Fence Regulations in Long Beach, CA (2026)
5 verified fence regulations for Long Beach, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Long Beach caps residential front-yard fences at 3 feet and side/rear ("other") yard fences at 6 feet 6 inches, rising to 10 feet outside the required yard, under LBMC § 21.43.020's Table 43-1. Corner-lot cutoff areas are held to 3 feet, though taller open chain-link or wrought-iron fencing is allowed there if it doesn't block sightlines.
Long Beach Fence Height Limits
Some RestrictionsLong Beach Municipal Code § 21.43.020, Table 43-1
Fence and garden wall heights shall not exceed the maximum heights set forth in Table 43-1. Fence heights shall be measured from grade adjoining the fence on the public right-of-way side of the fence (for fences adjoining the public right-of-way) and the average grade of both sides of the fence (for fences between two (2) private properties). Table 43-1 -- Residential: Front yard 3 ft.; Other y...
Fence Permit Requirements
A fence built of wood, chain-link or similar material up to 7 feet tall needs no building permit in Long Beach; masonry, concrete, brick or heavy-timber fences drop that threshold to 4 feet. Above those heights, or in violation of the zoning code, a building permit from the Building Official is mandatory.
Long Beach Fence Permit Thresholds
Some RestrictionsLong Beach Municipal Code § 18.04.020(B)(4)
4.Fences constructed of materials other than concrete, masonry, brick, heavy timber or other similar materials that are not over seven (7) feet in height above grade. Fences constructed partially or in whole of concrete, masonry, brick, heavy timber or other similar materials that are not over four (4) feet in height above grade. Fences constructed without a building permit per this subsection ...
Neighbor Fence Rules
Boundary fences in Long Beach follow CA Civil Code §841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act) requiring shared cost. Spite fences over 10 ft built to annoy neighbors are a private nuisance under CA Civil Code §841.4.
Long Beach Shared Fence & Neighbor Rules
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code § 841 (Adjoining Landowners — Boundaries and Fences)
(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, maint...
Retaining Walls
A retaining wall or planter box in Long Beach needs no building permit if it's 4 feet or less from footing to top, doesn't hold back a surcharge or sloping earth, and doesn't retain flammable liquids. Any wall on a slope steeper than 1-in-5 (20%) needs a permit regardless of height.
Long Beach Retaining Wall Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsLong Beach Municipal Code § 18.04.020(B)(5)
5.Retaining walls or planter boxes that are not over four (4) feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge or sloping earth, or impounding flammable liquids. This exemption shall not apply to retaining walls of any height built on slopes steeper than one (1) unit vertical in five (5) units horizontal (20% slope).
Material Restrictions
LBMC § 22.30.130(B) prohibits barbed wire 'or similar fencing with sharp, protruding objects capable of cutting or puncturing a person' on any fence or wall in the city's RMU, MU, and C zones, while expressly exempting decorative wrought iron from the ban.
Long Beach Bans Barbed Wire on Fences Citywide
Some RestrictionsLong Beach Municipal Code § 22.30.130(B)
22.30.130 - Fence Regulations. B.Prohibited fence and wall materials. Barbed wire or similar fencing with sharp, protruding objects capable of cutting or puncturing a person is prohibited. Such objects shall not be attached to, imbedded in, or laid upon any fence or wall. This restriction does not include decorative wrought iron.
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