Fence height rules in Danville, California
In Danville's single-family zones, fences and hedges in the front yard setback can be 3.5 feet tall, and side and rear property-line fences can be 6 feet, or 7 feet if the top foot is open lattice. On corner lots, fences in the sight triangle are limited to 2.5 feet above the curb. These limits come from a 2019 copy of the zoning code, so confirm them with the Planning Division.
| Max height, front yard setback | 3.5 feet (fences or hedges) [1] |
| Max height, secondary front yard (corner lot) | 6 feet, set back 5 feet from the right-of-way [2] |
| Within 5 ft of the street edge | 3.5 feet [3] |
| Max height, interior side and rear | 6 feet; 7 feet with top 1 foot open lattice [4] |
| Fence on a retaining wall (visible side) | Wall 3 ft + fence 4'6", 7'6" total [5] |
| Corner sight triangle | 2.5 ft above curb (3 ft above pavement edge); 25-ft triangle [6] |
| Retaining wall max height | 6 feet (3.5 feet in front yards) [8] |
| Prohibited materials | Barbed/razor wire, electrified, visible chain link, temporary fencing [9] |
These rules come from a November 2019 printout of Danville's single-family zoning code (Sec. 32-22), the only copy we could obtain; later amendments may have changed them, so confirm with the Planning Division before you build.
Height limits
Danville's single-family zoning (Sec. 32-22.11) treats fences separately from accessory structures. In the primary front yard setback, fences and hedges are limited to 3.5 feet, measured at existing grade [1]. Shared side and rear property-line fences that don't abut a street can be 6 feet, or 7 feet if the top foot is open lattice [4].
Corner lots
On the secondary (side-street) frontage of a corner lot, a fence can be 6 feet tall but must be set back at least 5 feet from the right-of-way, with landscaping along its outside face [2]. Within 5 feet of the street edge, the limit is 3.5 feet [3]. At the corner itself, fences and plants in the sight distance triangle can't exceed 2.5 feet above curb grade or 3 feet above the pavement edge [6]. The triangle is measured 25 feet back along each right-of-way line from the corner [7].
Fences on retaining walls
Where a property-line fence sits on or within 2 feet of the top of a retaining wall, its height is the average of both sides. On the side where the wall is visible, the wall can be 3 feet and the fence 4'6", for 7'6" combined [5]. Retaining walls themselves are capped at 6 feet, or 3.5 feet within front yard setbacks [8].
Prohibited fences
Barbed, razor or concertina wire, electrified fences, chain link visible from public areas, and temporary plastic or mesh fencing are banned unless the Planning Division approves them for animal control, security or legal requirements [9].
Permits
The zoning text doesn't set out a fence permit (the page is built partly on that silence). Fences up to 6 feet aren't counted as "structures" under the zoning definitions [10]. A fence over the building-code height threshold, or any fence on a retaining wall, may need a building permit; check with the Building Division. Planned-unit (P-1) developments may have their own setbacks and limits.
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Next steps
- Measure where your front yard setback ends and whether you're on a corner lot (sight triangle and secondary-front rules).
- Keep front-yard fences and hedges to 3.5 feet and side/rear fences to 6 feet (7 feet with a lattice top).
- Ask the Danville Building Division (925-314-3330) whether your fence or any retaining wall needs a building permit.
- Check your HOA or P-1 development approvals for stricter fence rules.
Common questions
- How tall can a fence be in Danville, California?
- In Danville's single-family zones, fences and hedges in the front yard setback can be 3.5 feet tall, and side and rear property-line fences can be 6 feet, or 7 feet if the top foot is open lattice. These limits come from a 2019 copy of the zoning code, so confirm them with the Planning Division.
- Do I need a fence permit in Danville, California?
- It depends. The zoning text doesn't set out a fence permit, and fences up to 6 feet aren't counted as structures. A fence over the building-code height threshold, or any fence on a retaining wall, may need a building permit, so check with the Building Division.
- What are the corner lot fence rules in Danville, California?
- On a corner lot's side-street frontage, a fence can be 6 feet tall if set back at least 5 feet from the right-of-way, and 3.5 feet within 5 feet of the street edge. In the sight distance triangle, measured 25 feet back from the corner, fences and plants can't exceed 2.5 feet above curb grade.
- What fence materials are not allowed in Danville, California?
- Barbed, razor or concertina wire, electrified fences, chain link visible from public areas, and temporary plastic or mesh fencing are banned unless the Planning Division approves them for animal control, security or legal requirements.
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
- Sec. 32-22.11(a), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 16
The height limit for fences or hedges located within the primary front yard setback area is three and one-half (3-1/2) feet, as measured at the existing grade of the location of fence placement.
- Sec. 32-22.11(b), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 16
The height limit for secondary front yard fences is six (6) feet. Additionally, secondary front yard fences shall maintain a minimum setback of five (5) feet from the adjacent right-of-way or vehicular access easement, and landscaping shall be installed and maintained along the exterior face of the fence.
- Sec. 32-22.11(b), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 16
The maximum height of a fence within five (5) feet of the edge of an adjacent right-of-way or vehicular access is three and one-half (3-1/2) feet.
- Sec. 32-22.11(c), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 16
The height limit for side and rear yard shared property line fences which do not abut a public right-of-way or vehicular access easement is six (6) feet, but may be increased to seven (7) feet if the top one (1) foot is constructed with an open lattice.
- Sec. 32-22.11(c), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 16
On the side in which the retaining wall is visible, the retaining wall shall not exceed three (3) feet and the fence shall not exceed four feet six inches (4'6"), for a total combined fence and retaining wall height that shall not exceed seven feet six inches (7'6").
- Sec. 32-22.12(b)(1), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 17
The maximum height of fences and vegetation shall be two and one-half (2-1/2) feet above the curb grade, or three (3) feet above the pavement surface at the outside edge of pavement adjoining the premises, within the sight distance triangle of corner lots.
- Sec. 32-22.2 (Sight distance triangle), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 5
Sight distance triangle shall mean the triangular area bounded by the right-of-way lines (public or private) which approach a corner and a diagonal line joining points on the right-of-way lines twenty-five (25) feet back from the point of their intersection,
- Sec. 32-22.11(d)(1), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 16
The height limit for retaining walls is six (6) feet. The height of retaining walls within the front yard or secondary front yard setback area is restricted to three and one-half (3-1/2) feet.
- Sec. 32-22.11(e), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 17
Installation of the following types of fences and use of fences constructed with the following fencing material is prohibited unless specifically approved by the Planning Division for animal control, special security needs, or as required by city, state, or federal law or regulation. 1. Barbed wire, razor, or concertina wire; 2. Electrified fence; 3. Chain link fencing when visible from public areas and/or public rights-of-way; or
- Sec. 32-22.2 (Structure), Municipal Code Sec. 32-22 Single Family Residential Districts (printed 11/15/2019, with illustrations), p. 6
Structure shall mean anything constructed or erected on and permanently attached to land, except: (1) fences with a maximum height of six (6) feet, or retaining walls with a maximum height of three (3) feet or any combination thereof not over six (6) feet high;