7 rules for unincorporated Nevada County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Nevada County, California, Section 12.04.106 of the County Code (formerly Land Use & Development Code) sets fence and hedge heights by yard and zone. In residential districts, front and street-side fencing is limited to 4 feet (open) or 3 feet (solid); rear and interior side fencing may reach 6 feet.
Nevada County Code Sec. 12.04.106 (formerly LUDC Sec. L-II 4.2.6)
Purpose. The purpose of these regulations is to protect the visual quality and to minimize sight distance impairment on roadways by establishing height limits for fencing and hedges located within yard setbacks. HEIGHT MEASUREMENT: Fencing shall be measured from the base at finished grade to the highest point. Hedges shall be measured from their base at finished grade to their highest point. [H...
Nevada County's Fencing and Hedges section (Sec. 12.04.106) sets zoning height limits but does not, on its face, require a planning permit for an ordinary code-compliant fence. A discretionary land use permit or Use Permit is the mechanism to exceed the height maximums, and solid fence and wall construction must meet building-code requirements.
Nevada County Code Sec. 14.02.050 (Work Exempt from a Permit)
EXEMPTED WORK: Section 14.02.050, Land Use and Development Code, Work Exempt from a Permit. A Building Permit shall not be required for the following: One-story detached accessory structures without electrical, mechanical or plumbing not intended for habitation provided the projected floor area does not exceed 200 square feet, with a maximum of 2 (two) foot eaves. One structure per parcel. Must...
Nevada County's code sets fence heights and sight-distance rules (Sec. 12.04.106) but does not govern who pays for a shared boundary fence. That is controlled by California Civil Code Section 841, the 'Good Neighbor Fence Law,' which presumes adjoining owners share equally in the reasonable cost of a boundary fence and requires 30 days' written notice before incurring costs.
In unincorporated Nevada County, the Building Setbacks section (Sec. 12.04.105) exempts retaining walls less than 4 feet in height above finished grade from setback requirements as a 'site design feature.' Taller retaining walls, and solid wall construction generally, are subject to building-code requirements under the County Code.
Nevada County Code Sec. 14.02.050; Nevada County Building Permit Application Handbook
Masonry walls, which are not over 4 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge. ... Engineering is required on all steel frame, concrete buildings and concrete or concrete block walls over four (4) feet high (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall). Front page of engineering shall contain all design criter...
Beyond height, Nevada County's Sec. 12.04.106 defines fence types and requires that fencing not impair vehicle sight distance. Open fencing (open board, split rail, wire, chain link) gets more height than solid fencing, and swimming-pool fencing follows separate standards in the Land Use and Development Code.
Nevada County's Sec. 12.04.106 does not prohibit specific fence materials. It allows wood, metal, wire, fabric, boards, and masonry walls, but regulates them by whether they are 'open' or 'solid' and by their effect on vehicle sight distance, with solid construction subject to the Uniform Building Code.
Nevada County Code Sec. 12.04.106 (formerly LUDC Sec. L-II 4.2.6)
1. Fencing - A barrier constructed of wood, metal, wire, fabric, boards, or other materials and which is intended to demarcate a boundary, separate land uses, secure animals, enclose property, and/or exclude people and animals from a designated area. Solid fencing is fencing that impairs through vision and conflicts with vehicle sight distance. Walls constructed of concrete, stone, brick, tile,...
Nevada County allows a wide range of fence materials. Sec. 12.04.106 expressly recognizes wood, metal, wire, fabric, boards, and masonry walls, classifying each as 'open' or 'solid.' The classification, not the material itself, determines the height you may build in each yard.
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