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Fences in California: rules in 10 towns compared
How tall can my fence be, and where can I put it? Here's how each town answers it. Click a town for the details and the exact ordinance text.
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This page is for California homeowners planning a new or replacement fence. Fence height, location and design are mostly set by your city's zoning code, but a few state rules apply everywhere. The California Residential Code exempts fences up to 7 feet high from a building permit (pool barriers are not exempt), though city zoning height limits still apply and some cities have amended the exemption. Under the Good Neighbor Fence Act (Civil Code §841), in effect since January 1, 2014, neighbors are presumed to share equally the reasonable cost of a boundary fence, and you must give 30 days' written notice before spending money on one. A fence that unnecessarily exceeds 10 feet and is put up to annoy a neighbor is a spite fence under Civil Code §841.4.
All 10 of the cities we cover for this topic cap side and rear fences at 6 feet as the standard limit, with taller fences possible in some cities through lattice, neighbor approval, design review or an exception. Front-yard limits are much lower: 3 feet in Los Gatos and Saratoga, 3.5 feet at the property line in Del Mar, 42 inches in Manhattan Beach, and 4 feet in Los Altos and Pasadena. Hillsborough requires a building permit for any fence over 3 feet, and in Tiburon any fence over 3.5 feet needs site plan and architectural review. Every city also limits height in sight triangles at corners. Pick your city below for the details and the municipal code text.
Town-by-town comparison
| Town | Verdict | Short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Los Altos | Allowed | Fences in Los Altos can be up to 6 feet tall in side and rear yards, but no more than 4 feet in the front setback or within 5 feet of a corner lot's street-side line. Near intersections and driveways, sight-triangle limits drop to 3 and 4 feet. |
| Saratoga | Allowed | Solid fences can be up to 6 feet tall (plus up to 2 feet of open lattice on top), and open fences such as wrought iron or split rail up to 8 feet. Inside the required front setback area, fences are limited to 3 feet. The City Code requires a building permit for any solid fence over 6 feet (which also needs special approval); it doesn't say whether a tall open fence needs one, so ask the Building Division. |
| Los Gatos | Allowed | In Los Gatos most fences can be 6 feet tall plus 1 foot of lattice (7 feet total), but fences in a required front yard, a street-side yard, or near driveways and corners are limited to 3 feet. In the hillside area the limit is 6 feet with stricter design rules, and taller fences up to 8 feet need a Town exception. |
| Tiburon | Allowed with board review | Fences may go in any setback, but any fence or wall over 3.5 feet tall needs site plan and architectural review, and no fence may exceed 6 feet in a setback (up to 9 feet on the low side of a sloped shared property line, with review). Near street corners, fences and hedges are limited to 30 inches inside a 35-foot sight triangle. |
| Piedmont | Allowed | Outside the street setback, a fence up to 6 feet tall needs no design review or building permit in Piedmont; taller fences need a design review permit (with neighbor notice above 8 feet). Any fence in the street setback, at any height, needs design review by the Planning Commission, and corner lots are limited to 3 feet in a 30-foot sight triangle. |
| Lafayette | Allowed | Lafayette's code has no stand-alone fence section; fences fall under the general rule for structures in a required front, side or rear yard, which caps them at 6 feet, measured on the tallest side from natural grade. On corner lots, fences and plantings in the 25-foot sight triangle at the intersection are limited to 2.5 feet above the curb. |
| Manhattan Beach | Restricted | In Manhattan Beach residential zones, fences, walls and hedges can be up to 42 inches tall in the required front yard and 6 feet tall in required side and rear yards. Extra height up to 8 feet is possible in some cases, such as with written approval from the abutting neighbor, and fences near driveways and on corner lots must keep sight lines clear. |
| Pasadena | Restricted | 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. |
| Del Mar | Allowed | In Del Mar's residential zones, fences in the rear yard or interior side yard can be up to 6 feet tall. In the front yard or a street-side yard the limit is 3.5 feet at the property line, rising 6 inches for every 2 feet of setback, up to 6 feet. On coastal bluff lots, new fences must be at least 10 feet back from the bluff edge. |
| Hillsborough | Allowed with board review | Fences along a street are normally limited to 6 feet, and up to 8 feet only with design review. Any fence in the street setback or over 6 feet needs design review, and any fence over 3 feet needs a building permit. Fences can't go in the town right-of-way, and corner lots must keep a 40-foot sight triangle clear above 2.5 feet. |
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.
Common questions about fence rules in California
- How high can a fence be in California?
- It depends on your city. There's no statewide height limit for ordinary fences; city zoning codes set them. In the cities we cover, side and rear fences are typically capped at 6 feet, and front-yard fences at 3 to 4 feet, with lower limits near corners and driveways.
- Do you need a permit to build a fence in California?
- Often not a building permit, but it depends on your city. The California Residential Code exempts fences up to 7 feet high, except pool barriers, and some cities have amended that. Hillsborough requires a building permit for fences over 3 feet, and Tiburon and Piedmont require design review for some fences. Zoning height limits apply either way.
- What is the California fence law 841?
- Civil Code §841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act, presumes that neighbors share equally the reasonable cost of building, maintaining or replacing a fence between their properties, unless they agree otherwise in writing. You must give each neighbor 30 days' written notice describing the problem, proposed fix, estimated cost, cost sharing and timeline. A neighbor can rebut the presumption in court, for example by showing financial hardship.
- What is considered a spite fence in California?
- 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.
- How tall can a front yard fence be in California?
- It depends on your city, and it's usually much lower than in back. Among the cities we cover, front-yard limits are 3 feet in Los Gatos and Saratoga, 42 inches in Manhattan Beach and 4 feet in Los Altos and Pasadena, while Piedmont requires design review for any fence in the street setback.
- Are barbed wire fences allowed in California?
- It depends on your city. Pasadena bans barbed, concertina and razor wire, Saratoga prohibits barbed or electrified wire unless the Planning Commission approves it, Manhattan Beach requires a City Council permit, and Los Altos keeps barbed or electric wire 10 feet from a street or public walkway line.
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