Fence height rules in Coronado, California
In Coronado's residential zones, fences, walls and hedges can be up to 8 feet tall in a required side or rear yard but only 4 feet in the required front yard. On corner lots they are limited to 6 feet in the street side yard and 3 feet inside the corner sight triangle.
| Max height, required side or rear yard | 8 feet [2] |
| Max height, required front yard | 4 feet [1] |
| Front-yard exception along side lot lines | Up to 6 feet, projecting up to 8 feet into the front yard and no closer than 10 feet to the front property line [3] |
| Max height, street side yard of a corner lot | 6 feet [4] |
| Corner sight triangle | 3 feet max, within the triangle formed by points 50 feet from the curb-line intersection [5] |
| Walls/fences over 4 feet next to a public right-of-way | Must be buffered with City-approved landscaping (not required next to an alley) [8] |
| Listed streets / alley-only lots | May enclose the front yard with an 8-foot wall, fence or hedge [7] |
Height limits by yard
Coronado's zoning code (Title 86) treats fences, walls and hedges the same way. In residential zones they may not exceed 8 feet in a required side or rear yard, and 6 feet between the front or side lot line and the nearest building where no front or side yard is required [2]. In the required front yard the limit is 4 feet [1]. Height is measured from "grade" or from the ground level of the public property nearest the line, whichever is lower, to the highest point of the fence, wall or hedge [10].
Front-yard exception
A fence or wall up to 6 feet tall may run along the side property lines within the front yard, projecting up to 8 feet into the front yard, but it must stop at least 10 feet back from the front property line [3]. Lots fronting solely on an alley or on certain listed streets (parts of Third Street, Fourth Street, Alameda Boulevard and Pomona Avenue) may enclose their whole front yard with an 8-foot wall, fence or hedge [7].
Corner lots
On a corner lot, fences, walls and hedges in the required street side yard may not exceed 6 feet [4]. Lots on the same listed streets may go to 8 feet along the street side yard, but not inside the sight triangle [9]. In the sight triangle, barriers including fences, walls and hedges are limited to 3 feet; the triangle is formed by connecting points on the curb lines 50 feet from the curb-line intersection [5]. Single-stem plants or trees with no foliage between 3 and 8 feet are allowed in the triangle [6].
Landscaping buffer
Where a wall or fence is allowed to be over 4 feet and adjoins a public right-of-way, it must be buffered with landscaping approved by the City before installation; this does not apply next to an alley [8].
About this source
These rules come from the City's fence zoning handout (dated November 3, 2016), which reprints excerpts of the Municipal Code and notes that other chapters may also apply [11]. We could not get the current Municipal Code, so check for later amendments.
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Next steps
- Measure which yard your fence sits in (front, side, rear or street side) and confirm whether you are on a corner lot or one of the listed streets.
- Call the Community Development Department Planning Division at (619) 522-7326 to confirm the current height limits and whether your project needs a permit.
- If a fence or wall over 4 feet will adjoin a street or other public right-of-way, submit a landscaping plan to the City for approval before installing it.
- On a corner lot, keep everything inside the 50-foot sight triangle at 3 feet or lower.
Common questions
- How tall can a fence be in Coronado, California?
- In Coronado's residential zones, fences, walls and hedges can be up to 8 feet tall in a required side or rear yard but only 4 feet in the required front yard. These come from a 2016 city handout, so check for later amendments.
- Can I have a 6-foot fence in my front yard in Coronado, California?
- Only along the side property lines. A fence or wall up to 6 feet may run along side lot lines within the front yard, projecting up to 8 feet into it and stopping at least 10 feet from the front property line. Lots on certain listed streets or fronting only an alley may enclose the front yard with an 8-foot fence.
- What is the fence height limit on a corner lot in Coronado, California?
- On a corner lot, fences, walls and hedges in the street side yard may not exceed 6 feet, and inside the corner sight triangle they're limited to 3 feet. The triangle is formed by points on the curb lines 50 feet from the curb-line intersection.
- Does a tall fence need landscaping in Coronado, California?
- Yes, where a wall or fence over 4 feet adjoins a public right-of-way, it must be buffered with landscaping approved by the City before installation. This doesn't apply next to an alley.
California state rules on fences
Fence height, location and design are mostly set by your city or county zoning code. A few state rules apply everywhere:
- Building permit: the California Residential Code (R105.2) exempts fences up to 7 feet high from a building permit. Pool barriers are not exempt. Zoning height limits still apply, and many cities cap front-yard fences well below 7 feet. Some cities have amended the exemption.
- Spite fences: under Civil Code §841.4, a fence or fence-like structure that unnecessarily exceeds 10 feet and is maliciously put up or kept to annoy a neighbor is a private nuisance. The neighbor can sue to have it removed.
- Good Neighbor Fence Act (Civil Code §841): since January 1, 2014, neighbors are presumed to share equally the reasonable cost of building, maintaining or replacing a fence between their properties, unless they agree otherwise in writing.
- Before spending money on a shared fence, you must give each neighbor 30 days' written notice. The notice must describe the problem, the proposed fix, the estimated cost, how costs would be shared, and the timeline.
- A neighbor can overcome the presumption in court by showing equal sharing would be unjust, for example because of financial hardship or costs driven by the other owner's aesthetic preferences.
- Pool fences must meet the Swimming Pool Safety Act's barrier standards when used as the pool enclosure (see Pools).
- Coastal zone: a new fence may need a coastal development permit, depending on the local coastal program.
What the ordinance says
- CMC 86.56.165(A) Fences, walls or hedges - Height limit, front yard, Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
A. Fences, walls, or hedges located within the required front yard shall not exceed four feet in height.
- CMC 86.56.160 Fences, walls or hedges - Height limit, side or rear yard, Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
Any fences, walls or hedges located in Residential Zones shall not exceed eight feet in height in a required side or rear yard and six feet in the area between the front or side lot line and the nearest building located on the lot when no front or side yard is required.
- CMC 86.56.165(A)(1), Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
1. A fence or wall up to six feet in height may be located along the side property lines, within the front yard, and project into the front yard eight feet. Said six foot fence or wall shall extend no closer than 10 feet to the front property line;
- CMC 86.56.170 Fences, walls or hedges - Height limit, street side yard, Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
Fences, walls, or hedges shall not exceed six feet in height in any required street side yard required on any corner lot.
- CMC 86.56.175 Vertical barriers - Height limit, sight triangle for residential corner lot, Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
In the case of corner lots in Residential Zones, vertical barriers, including fences, walls and hedges, shall not exceed three feet in height in a triangle area created by a line connecting points along the street curb lines which are established 50 feet in distance from the intersection of such curb lines at the corner of a block.
- CMC 86.56.175 Exception, Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
Exception: Single stem plants or trees without foliage between a height of three and eight feet may be planted and maintained within the corner triangular area and shall be measured from the established curb grade.
- CMC 86.56.165(A)(2), Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
2. Those lots which front solely on an alley or the following streets may enclose 100 percent of their front yards with an eight-foot wall, fence, or hedge: Third Street between A Avenue and Alameda Boulevard, all of Fourth Street, Alameda Boulevard between Third and Fourth Street and Pomona Avenue between Third and Fourth Street.
- CMC 86.56.165(A)(2), Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
Where walls or fences are permitted to be over four feet in height and adjoin public rights-of-way, said wall or fence shall be buffered with landscaping to soften the fence or wall. The proposed landscaping shall be approved by the City of Coronado prior to installation. Walls or fences over four feet in height, adjacent to an alley, are not required to be buffered with landscaping.
- CMC 86.56.170 Exception, Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
Exception: Those lots which are located along the following streets may construct a fence, wall, or hedge not to exceed eight feet in height along the street side yard: Third Street between A Avenue and Alameda Boulevard, all of Fourth Street, Alameda Boulevard between Third and Fourth Street and Pomona Avenue between Third and Fourth Street. Where walls or fences are permitted to be over four feet in height in the street side yard, said fences or walls shall not be located within the sight triangle required in CMC 86.56.175.
- CMC 86.04.295 Fences, walls and hedges, height of, Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
"Height of fences, walls and hedges" means the vertical distance from "grade" or the ground level of public property closest to the property line on which the fence, wall or hedge is located; whichever is lower, to the highest point on the fence, wall or hedge.
- Fences, Walls, & Hedges Zoning Restrictions handout (Nov. 3, 2016), Zoning Graphics (fence, floor-area, setback, height diagrams with CMC citations), p. 23
Note: The following regulations are excerpts; additional ordinances in other chapters may apply.