Fence Regulations in Butte County, CA (2026)
4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Butte County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
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.
Front/side-street: 42 in; rear/side: 6 ft
Some RestrictionsButte 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...
Fence Permit Requirements
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).
No permit up to 7 ft (6 ft masonry); zoning still applies
Light RestrictionsButte 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...
Retaining Walls
Butte County's grading ordinance treats retaining walls as an engineering tool for meeting cut-and-fill setbacks, not as a routine fence. Section 13-11(d) sets a sliding setback from the top of any cut or the toe of any fill, from five feet for slopes up to ten feet high to fifteen feet for slopes over thirty feet, but lets the Director of Public Works approve a retaining wall or deep foundation to shrink that distance.
Butte County Grading Retaining Wall Setback Rule
Some RestrictionsButte County Code of Ordinances § 13-11(d)(2)
The setbacks specified by this section are minimum requirements and may be increased by the director or by the recommendation of a civil engineer, soils engineer or engineering geologist, if necessary for safety and stability, or to prevent damage to other properties, structures, channels, and roadways from deposition or erosion, or provide access for slope maintenance and drainage. Retaining w...
Material Restrictions
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.
Wood, masonry, ornamental steel/iron only in urban zones
Some RestrictionsButte 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...
Fence Regulations by City in Butte County
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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