Fence Regulations in Fresno, CA (2026)
5 verified fence regulations for Fresno, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Fresno limits fences in the required front yard to 3 feet (4 feet if 80% open wrought iron/tubular steel), allows up to 6 feet in interior side, rear, and street-side yards, and caps overall fence height at 7 feet, all governed by Fresno Municipal Code Section 15-2006.
3 ft front yard, 6 ft side/rear, 7 ft max
Some RestrictionsCity of Fresno Planning, Handout E11 - Fences, Walls, and Hedges (Section 15-2006)
Fences can be six feet high once it's past the front yard setback, see the zoning RE table to the right. In RS-1 established neighborhoods, use the prevailing front yard setback. When there is a natural grade difference between a parcel and a sidewalk or another parcel, a retaining wall/fence combination can go up to seven feet high, measured from the lower side. Department approval is required...
Fence Permit Requirements
A standard residential fence not over 7 feet does not require a building permit in Fresno, but it must still meet the zoning standards of Section 15-2006; fences in the public right-of-way need an encroachment permit, and security/barbed-wire fencing requires a separate permit under Section 15-2009.
No building permit under 7 ft; ROW/security exceptions
Light RestrictionsFresno Municipal Code Sec. 15-2009(D), (F), (G) - Security Fencing, as amended by Ordinance No. 2024-014 (eff. July 11, 2024)
F. Permit. Property owner(s) shall apply for a permit with the City prior to installation. G. City Indemnification. Prior to the installation of security fencing, the fence owner shall obtain a permit and execute an agreement to defend, hold harmless, and indemnify the City against all claims related to the fencing. D. Fencing Encroachments. All fencing within the public right-of-way requires a...
Neighbor Fence Rules
California Civil Code §841 (the Good Neighbor Fence Act) presumes shared boundary fences are a mutual benefit and requires neighbors to split reasonable costs of construction and maintenance. Fresno does not override this; disputes go to small claims court. Written 30-day notice to the neighbor is required before any cost-share project.
Neighbor Fence Rules in Fresno
Few RestrictionsCal. Civil Code §841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act)
(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, mainte...
Retaining Walls
Fresno measures a retaining wall's height from the ground on its highest side and caps a fence-on-wall combination at 7 feet unless the Director signs off on a taller stack. Retaining walls visible from the street must be decorative concrete, masonry, stone, or brick, not plain block.
Fresno Retaining Wall Height and Design Rules
Some RestrictionsFresno Municipal Code § 15-2006(J), (K)
J.Fence and Retaining Wall Combinations. Where a fence is located on top of a retaining wall, and a six-foot maximum fence height is normally applicable, the Director may allow a combined height of fence and retaining wall up to a maximum of seven feet. K.Natural Grade Differences. Where there is a natural grade difference between two adjacent parcels, or a parcel and a street, the Director may...
Material Restrictions
Fresno's official fence handout for Section 15-2006 lists allowed materials (wrought iron, tubular steel, wood, masonry, stucco, decorative concrete, hedges, and chain link in limited cases) and bans improvised, hazardous, and salvage materials such as plywood, chicken wire, corrugated products, piping, doors, mattresses, tarps, and chain link along major streets unless 3 feet or less.
Allowed vs. prohibited fence materials
Some RestrictionsCity of Fresno Planning, Handout E11 - Fences, Walls, and Hedges (Section 15-2006), Materials table
Materials. Allowed: Wrought Iron or Tubular Steel; Hedges; Wood or Split rail wood; Stucco; Brick and stone; Decorative concrete; Shade cloth, when used with chain link, wrought iron, tubular steel; Chain link, when three feet high; Privacy slats, when used with chain link. Not Allowed: Plywood, OSB, pressboard, etc.; Chicken wire, etc.; Corrugated products; Piping; Hazardous fencing; Improvise...
Looking for Fresno County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fresno city rules.
Fence Regulations in Fresno County →