7 rules for unincorporated Alpine County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In Alpine County's RE and RN residential zones, fences in side and rear yards may not exceed six feet in height, and fences in front yards may not exceed four and one-half feet, under Alpine County Code Chapter 18.68. Corner lots also have sight-distance limits. The county is entirely unincorporated, so county zoning controls everywhere.
Alpine County's Building Safety Division requires a building permit for fences over six feet in height. Shorter fences still must meet the zone height limits in Chapter 18.68 and corner sight-distance rules. Work inside a county road right-of-way needs a separate Encroachment Permit. Permits are applied for online through Community Development in Markleeville.
Alpine County Code sets fence height and corner sight-distance limits, but cost-sharing for a shared boundary fence is governed by California's Good Neighbor Fence Act, Civil Code Section 841. Adjoining owners are presumed to share equally in reasonable construction and maintenance costs, and an owner must give 30 days' written notice before charging a neighbor.
Alpine County Code does not publish a standalone retaining-wall height rule; the controlling standard is the California Residential/Building Code, which requires a building permit for retaining walls over four feet (bottom of footing to top), or any wall supporting a surcharge. In Alpine County's steep, high-elevation terrain, engineered walls and erosion control are commonly required.
Fences in Alpine County must meet the zone height limits in Chapter 18.68 (six feet in side/rear yards, four and one-half feet in front yards in RE and RN zones), keep corner-lot sight-distance areas clear, and stay within property lines. Fences over six feet need a county building permit, and road right-of-way work needs an Encroachment Permit.
Alpine County's zoning code does not impose general fence-material bans countywide; standard wood, wire, and metal fencing is typical. The main constraints are height (Chapter 18.68), corner sight-distance, and, within the Markleeville Historic District, design review under Chapter 18.56 and the Markleeville Design Guidelines. Subdivision CC&Rs may add private material rules.
Standard fence materials (wood, wire, split-rail, metal) are generally allowed in Alpine County's residential zones, with no countywide material prohibition. Height limits in Chapter 18.68 and corner sight-distance always apply. The Markleeville Historic District adds design review (Chapter 18.56), and subdivision CC&Rs or wildfire defensible-space practices may shape material choices.
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