Fence height rules in Westlake Village, California
Allowed with a permit
In most of Westlake Village, fences and walls can be up to 42 inches tall in the front yard (and in a side yard next to a street) and up to 6 feet in side and rear yards. Anything over 42 inches needs a City fence permit, and all fences need HOA approval. A few neighborhoods differ: Southshore and Westlake Island allow walls up to 10 feet outside the front yard setback, and First Neighborhood allows front-yard walls over 42 inches if set back 8 feet.
| Max height, front yard and street-side yard | 42 inches [4] |
| Max height, side/rear yards | 6 feet (viewed from either side) [3] |
| Southshore & Westlake Island walls (outside front setback) | Up to 10 feet [12] |
| First Neighborhood front-yard walls over 42 in. | Allowed if set back at least 8 feet [13] |
| Permit required | Fence permit for fences or walls over 42 inches [1] |
| Prohibited materials | Chain link, grape stake, plywood, sheet metal, barbed wire and similar [5] |
| Finished side | Both sides must be finished [6] |
| Visible retaining walls | 6 feet max [8] |
Height limits
In residential zones, fences, walls and hedges can't exceed 42 inches in a front yard or in a side-yard setback next to a street, which covers the street side of a corner lot [4]. Elsewhere, no fence, wall or hedge may be more than 6 feet tall measured from either side [3]. Retaining walls visible from neighbors or the street are limited to 6 feet [8]. Where decks, fences and walls together look taller than 8 feet from off the property, they must be screened with berming, paint, texture or landscaping [9].
Permits and HOA approval
You need a fence permit from the Planning Director and City Manager for any fence or wall over 42 inches [1]. The application needs a diagram showing property lines, the fence's location and height, and materials [2]. The City says all fences and walls also need HOA approval, and some walls need a building permit [7].
Materials and appearance
Grape stake, plywood, sheet metal, corrugated aluminum or fiberglass, barbed wire, chain link, razor ribbon and chain are prohibited unless a Temporary Use Permit allows them [5]. Fences and walls must be finished on both sides [6].
Neighborhood exceptions
Six neighborhoods have conditions of approval from their original subdivision that supersede the code where they conflict [10]:
- Southshore and Westlake Island: walls can be up to 10 feet tall, except within the front yard setback [12].
- First Neighborhood: walls over 42 inches are allowed in the front yard if set back at least 8 feet from the front property line [13].
- Watergate: a six-foot slump stone and wrought iron fence along Lakeview Canyon Road is exempt from the 15-foot front setback [14].
- Lakeshore, Southshore/Westlake Island and First Neighborhood: walls can't block a 45-degree sight cone at the driveway [11].
Westlake Terrace's and Westlake Trails' conditions don't change fence rules. If your neighborhood isn't on the City's list, the code limits above apply.
See how Westlake Village compares with 8+ other California towns on fences →
Next steps
- Find your zoning and any neighborhood conditions of approval on the City's Residential Development & Design Standards page.
- Get written approval from your homeowners association first.
- For a fence or wall over 42 inches, apply for a Fence Permit online with the Westlake Village Planning Department, including a diagram of property lines, fence location, height and materials.
- For retaining walls or masonry walls, check with L.A. County Building & Safety (Calabasas, 818-880-4150) whether a building permit is also required.
Common questions
- How tall can a fence be in Westlake Village, California?
- In most of Westlake Village, fences and walls can be up to 42 inches tall in the front yard and in a street-side yard, and up to 6 feet in side and rear yards, measured from either side. Some neighborhoods' conditions of approval differ.
- Do I need a permit to build a fence in Westlake Village, California?
- Yes, for anything over 42 inches: you need a City fence permit, with a diagram of property lines, the fence's location, height and materials. The City says all fences and walls also need HOA approval, and some walls need a building permit.
- What fence materials are prohibited in Westlake Village, California?
- Chain link, grape stake, plywood, sheet metal, corrugated aluminum or fiberglass, barbed wire, razor ribbon and chain are prohibited unless a Temporary Use Permit allows them. Fences must be finished on both sides.
- Are fence rules different in Southshore or First Neighborhood in Westlake Village, California?
- Yes. In Southshore and Westlake Island, walls can be up to 10 feet tall outside the front yard setback. In First Neighborhood, front-yard walls over 42 inches are allowed if set back at least 8 feet from the front property line.
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. 9.14.050(A), Municipal Code Article 9 Ch. 9.14 Development Standards (9.14.040 accessory structures and equipment; 9.14.050 fences, walls and screening; 9.14.070-9.14.080 accessory dwelling units and JADUs; 9.14.090 two units/SB 9), p. 1
Permit Required. No person shall erect or construct a fence or wall exceeding forty-two (42) inches in height within the City without first obtaining approval of a fence permit from the Planning Director and City Manager, unless said fence or wall has been previously authorized by the City Council as part of an approved development permit.
- Sec. 9.14.050(A), Municipal Code Article 9 Ch. 9.14 Development Standards (9.14.040 accessory structures and equipment; 9.14.050 fences, walls and screening; 9.14.070-9.14.080 accessory dwelling units and JADUs; 9.14.090 two units/SB 9), p. 1
Application for a fence permit shall be made upon forms provided by the City and shall be accompanied by a diagram indicating property lines, the location and height of proposed fence or wall, and the building materials to be used.
- Sec. 9.14.050(B)(1), Municipal Code Article 9 Ch. 9.14 Development Standards (9.14.040 accessory structures and equipment; 9.14.050 fences, walls and screening; 9.14.070-9.14.080 accessory dwelling units and JADUs; 9.14.090 two units/SB 9), p. 1
No fence, wall (other than retaining walls), or hedge shall be higher than six (6) feet when viewed from either side.
- Sec. 9.14.050(B)(3), Municipal Code Article 9 Ch. 9.14 Development Standards (9.14.040 accessory structures and equipment; 9.14.050 fences, walls and screening; 9.14.070-9.14.080 accessory dwelling units and JADUs; 9.14.090 two units/SB 9), p. 1
In Residential Zones, fences, walls, hedges, or obstructions to view shall not exceed forty-two (42) inches in height in any front yard or side yard setback area abutting a street.
- Sec. 9.14.050(B)(2), Municipal Code Article 9 Ch. 9.14 Development Standards (9.14.040 accessory structures and equipment; 9.14.050 fences, walls and screening; 9.14.070-9.14.080 accessory dwelling units and JADUs; 9.14.090 two units/SB 9), p. 1
Fences or walls constructed of grape stake, plywood, sheet metal, corrugated aluminum, corrugated fiberglass, barbed wire, chain link, razor ribbon, chain or similar material are prohibited except where allowed by a Temporary Use Permit.
- Sec. 9.14.050(B)(4), Municipal Code Article 9 Ch. 9.14 Development Standards (9.14.040 accessory structures and equipment; 9.14.050 fences, walls and screening; 9.14.070-9.14.080 accessory dwelling units and JADUs; 9.14.090 two units/SB 9), p. 1
All fences and walls shall be finished on both sides.
- City webpage, Fences & Walls, Fences & Walls - City webpage, p. 1
All fences and walls require HOA approval, and all fences and walls over 42 inches in height require approval of a Fence Permit before installation.
- Sec. 9.15.050(A)(8), Municipal Code Article 9 Ch. 9.15 Design Standards, p. 1
Retaining Walls. Retaining walls visible from adjacent properties or public rights-of-way shall be limited to a maximum height of six (6) feet.
- Sec. 9.14.050(B)(6), Municipal Code Article 9 Ch. 9.14 Development Standards (9.14.040 accessory structures and equipment; 9.14.050 fences, walls and screening; 9.14.070-9.14.080 accessory dwelling units and JADUs; 9.14.090 two units/SB 9), p. 1
In Residential Zones, decks, fences and walls (including retaining walls) which exceed eight (8) feet in height (where permitted), or combinations of decks, fences and walls which create the appearance of a fence or wall in excess of eight (8) feet in height when viewed from a location other than the property on which it is built, shall be screened using berming, paint, texturing, landscaping, or a combination of these methods, to the satisfaction of the Planning Director.
- City webpage, Residential Development & Design Standards, Residential Development & Design Standards - City webpage (neighborhood conditions of approval), p. 1
In those cases, the special conditions supersede any conflicting standards in the Municipal Code.
- Lakeshore Conditions of Approval, condition 10, Neighborhood Conditions of Approval - Lakeshore, p. 1
Walls and structures must not obstruct the view of a 45-degree cone placed nine feet inward from the front property line, four feet inward from the left side of the driveway, and six feet inward from right side of the driveway as shown in the attached diagram.
- Southshore and Westlake Island Conditions of Approval, condition 1, Neighborhood Conditions of Approval - Southshore and Westlake Island, p. 1
The maximum allowed wall height is 10 feet, except within the front yard setback.
- First Neighborhood Conditions of Approval, condition 6, Neighborhood Conditions of Approval - First Neighborhood, p. 1
Walls exceeding 42 inches may be constructed in the front yard if they are set back a minimum of eight feet from the front property line.
- Watergate Conditions of Approval, condition 1, Neighborhood Conditions of Approval - Watergate, p. 1
The required front yard setback is 15 feet. A six-foot fence along Lakeview Canyon Road made of slump stone and wrought iron is exempt from this requirement.
This page summarizes Westlake Village's posted ordinances as of 2026-10-05. Ordinances are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with City of Westlake Village Planning Department, City Hall, 31200 Oak Crest Drive (building permits/inspections by L.A. County Building and Safety, Calabasas office (818) 880-4150) (818-706-1613) before you build. Spot an error?