How Glendale Handles Fence Regulations: A Practical Guide

Glendale maintains 154 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with fence regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Glendale falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Material Restrictions

Glendale's zoning code bans electrically charged fences and any fence or wall made of barbed wire, razor wire, chicken wire, sharp-edged materials, or fiberglass in every single-family and mixed-use residential zone. Fences over three feet must instead use wood, masonry, or decorative metal, and chain-link is allowed only if screened from neighboring view.

Key details: Banned materials: Barbed/razor/chicken wire, fiberglass, electrified. Zones covered: ROS, R1, R1R, and 8 more. Required materials (fences over 3 ft): Wood, masonry, decorative metal. Chain-link: Only if screened from adjacent view. Barbed wire near sidewalks: 6-ft minimum clearance (§ 9.20.010).

Building or maintaining a fence with a banned material, such as barbed wire, electrified wire, or chicken wire, in a residential or mixed-use zone violates Section 30.30.010(A)(1); the code treats it as a zoning violation enforceable by the community development department through code enforcement remedies and, absent a listed infraction designation, a misdemeanor under Section 1.20.010(A) carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. The city can also require removal or replacement of a nonconforming fence.

Retaining Walls

In Glendale's ROS and R1R hillside zones, Municipal Code § 30.30.010(B) caps most retaining walls at five feet, with a two-foot bonus for decorative masonry or stone facing when a wall's toe sits within 15 feet of a street front or side property line. Stacked walls are capped at two, five feet apart, on a slope no steeper than 2:1.

Key details: Base height cap: 5 ft for ROS/R1R walls near street. Decorative bonus: +2 ft with masonry/stone facing, director approval. Trigger distance: Toe within 15 ft of street line. Stacking limit: Max 2 successive walls, 5 ft apart. Slope limit: No steeper than 2:1 between walls.

Retaining wall violations are not among the Municipal Code sections carrying a fixed infraction fine, so § 1.20.010(A)'s general misdemeanor penalty applies: up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail, with each day the wall remains out of compliance a separate offense under § 1.20.010(E). The city attorney may instead seek a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation under § 1.20.050, or an injunction to compel removal or modification under § 1.20.030.

Neighbor Fence Rules

Glendale does not require neighbor consent to build a fence on your property. California Civil Code Section 841 governs shared boundary fences and provides for equal cost-sharing between benefiting property owners.

Key details: Neighbor Consent: Not required if on your property. State Law: CA Civil Code §841. Cost Sharing: Equal for shared boundary fences. Disputes: Civil matter; city enforces zoning only.

Fences built over property lines are a civil matter between neighbors. The city does not mediate private property line disputes but enforces zoning compliance.

The rules around neighbor fence rules in Glendale lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Height Limits

Glendale limits residential fences and walls to three feet by right in the ROS, R1R and R1 zones; anything taller needs Design Review Board approval under Chapter 30.47. Ten residential, mixed-use and transit-oriented zones ban barbed wire, razor wire, chicken wire, fiberglass and electrified fencing outright, and chain-link is allowed only when vegetation-screened or serving tennis courts and recreational facilities.

Key details: By-right height: 3 ft in ROS, R1R, R1 zones. Above 3 ft: Requires Ch. 30.47 Design Review approval. Banned materials: Barbed wire, razor wire, chicken wire, fiberglass, electrified. Chain-link: Only if vegetation-screened or for tennis/recreation courts. Default penalty: Up to $1,000 fine and 6 months jail.

Fence and wall violations aren't on the short list of Municipal Code sections carrying a set infraction fine, so they default to the general penalty in § 1.20.010(A): a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail, with each day a fence stays out of compliance counted as a separate offense under § 1.20.010(E). The city attorney can also seek civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation under § 1.20.050 or abate a noncompliant fence as a public nuisance under § 1.20.030.

The Bottom Line

Glendale's fence regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Glendale is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Glendale's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.