7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Solano County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In any residential (R) district of unincorporated Solano County, Section 28.93.A.3 limits fences behind the building line to 7 feet and fences between the building line and a street to 3 feet, unless the portion over 3 feet is open enough to permit adequate visibility.
Solano County Code § 28.93.A (General Height Regulations and Exceptions)
In any R District, no fence shall be erected, moved or altered, and no hedge shall be grown so that the portions behind the building line of the dwelling exceed seven feet in height, and the portions between the building line and any street line exceed three feet in height.
Solano County Building & Safety Services exempts fences not over 6 feet high from a building permit. Fences over 6 feet, and certain walls or retaining walls, may require a permit, and all fences must still comply with the height and visibility limits in Chapter 28 zoning.
Solano County Building & Safety Services - Permit Exemptions (per CBC § 105.2)
Fences not over 6 feet high. All fencing, unless the fencing height exceeds six (6) feet and is solid. A livestock corral or loading shoot is not considered solid fencing.
Solano County's Zoning Code (Chapter 28) sets fence height and placement, but cost-sharing and disputes over boundary fences are governed by California Civil Code Section 841, the 'Good Neighbor Fence Law,' which presumes adjoining owners share equally in the cost of a division fence after 30 days' written notice.
In unincorporated Solano County, retaining walls not over 4 feet in height, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, are exempt from a building permit, unless the wall supports a surcharge or impounds liquids. Taller or loaded walls require a building permit.
Beyond height, Solano County's Zoning Code requires screening fences in certain situations. Section 28.94.I requires a minimum six-foot-high solid wall or fence, of a design approved by the Zoning Administrator, to separate parking and other non-residential uses abutting residential districts or residences.
Solano County's Zoning Code does not impose broad fence-material bans for ordinary residential fences. Where screening is required between a non-residential use and homes, Section 28.94.I specifies a solid wall or fence of a design approved by the Zoning Administrator, and special-area design review can add material standards.
Solano County Code § 28.93.A (General Height Regulations and Exceptions)
A fence between the building line and any street line may exceed three feet in height if the portion of the fence that exceeds three feet in height is open so that it permits adequate visibility. Examples of open fences include chain link, wire fences and wrought iron fences.
Solano County allows standard fence materials for residential lots without a general material ban. Section 28.94.I requires a solid wall or fence approved by the Zoning Administrator only where screening separates non-residential uses from homes, and the controlling limits are height, visibility, and permit thresholds.
3 cities in Solano County have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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