6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 9 cities in Contra Costa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Contra Costa County, fences may be built up to 7 feet tall without a building permit. Anything taller, or any concrete or masonry wall, requires a permit from the County Building Inspection Division.
Contra Costa County Ordinance Code Section 72-6.202
According to the 2022 California Residential Code (CRC), permits shall not be required for the following: ... 2. Fences not over 7 feet high. Concrete and masonry walls are considered walls, not fences and do require building permits.
Building permits are not required for fences up to 7 feet tall in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Taller fences, any concrete or masonry wall, and retaining walls over 3 feet require a permit from the Building Inspection Division.
Contra Costa County Ordinance Code Section 72-6.202
Per Contra Costa County Ordinance 72-6.202: No person, firm, or corporation shall erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish any building or structure regulated by this title ... without first obtaining the necessary permits from the county building official. According to the 2022 California Residential Code (CRC), permits shall not be required for the ...
Hedges and living screens in unincorporated Contra Costa County are generally treated as landscaping and are not subject to the same permit thresholds as fences, but height limits in corner-lot visibility triangles and spite-fence rules (Civil Code §841.4 over 10 feet) still apply.
Cal. CIV Code § 841
(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 up to 3 feet (measured footing to top) are exempt from building permits in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Combined with a fence, the total height may not exceed 7 feet, and the wall portion may not exceed 3 feet.
Contra Costa County Ordinance Code Section 72-6.202
Retaining walls that are not more than three feet in height, measured from the top of the footing to the top of the wall, and that have a downward slope at the bottom of the retaining wall not exceeding 1(vertical): 10(horizontal), unless supporting a surcharge or ground slope exceeding 1 (vertical): 2 (horizontal) or impounding class I, II, or III-a liquids.
Pool barriers in unincorporated Contra Costa County follow California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (H&S Code §115920+): a minimum 60-inch barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates, at least two of seven approved safety features for pools built or remodeled since 2007, and disclosure at sale.
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 115923
An enclosure shall have all of the following characteristics: (a) Any access gates through the enclosure open away from the swimming pool, and are self-closing with a self-latching device placed no lower than 60 inches above the ground. (b) A minimum height of 60 inches. (c) A maximum vertical clearance from the ground to the bottom of the enclosure of two inches. (d) Gaps or voids, if any, do ...
Contra Costa County's Ordinance Code does not impose a general material restriction on residential fences in unincorporated areas. The only material-specific rule is that concrete and masonry walls are classified as walls (not fences) and require a building permit regardless of height.
Contra Costa County Ordinance Code Section 72-6.202
Fences not over 7 feet high. Concrete and masonry walls are considered walls, not fences and do require building permits.
9 cities in Contra Costa County have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
5 verified rules • Height Limits, Material Restrictions
6 verified rules • Height Limits, Material Restrictions
6 verified rules • Height Limits, Material Restrictions
5 verified rules • Height Limits, Material Restrictions
5 verified rules • Height Limits, Material Restrictions
5 verified rules • Height Limits, Material Restrictions
5 verified rules • Height Limits, Material Restrictions
5 verified rules • Fence Requirements, Height Limits
3 verified rules • Height Limits, Neighbor Fence Rules
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