Fence height rules in Pasadena, California
In Pasadena's single-family (RS) and RM-12 zones, fences in the front setback can be 4 feet tall and must be at least 50% open; side and rear fences next to other homes can be 6 feet. Fences near driveways must drop to 30 inches in a sight triangle, and barbed or razor wire is banned.
| Max height, front setback | 4 ft, at least 50% open [1] |
| Max height, interior side/rear (next to homes or open space) | 6 ft [2] |
| Max height next to commercial/industrial use | 8 ft [3] |
| Corner lot, within 5 ft of street line | 4 ft [5] |
| Corner lot rear yard | 6 ft if at least 5 ft from street property line [4] |
| Driveway sight triangle | 30 inches within 10 ft of street line [6] |
| Prohibited materials | Barbed, concertina and razor wire [7] |
| Height measured from | Existing grade as of March 2, 2009 [8] |
Single-family zones (RS and RM-12)
In the front setback, between the front property line and the front of the house (occupancy frontage), walls and fences may be 4 feet tall, must be at least 50% open, and concrete block must have a finished stucco look [1]. In interior side and rear setbacks next to a residential use or an open-space/public-semipublic district, the limit is 6 feet [2]; along a property line shared with a commercial or industrial use it's 8 feet [3]. Spikes aren't allowed on walls or fences under 6 feet, and no fence may cross a shared private street or easement.
Corner lots and driveways
On the street side of a corner lot, a fence can be 6 feet between the rear building line and the rear property line if it sits at least 5 feet back from the street property line [4]. Within 5 feet of the street line, or between the front of the house and the rear building line, the cap is 4 feet [5]. Near the edge of a driveway, a 45-degree triangle reaching 10 feet back from the street property line is limited to 30 inches for visibility [6]. Fences next to street intersections must also meet Municipal Code Chapter 12.12, which wasn't among the sources reviewed.
Special lots
On double-frontage lots, rear fences can be 6 feet if at least 25 feet from the rear street line (4 feet closer in). Flag lots may have a 6-foot front fence when the front yard abuts only side or rear yards.
Materials and measuring
Barbed wire, concertina wire and razor wire are prohibited [7]. Height is measured from existing grade as it was on March 2, 2009, so you can't build up the ground to get a taller fence [8].
Multifamily zones
Multifamily ("City of Gardens") projects allow up to 10 feet along rear lines and the rear half of side lines, 6 feet elsewhere, and 4 feet (50% open) or 2 feet (solid) in front yards.
Permits
The zoning sections reviewed don't state when a fence needs a building permit; check with the Permit Center. A separate 1902 rule limits hedges to 4 feet along public streets within 300 feet of a railroad track.
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Next steps
- Confirm your zone (RS, RM-12 or other) and locate your front setback, rear building line and street property lines on a site plan.
- Keep front-yard fences at 4 ft and at least 50% open; keep the driveway sight triangle under 30 inches.
- Ask the Planning & Community Development Permit Center (175 N. Garfield Ave., 626-744-4200) whether your fence or wall needs a building permit, especially for masonry walls or corner lots near intersections.
Common questions
- How tall can a fence be in Pasadena, California?
- In single-family (RS) and RM-12 zones, fences in the front setback can be 4 feet tall and must be at least 50% open. Side and rear fences next to other homes can be 6 feet.
- Is barbed wire allowed on a fence in Pasadena, California?
- No. Barbed, concertina and razor wire are prohibited.
- What is the fence height near a driveway in Pasadena, California?
- Fences near driveways must drop to 30 inches within 10 ft of the street line, in a sight triangle.
- Do I need a permit for a fence in Pasadena, California?
- The page doesn't say for certain. Ask the Planning & Community Development Permit Center whether your fence or wall needs a building permit, especially for masonry walls or corner lots near intersections.
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. 17.40.180.B.2.c, Zoning Code Chapter 17.40 - General Property Development and Use Standards (17.40.160 setbacks/encroachments, 17.40.180 walls and fences)
Between the front property line and the occupancy frontage, the maximum wall or fence height shall be four feet. Walls and fences in the front setback shall be at least 50 percent open and any concrete block materials shall have a finished stucco appearance.
- Sec. 17.40.180.B.2.a, Zoning Code Chapter 17.40 - General Property Development and Use Standards (17.40.160 setbacks/encroachments, 17.40.180 walls and fences)
In interior side or rear setbacks abutting property in a OS or PS zoning district or abutting property with a residential use, the maximum wall or fence height shall be six feet.
- Sec. 17.40.180.B.2.b, Zoning Code Chapter 17.40 - General Property Development and Use Standards (17.40.160 setbacks/encroachments, 17.40.180 walls and fences)
In interior side or rear setbacks abutting property in a commercial or industrial zoning district with a nonresidential use, the maximum wall or fence height shall be eight feet along the property line separating the residential district from the commercial or industrial district.
- Sec. 17.40.180.B.2.d(1), Zoning Code Chapter 17.40 - General Property Development and Use Standards (17.40.160 setbacks/encroachments, 17.40.180 walls and fences)
The maximum height shall be six feet between the rear building line and the rear property line, provided the wall or fence is located a minimum distance of five feet from the street property line.
- Sec. 17.40.180.B.2.d(2), Zoning Code Chapter 17.40 - General Property Development and Use Standards (17.40.160 setbacks/encroachments, 17.40.180 walls and fences)
The maximum height within five feet of a street property line or between the occupancy frontage and the rear building line shall not exceed four feet.
- Sec. 17.40.180.B.2.d(3), Zoning Code Chapter 17.40 - General Property Development and Use Standards (17.40.160 setbacks/encroachments, 17.40.180 walls and fences)
The maximum height shall be 30 inches within a triangular area extending at an angle of 45 degrees from the street property line to a point on the edge of the driveway 10 feet from the street property line.
- Sec. 17.40.180.B.2.i, Zoning Code Chapter 17.40 - General Property Development and Use Standards (17.40.160 setbacks/encroachments, 17.40.180 walls and fences)
Barbed wire, concertino wire and razor wire shall not be allowed.
- Sec. 17.40.180.A.1, Zoning Code Chapter 17.40 - General Property Development and Use Standards (17.40.160 setbacks/encroachments, 17.40.180 walls and fences)
The height of all walls and fences shall be measured from the existing grade as it existed on March 2, 2009.