7 rules for unincorporated Colusa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
The Colusa County Zoning Code (Chapter 44) sets no maximum fence height for the unincorporated county. The only height threshold that applies is the statewide California Residential Code building-permit exemption, under which a fence is exempt from a building permit only if it is not over 7 feet tall.
Unincorporated Colusa County has no zoning-permit requirement specific to fences. A fence needs a building permit from the Colusa County Building Division only when it exceeds the California Residential Code exemption of 7 feet in height; shorter fences are permit-exempt.
Colusa County's code has no boundary-fence cost-sharing rule, so California's statewide Good Neighbor Fence Law (Civil Code Section 841) controls. Adjoining owners are presumed to share equally in the cost of a fence dividing their properties, and a 30-day written notice is required before incurring shared costs.
The Colusa County Zoning Code sets no retaining-wall standard, so retaining walls are governed by the statewide building code the county enforces. Under the California Residential Code, a retaining wall not over 4 feet (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall) is permit-exempt unless it supports a surcharge.
Unincorporated Colusa County imposes no general design or construction standard for residential fences, but its Zoning Code requires that animals kept outdoors be fenced to keep them on the property, and abandoned-vehicle screening can be met with a solid six-foot fence. Pool barriers follow state law.
The Colusa County Zoning Code does not restrict fence materials in the unincorporated area - there is no list of prohibited or required fencing materials. Material choice is left to the owner, subject only to the building-code permit threshold and basic safety and screening requirements.
Unincorporated Colusa County does not regulate the materials used to build a fence. The Zoning Code names no approved or banned fencing materials, so owners may choose wood, vinyl, chain link, masonry, or wire, subject only to building-permit, pool-safety, and vehicle-screening rules.
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