5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Butte County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Butte County, residential fences and walls are capped at 42 inches within the front and street-side setback and at 6 feet in all other areas of the parcel. Agriculture, Industrial and Airport zones are allowed up to 8 feet anywhere on the parcel.
Butte County Code Section 24-57 et seq.; Form PLA-11 (Additional Fence Height Administrative Permit)
Two feet of additional fence or wall height beyond that shown in Table 24-59-1 is permitted with the approval of this permit. Fences and walls shall be constructed of decorative masonary, ornamental steel or iron, or wood. Other materials may be considered if the Zoning Administrator determines the design to be compatible with adjacent structures and its surroudning neighborhood. The use of bar...
Butte County does not require a building permit for non-masonry fences up to 7 feet high, or masonry fences up to 6 feet high. Fences still must comply with zoning height limits in Table 24-59-1, and exceeding those zoning limits by up to 2 feet requires an Additional Fence Height Administrative Permit (Form PLA-11).
Butte County Code Section 26-3.1 and California Building Code Section 105.2 - Form DBP-20
Building permits shall not be required for the following: ... 2. Fences, other than swimming pool barriers, and other than those built of masonry material, not over 7 feet high. Masonry fences not over 6 feet (1829 mm) high. Fences still need to meet zoning requirements. ... Exemptions from permit requirements shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in v...
Shared boundary fences in California are governed by the Good Neighbor Fence Act (CA Civil Code §841), presuming adjoining owners share the cost equally after 30 days' notice — particularly relevant for rural and ranching parcels.
Butte County Zoning Code Section 24-60 limits residential fence materials to decorative masonry, ornamental steel or iron, or wood. Barbed wire, razor wire, and similar materials are only allowed in rural, agricultural, industrial, and timber zones. Sheet metal, vehicle parts, garage doors, aluminum siding, corrugated tin, plywood, and OSB are prohibited.
Butte County Code Section 24-60 (Design - Walls and Fences); Form PLA-11
Fences and walls shall be constructed of decorative masonary, ornamental steel or iron, or wood. Other materials may be considered if the Zoning Administrator determines the design to be compatible with adjacent structures and its surroudning neighborhood. The use of barbed wire, razor wire, and other similar materials is permitted only in the Rural Residential, Rural Country Residential, Footh...
County zoning permits standard fence materials and, given the agricultural and foothill ranching character of unincorporated Butte County, allows agricultural and livestock fencing (including barbed wire) where land use supports it.
1 cities in Butte County have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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