Fence height rules in Sierra Madre, California
In Sierra Madre's residential zones, fences and walls in the required front yard can be up to 42 inches tall, and fences up to 6 feet are allowed on or next to interior side and rear property lines. On corner lots, nothing over 42 inches is allowed in a 15-foot sight triangle at the corner. Barbed wire and spiked fencing are prohibited on residential property; the code we reviewed doesn't mention a city permit for an ordinary fence within these limits.
| Max height, front yard | 42 inches [1] |
| Max height, interior side and rear | 6 feet, on or next to the property line [2] |
| Corner-lot vision triangle | 15 ft legs; nothing over 42 inches [3] |
| Through lots near secondary frontage | 6 feet only with a conditional use permit [4] |
| Open fence on top of a retaining wall (fill) | Up to 42 inches [5] |
| Barbed wire and spiked fencing | Prohibited on residential property [6] |
Height limits
Section 17.48.130 governs walls and fences in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 zones. Within the required front yard setback (25 feet in R-1), walls and fences can't exceed 42 inches [1]. Along interior side and rear property lines, fences up to 6 feet are allowed right on or next to the line, stepping down to 42 inches where they enter the front yard [2].
Corner, reverse-corner and through lots
Every corner lot must keep a triangle with 15-foot legs at the street corner clear of any tree, wall, fence, hedge or shrub over 42 inches [3]. On a reverse corner lot, a 6-foot fence is allowed along the secondary street frontage, but it drops to 42 inches in the primary front yard. On through lots, 6-foot walls within 25 feet of the secondary frontage need a conditional use permit [4].
Retaining walls
Where a retaining wall holds back a cut, it may be topped by a fence as tall as would otherwise be allowed there. Where it holds a fill, only an open-work fence (no more than 60% solid, such as wrought iron or pickets) up to 42 inches may go on top [5].
Materials
Spiked fencing is prohibited in all zones, and barbed wire is prohibited on all residential property [6]; an earlier subsection, 17.48.130(F), says barbed or razor wire needs a director's minor conditional use permit, but the later, specific prohibition is the one that reads as controlling for homes, so don't plan on barbed wire [8]; a wooden picket fence doesn't count as spiked. Decorative arbors and yard lights between 42 inches and 10 feet tall are allowed in the front yard outside the corner triangle, and hedges and other plantings aren't subject to the fence height limits except in the triangle.
Pools
A pool near a street can avoid a conditional use permit if it's enclosed by a 6-foot solid fence or wall [7].
Permits
The sources we reviewed don't say whether a building permit is needed for an ordinary fence; state code generally exempts fences up to 7 feet (see state rules). Hillside (R-H) lots may need a hillside development permit for new structures.
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Next steps
- Find your required front yard (25 ft or the prevailing block setback in R-1) and keep fences in it to 42 inches.
- On a corner lot, mark the 15-foot sight triangle and keep everything in it under 42 inches.
- Call Planning & Community Preservation at (626) 355-7138 to confirm whether a permit is needed, especially for retaining walls, through-lot fences or R-H zoned lots.
Common questions
- How tall can a fence be in Sierra Madre, California?
- In residential zones, fences and walls in the required front yard can be up to 42 inches tall, and fences up to 6 feet are allowed on or next to interior side and rear property lines, stepping down to 42 inches where they enter the front yard.
- What are the corner lot fence rules in Sierra Madre, California?
- Every corner lot must keep a triangle with 15-foot legs at the street corner clear of any tree, wall, fence, hedge or shrub over 42 inches.
- Is barbed wire allowed in Sierra Madre, California?
- No. Spiked fencing is prohibited in all zones and barbed wire is prohibited on all residential property. A wooden picket fence doesn't count as spiked.
- Do I need a permit to build a fence in Sierra Madre, California?
- The sources we reviewed don't say whether a permit is needed for an ordinary fence within the height limits; state code generally exempts fences up to 7 feet. Call Planning & Community Preservation to confirm, especially for retaining walls, through-lot fences or R-H zoned lots.
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. 17.48.130(A), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.48 Development Standards (yards, fences and walls), p. 1
Walls and fences within the required front yard setback, as set forth in Sections 17.20.050 , 17.24.050 and 17.28.100 , shall not exceed a maximum height of forty-two inches.
- Sec. 17.48.130(B), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.48 Development Standards (yards, fences and walls), p. 1
Walls and fences not in excess of six feet in height are permitted on, or adjacent to, the interior side or rear property lines. The walls and fences shall be reduced to forty-two inches within the required front yard pursuant to the provisions of Section 17.48.130 (A).
- Sec. 17.48.100, Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.48 Development Standards (yards, fences and walls), p. 1
The side of the triangle shall be a straight line connecting the last two mentioned points which are distant fifteen feet from the intersection to the front and side lines, and within the area comprising the triangle, no tree, wall, fence, hedge or shrub or other physical obstruction higher than forty-two inches above the established grade shall be permitted as follows:
- Sec. 17.48.130(D), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.48 Development Standards (yards, fences and walls), p. 1
Walls and fences a maximum six foot in height may be permitted within twenty-five feet of the secondary frontage property line, with the approval of a conditional use permit pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 17.60 .
- Sec. 17.48.130(E)(2), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.48 Development Standards (yards, fences and walls), p. 1
Where a retaining wall contains a fill, the height of a protective open work fence or wall of not more than forty-two inches in height may be erected at the top of the retaining wall.
- Sec. 17.48.130(H), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.48 Development Standards (yards, fences and walls), p. 1
Prohibited Fencing. Spiked fencing shall be prohibited in all zones. Points, spikes and sharp edges shall mean any end of a vertical bar that is capable of causing, or are likely to cause, injury to persons, pets or undomesticated animals. Barbed wire fencing shall be prohibited in all residential zoned property.
- Sec. 17.20.065(A)(2), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.20 R-1 One-Family Residential Zone (17.20.020 permitted uses; 17.20.060 accessory structures; 17.20.065 swimming pools), p. 1
Permitted. Where the facility is enclosed by a solid fence or wall of six feet in height (Note: On sloping terrain, the solid fence or wall may deviate a maximum eight inches above or below the six-foot height).
- Sec. 17.48.130(F), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.48 Development Standards (yards, fences and walls), p. 1
Barbed Wire. Fencing which includes barbed wire, razor wire or similar material.