Orange County HOA Guide
Huntington Harbour HOA Guide: Docks, Bulkheads and Harbour Rules
Huntington Harbour is the part of Huntington Beach built around harbor channels, where waterfront lots back onto docks and bulkheads. City rules apply here as they do across Huntington Beach, but work over the water also answers to the California Coastal Commission.
This guide covers what is different about running an association on the water in Huntington Harbour, and points you to the How2HOA guide that explains what to do about each rule. For citywide rules, see our Huntington Beach guide.
Local rules on this page were checked against the City of Huntington Beach’s website and municipal code, its Harbour Commission and Public Works pages, the California Coastal Commission, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Municipal Water District of Orange County on November 3, 2026. The city’s Harbor Information page and its boating and harbor sanitation code chapters (Chapters 13.36 and 13.44) would not open for us, so this page does not give dock size limits, anchoring rules or live-aboard rules. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for the neighborhood itself. The page covers only what we could confirm on official pages. Confirm the current rule before you act on it. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
At a glance
HOAs in Huntington Harbour at a glance
The city pages we checked do not list Huntington Harbour’s associations or say how many there are. Here is what sets a harbour association apart:
No public agency we checked gives a count of Huntington Harbour’s HOAs or a typical dues figure, so we do not quote one. Boards and owners should read their governing documents and title records to learn who owns and maintains each dock, deck and stretch of bulkhead.
Local rules
Rules that apply in Huntington Harbour
Four layers of rules apply to a Huntington Harbour association. State law comes first, mainly the Davis-Stirling Act. City ordinances apply to every property, and work over the water also needs state approval through the Coastal Commission. Your governing documents can then be stricter than the city in most areas. The city does not enforce your CC&Rs, and your CC&Rs do not excuse anyone from a city or state rule.
Docks, decks and coastal permitsWork over the water goes through the city and the Coastal Commission.
Two recent Coastal Commission permits for Huntington Harbour homes show how dock and deck work over the water is handled. Both place the site seaward of the mean high tide line and within the Commission’s own permit jurisdiction, with the city’s certified coastal program serving only as guidance. The 2024 permit adds that in this area the tidelands are administered by the City of Huntington Beach.
- City review first: for a 2024 dock replacement on Humboldt Island, the city’s Planning Department issued an Approval-in-Concept and Public Works approved a Harbor Permit before the Commission acted. Public Works Development Services issues dock permits for building and repairing docks within the city’s harbor limits.
- Eelgrass and Caulerpa: the 2024 permit required eelgrass surveys before and after construction and a Caulerpa survey before work began.
- Construction rules: a 2025 permit for decks cantilevered 5 feet over a bulkhead on Devon Circle set 16 construction requirements, such as daily debris removal, floating booms and covered stockpiles, and barred any future bulkhead work from extending bayward of the existing footprint.
- Other agencies: the city’s Development Services page lists the Orange County Sheriff Harbor Patrol, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the California State Lands Commission and the California Coastal Commission as harbor agencies to contact.
If your association owns common docks, a guest dock or a deck over the water, build this review into any replacement plan. Ask Development Services at (714) 536-5431 where to start.
What to do about it: How to Hire a Contractor for Your Homeowners Association covers what to require of a marine contractor. For the California rules on who repairs what, see California HOA maintenance and repair responsibilities.
Bulkheads and sun decksThe city’s own bulkheads are rated poor, and decks over a bulkhead have set limits.
The city’s 2024 Infrastructure Report Card gave the harbour a grade of D. It lists 2,930 linear feet of city-owned bulkhead, built in the early to mid-1970s, and says most of it is in poor to very poor shape and needs rehabilitation or replacement. It also warns that the bulkheads and seawalls are not high enough if sea level rise combines with King Tides. The report lists bulkhead rehabilitation at $13.5 million and dredging of the city-owned section at $3 million as future needs. It does not say who owns the rest of the harbour’s bulkheads, so check your title records and CC&Rs.
For lots designated as waterfront lots, Chapter 17.24 of the Municipal Code sets rules for sun decks that project beyond the bulkhead line, within the wharfage area assigned to each lot:
What to do about it: Understanding HOA Reserve Studies and Planning Your HOA Budget for docks, decks and bulkheads. For the state rules on reserves, see California HOA reserves.
Boating rules in the harbourA 5 mph speed limit, and paddlers may not stop on private docks.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol covers the county’s three major harbors, including Sunset-Huntington. The city’s Harbour Commission advises the City Council on waterway safety, seawalls, bulkheads, water quality and code changes. It meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 5 p.m. in the Civic Center at 2000 Main Street, which makes it a good place for a board to raise harbour issues.
What to do about it: How to Minimize Homeowners Association Liability for guest docks and common waterfront areas, and HOA Rules and Enforcing Violations. For coverage, see California HOA insurance requirements.
Short-term rentalsOutside Sunset Beach, only hosted rentals can get a city permit.
Huntington Beach requires a city permit for any rental of 30 or fewer consecutive nights. Hosted rentals, where the owner lives in the home, are allowed citywide. Unhosted rentals are allowed only in Sunset Beach, for owners who obtained a permit by March 1, 2022. Ownership properties with four or more units, such as condos and townhomes, may have up to three rentals if the CC&Rs allow it.
The city’s FAQ says it will not issue a permit if the use is not allowed by the CC&Rs, and that a rental must follow the association’s rules. Report a suspected unpermitted rental to Code Enforcement at (714) 375-5155.
What to do about it: How to Handle Short-Term Rentals in Your Community and Renting Out Your Home in a Homeowners Association. For the California rules, see buying, selling and renting in a California HOA.
Runoff and harbor water qualityThe harbour is listed as impaired, and city rules ban watering runoff.
The city’s 2024 Infrastructure Report Card says Huntington Harbour is on the Clean Water Act 303(d) list as an impaired waterbody for PCBs, chlordane, copper, sediment toxicity, bacteria and lead. The city’s water rules (Municipal Code Chapter 14.18) help keep runoff out of the harbor:
- No automatic irrigation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and no more than 10 minutes per station per day.
- No watering that runs onto sidewalks, driveways, alleys or gutters, and no watering during or for 48 hours after measurable rain.
- No hosing down walkways, driveways, patios or parking areas.
- Cars, boats, trailers and RVs may be washed only with a bucket or a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
Under AB 1572, HOA common areas must stop using drinking water on nonfunctional turf by January 1, 2029. MWDOC offers turf replacement rebates, subject to funding, at (714) 593-5036.
What to do about it: Managing Outside Vendors for Your HOA, and compare landscape bids with the Vendor Comparison Worksheet.
Work hours for crewsNo construction on Sundays or federal holidays.
These hours come from the city’s noise FAQ. Put them in dock, deck and landscape contracts so the crew’s schedule matches.
What to do about it: Managing Outside Vendors for Your HOA.
Is this a lot for a volunteer board to track?
City rules, state law and your own documents all change, and someone has to keep up. If your Huntington Harbour board is deciding between managing itself and hiring help, start with Self-Managed vs. Professional HOA Management, or tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsQuick answers
Questions Huntington Harbour board members ask
Does a dock replacement need a Coastal Commission permit?
The Commission permits we reviewed for Huntington Harbour docks and decks place work seaward of the mean high tide line in the Commission’s own permit jurisdiction, after city review. Start with Development Services at (714) 536-5431.
Who owns the bulkheads?
The city’s 2024 report lists 2,930 linear feet of city-owned bulkhead. We could not confirm who owns the rest, so check your title records and CC&Rs.
What is the speed limit in the harbour?
Five miles per hour in any part of any harbor in the city, under section 13.36.020.
Can paddleboarders stop at our dock?
The Harbour Commission’s rules of the road say paddleboarders and kayakers may not stop on private docks.
Can an owner rent a home in the harbour short-term?
Only as a hosted rental with a city permit, and only if your CC&Rs allow it. More in How to Handle Short-Term Rentals in Your Community.
Can owners wash boats at home?
Yes, with a bucket or a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle, under the city’s water rules.
Where can our board raise harbour issues with the city?
At the Harbour Commission, which meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 5 p.m. at the Civic Center.
Calendar
A Huntington Harbour board’s year
The meeting date, the watering rules, the work hours and the 2029 turf date come from the city and state law. The other items are general good practice, not legal requirements.
Keep the year on track: use the Board Meeting Checklist and the Annual HOA Budget Checklist.
Who to call
Huntington Harbour contacts for HOA boards
| Office | Phone | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works Development Services | (714) 536-5431 | Dock permits and work in the public right-of-way |
| Planning and Zoning | (714) 536-5271 | Approval-in-Concept and coastal questions |
| Code Enforcement | (714) 375-5155 | Unpermitted rentals and property violations |
| Police non-emergency | (714) 960-8825 | Around the clock, including after-hours water emergencies |
| Utilities Division | (714) 536-5921 | Water service |
| City of Huntington Beach | (714) 536-5511 | General questions and the Harbour Commission |
| MWDOC turf rebates | (714) 593-5036 | Turf replacement and irrigation rebates |
We did not find a phone number for the Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol on its page. For emergencies on the water or on land, call 911.
Keep going
Where to go next on How2HOA
Sources for this guide
These sources open in a new tab.
City of Huntington Beach: Harbour Commission; rules of the road for paddleboarders and kayakers; Public Works Development Services; 2024 Infrastructure Report Card; Municipal Code Chapter 17.24, sun decks and windscreens; Municipal Code Chapter 13.32, harbors; short-term rentals; short-term rental FAQ; water conservation; noise complaint FAQ; police contacts.
Other agencies: California Coastal Commission, Humboldt Island dock permit report (November 2024); California Coastal Commission, Administrative Permit 5-25-0066 (July 2025); Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol; MWDOC, nonfunctional turf (AB 1572).
California law: AB 1572 (2023).
Professional management
Thinking about management help?
Tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsBrowse all HOA topicsThis page is general educational information, not legal, financial or insurance advice. City ordinances and state law change, and your association’s governing documents control many of these questions, so check the current code and talk with your association’s attorney or another qualified professional about your situation.