is mapped on the official zoning map and that development standards and allowed uses are organized by zoning district.
    “Zoning districts establish allowed uses and development standards for each zoning district. In order to see the Development Standards or allowed uses, click on the district in which you wish to view or you may visit the Planning Division. In addition, the zoning is mapped on the City's Official Zoning Map which is on display at the Planning Division counter and can be viewed on our Maps page.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    AG agricultural district inside Chino city limits.

    • The AG table specifies a minimum lot area, width, and depth.

    minimum lot area: 50 acres · minimum lot width: 300 feet · minimum lot depth: 300 feet

    “Minimum Lot Area 50 acre N/A N/A N/A N/A Minimum Lot Width 300 feet N/A N/A N/A N/A Minimum Lot Depth 300 feet N/A N/A N/A N/A”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    RD 8 single-family residential district inside Chino city limits.

    maximum lot coverage: 60 percent

    “Lot Coverage, Maximum 25% 25% 60% 60% Floor Area Ratio, Maximum”
  • Building heightSpecified

    AG agricultural district inside Chino city limits.

    maximum stories: 2.5 stories · maximum height: 35 feet

    “Maximum Building Height Stories 2-1/2 N/A N/A N/A N/A Feet 35 feet N/A N/A N/A N/A”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — RD 8 single-family residential district inside Chino city limits.
      “Building Height, Maximum Stories 2-1/2 2-1/2 2-1/2 2-1/2 Feet 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    RV occupancy on parcels inside Chino city limits.

    • Temporary RV living is for a senior citizen, requires a single-family residence on the parcel, zoning clearance, one unit maximum, a 90-day continuous period, and a possible one-time 30-day extension.
    • Permanent residences in RVs, mobile homes, travel trailers, motorhomes, and campers are limited to officially designated mobile home parks.
    • Sewer service for the temporary RV must be self-contained; dumping sewage on the lot is prohibited.

    initial occupancy: 90 days (one-time 30-day extension may be issued) · maximum units: 1 per lot or parcel

    “A temporary recreational vehicle living unit may be occupied for a continuous ninety-day period. The director of community development may issue a one-time thirty-day time extension, provided all requirements of this section have been met.”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    Farm employee housing inside Chino city limits using private onsite wastewater disposal.

    • Public water and public wastewater collection service are required unless a private onsite wastewater disposal system is approved by the City.
    “All farm employee housing shall have public water service and public wastewater collection service unless a private on-site wastewater disposal system in approved by the city.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Farm employee housing inside Chino city limits.

    • Public wastewater collection is required unless the City approves a private onsite wastewater disposal system.
    “All farm employee housing shall have public water service and public wastewater collection service unless a private on-site wastewater disposal system in approved by the city.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Farm employee housing inside Chino city limits.

    • Private onsite wastewater disposal is an exception only when approved by the City.
    “All farm employee housing shall have public water service and public wastewater collection service unless a private on-site wastewater disposal system in approved by the city.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Small farm employee housing in AG, OS 1, or OS 2 districts inside Chino city limits.

    • No more than 36 beds in group quarters or 12 single-family units/spaces; only zoning clearance is required.
    • Large farm employee housing requires site approval by the planning commission.

    maximum group-quarter beds: <= 36 beds · maximum single-family units or spaces: <= 12 units or spaces

    “Small farm employee housing, consisting of no more than thirty-six beds in group quarters or twelve units or spaces designed for use by a single family or household on a site in an agricultural zone, OS 1 zone, or OS 2 zone, is a permitted agricultural use and only requires a zoning clearance under Section 20.23.120 to confirm that the standards of this section and other applicable requirements of this title are met.”
  • Short-term rentalsProhibited

    Short-term rentals inside Chino city limits.

    • The cited City document defines short-term rentals as lodging for less than a calendar month or less than 31 consecutive days.
    “Short Term Rentals (STRs) are not permitted in the City of Chino. Chino Municipal Code Section 20.24.020 defines Short Term Rentals as follows: Short-Term Rental. Rental of any residential building, portion of such building, or group of such buildings in which there are guest rooms or suites, including housekeeping units, for transient guests, where lodging with or without meals is provided for a period of less than a calendar month or less than thirty-one consecutive days.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building and planning permit requests inside Chino city limits.

    • The City provides online permit guides and a permit portal; the cited page does not enumerate every substantive approval requirement.
    “The Development Services Department processes building and planning permit requests. To help you navigate the permit processing portal, please refer to the available guides below or proceed directly to the Permit Portal.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permits inside Chino city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family and agricultural districts inside Chino city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Chino city limits.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Chino city limits.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Chino city limits.
5 more unanswered
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access

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 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