Fence Regulations in Bakersfield, CA (2026)
4 verified fence regulations for Bakersfield, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Bakersfield caps fences, walls, and hedges at six feet in required side and rear yards and four feet in the required front yard across the R-1 through R-6 and MX-1/MX-2 zones (BMC § 17.08.180). Front yards can go to six feet only with planning commission or council approval for arterial screening or noise attenuation, and barbed or electrified wire is banned within three feet of any residential lot line.
Bakersfield Fence Height Limits by Yard Location
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 17.08.180(A), (B), (D)
A. In the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, MX-1, and MX-2 zones, no fence, wall or hedge located in the rear or side yards shall exceed a height of six feet unless a greater height is required by city or state regulations for noise attenuation or sight screening. ... B. ... no fence, wall or hedge located in the required front yard shall exceed a height of four feet, except in the following situat...
Neighbor Fence Rules
Bakersfield does not have a specific municipal ordinance addressing boundary fence disputes between neighbors. California Civil Code Section 841 (the Good Neighbor Fence Act of 2013) governs shared boundary fences statewide and presumes adjoining landowners share equally in the reasonable costs of construction and maintenance. Disputes over spite fences, blocked views, or cost-sharing are handled through state civil law rather than city code.
Fences: Neighbor Rules
Few RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Sec. 841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act - Shared Responsibility for Boundary Fences)
841. (a) Adjoining landowners shall share equally in the responsibility for maintaining the boundaries and monuments between them. (b) (1) Adjoining landowners are presumed to share an equal benefit from any fence dividing their properties and, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties in a written agreement, shall be presumed to be equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, ...
Retaining Walls
Bakersfield's building code amendments bar wood retaining and crib walls in high-seismic zones, require preservative treatment for any wood that is used, and set prescriptive limits on concrete and masonry foundation/retaining walls under § 15.05.100, with separate permit fees required by the grading code.
Bakersfield Retaining Wall Construction Standards
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 15.05.160
2304.12.2.8 Wood used in retaining walls and cribs. Wood installed in retaining or crib walls shall be preservative treated in accordance with AWPA U1 (Commodity Specifications A or F) for soil and fresh water use. Wood shall not be used in retaining or crib walls for structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F.
Material Restrictions
Barbed and electrified wire are flatly banned on residential-zone fences in Bakersfield, allowed in commercial/industrial zones only above 6 feet 3 inches, and permitted for agricultural fencing solely at least 1,300 feet from any residential area.
Bakersfield Barbed & Electrified Wire Fence Rules
Significant RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 17.08.180(D)-(G)
D. In the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, MX-1, and MX-2 zones no barbed or electrified wire shall be used or maintained in or about the construction of a fence, wall or hedge along the front, side or rear lines of any lot, or within three feet of said lines, and no sharp wire or points shall project at the top of any fence or wall less than six feet in height. E. In the C-O, C-C, C-1, C-2, M-1 a...
Looking for Kern County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bakersfield city rules.
Fence Regulations in Kern County →