Zoning, building permits and septic in Grand Terrace, California

At a glance

Zoning

City zoning plan with residential districts (RH, R1-20, R1-10, R1-7.2, R2, R3 and others)¹⁵

Building code

2025 California Residential Code, with local amendments²

Minimum lot size

20,000, 10,000 or 7,200 sq ft in the R1 districts⁶

Minimum home size

1,350 sq ft of living area in R1 districts⁷

Front setback

25 ft in residential districts (some exceptions)⁸

RV or camping

Camping on public or private property is unlawful³

Manufactured homes

Allowed on a permanent foundation if 10 years old or newer at installation⁹

Septic and wells

Not confirmed inside the city; ask county Environmental Health Services⁴

Who to call

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

Does Grand Terrace, CA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Grand Terrace has adopted its own zoning plan, a districting plan under state law¹. The residential districts are RH, R1-20, R1-10, R1-7.2, R2, R3, R3-S, R3-20 and R3-24⁵.

In the single-family R1 districts, minimum lot size is 20,000 square feet in R1-20, 10,000 in R1-10 and 7,200 in R1-7.2⁶. A single-family home in an R1 district needs at least 1,350 square feet of living area⁷. Front yards in residential districts are 25 feet, with exceptions in the code's footnotes⁸. Lot coverage tops out at 40% in R1-20 and 50% in R1-10 and R1-7.2¹⁰, and residential buildings are capped at 35 feet, with accessory structures limited to 20 feet¹¹. Side and rear setbacks vary by district; ask the city planning office¹².

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

Grand Terrace has adopted the 2025 California Residential Code, with local amendments in the city's Chapter 15.10, for residential buildings inside city limits². Manufactured homes and modular units installed in the city also need a building permit⁹. The city's own Building & Safety office takes inspection requests¹³.

We could not confirm the city's permit exemptions, fees or certificate-of-occupancy rules, so call the city's Building & Safety office before you start. The San Bernardino County Building and Safety rules apply to unincorporated land, not to parcels inside Grand Terrace; for land outside the city, see the San Bernardino County page.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Grand Terrace?

Camping on any public or private property in Grand Terrace is unlawful and a public nuisance, and the City Manager may issue a temporary permit only in connection with a special event³. Under the code, camping means using a single location for more than 24 hours³. Living in an RV on a lot inside the city is therefore not a safe plan.

RVs parked in flood-mapped zones A1-30, AH and AE must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days or be fully licensed and ready for highway use¹⁴. We found no tiny-home rule for the city, so ask the planning office¹².

Manufactured homes are allowed if they meet the zone's standards, are 10 years old or newer at installation and sit on a permanent foundation⁹.

How do septic permits work in Grand Terrace?

We could not confirm who permits septic systems or water wells inside Grand Terrace city limits. We found no city septic program. Ask San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services, which handles septic systems in the county's unincorporated area⁴. California septic oversight is split between the state water boards and local agencies¹⁵. Well permits in California are generally issued by local agencies such as county environmental health departments¹⁶.

Building a home in Grand Terrace: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and lot standards with city Planning¹².
2. Check the district's lot size, front setback and 1,350-square-foot home minimum for R1 districts⁷.
3. Apply for a building permit from the city's Building & Safety office, under the 2025 California Residential Code²¹³.
4. Ask county Environmental Health Services about septic or sewer connection⁴.
5. Request inspections through city Building & Safety¹³.

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

Septic and well questions point to San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services⁴. San Bernardino County's property tax rate is an effective 0.7%, with a median bill of $3,346 a year¹⁷¹⁸. These tax figures are county-level, not specific to Grand Terrace.

Check flood zones, because the city has special rules for RVs and development in zones A1-30, AH and AE¹⁴. For rules on unincorporated land nearby, use the San Bernardino County page.

Watch-outs

• Camping on private property in Grand Terrace is unlawful, so do not plan to live in an RV on a city lot³.
• We could not confirm the city's building permit exemptions, fees or inspection rules; call the city Building & Safety office¹³.
• We could not confirm who issues septic or well permits inside the city; ask county Environmental Health Services⁴.

Sources

1. Grand Terrace Municipal Code Title 18 Zoning, Sec. 18.03.010 and Table 18.10.040 (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
2. Grand Terrace Municipal Code 15.10.010 Residential Code adoption (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
3. Grand Terrace Municipal Code 9.32.030 Unlawful camping (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
4. San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services - Land Use & Wastewater Program (ehs.sbcounty.gov)
5. Grand Terrace Municipal Code Title 18 Zoning, Sec. 18.03.010 and Table 18.10.040 (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
6. Grand Terrace Municipal Code Title 18 Zoning, Sec. 18.03.010 and Table 18.10.040 (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
7. Grand Terrace Municipal Code Title 18 Zoning, Sec. 18.03.010 and Table 18.10.040 (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
8. Grand Terrace Municipal Code Title 18 Zoning, Sec. 18.03.010 and Table 18.10.040 (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
9. Grand Terrace Municipal Code 18.66.040 Manufactured homes site development standards (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
10. Grand Terrace Municipal Code Title 18 Zoning, Sec. 18.03.010 and Table 18.10.040 (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
11. Grand Terrace Municipal Code Title 18 Zoning, Sec. 18.03.010 and Table 18.10.040 (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
12. City of Grand Terrace Planning (grandterrace-ca.gov)
13. City of Grand Terrace Building & Safety (grandterrace-ca.gov)
14. Grand Terrace Municipal Code 15.62.210 Floodplain standards for recreational vehicles (Grand Terrace), quoted and re-checked
15. Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS Policy) (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Well Standards (California statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
18. Median property tax bill: 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.