7 rules for unincorporated Modoc County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Modoc County's zoning code (Title 18) has no general numeric fence-height limit for the unincorporated area. The only height figure is in §18.30.070, which requires sight-obscuring screening fences for outdoor storage to be at least 6 feet. Otherwise state building-code rules govern.
Modoc County requires no separate zoning/fence permit for ordinary fences. Permitting flows from the adopted California Building Code (Modoc County Code §15.01.020/.030): a building permit is required only when a fence exceeds 7 feet, or for retaining walls above the code threshold.
Modoc County's zoning code has no shared-fence cost rule, so California's 'Good Neighbor Fence' law (Civil Code §841) governs boundary fences in the unincorporated county. Adjoining owners are presumed equally responsible for a dividing fence, after 30 days' written notice.
Modoc County's zoning code does not regulate retaining walls specifically. They are governed by the adopted California Building Code (Modoc County Code §15.01.020): a building permit is required for taller walls and for any wall supporting a surcharge, regardless of height.
Modoc County does not require fencing on ordinary lots, but §18.30.070 mandates sight-obscuring screening fences (at least 6 feet) around outdoor storage and junk vehicles, and §18.110.090 requires a gated, fenced outdoor area for emergency shelters.
Modoc County's zoning code sets no general material restrictions for fences. The only material-related requirements are functional: screening fences for outdoor storage must be 'sight-obscuring' and junk-vehicle screening must be 'opaque' (§18.30.070).
No fence-material standards exist in Modoc County's zoning code for ordinary fences. Screening fences must be sight-obscuring or opaque (§18.30.070); masonry and concrete walls are classed as walls under the adopted California Building Code, affecting their permit treatment.
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