7 rules for unincorporated Trinity County, California.
Verified from official government sources
All of Trinity County is unincorporated, so the County of Trinity sets fence rules. The County Building Code (Sec. 15.04.140, as amended by Ordinance 1373) lets fences reach up to 7 feet without a building permit, provided parcel-specific zoning allows it. Individual zoning districts can impose lower caps, such as 6 feet in the R-2 district.
Unincorporated Trinity County exempts fences up to 7 feet high from a building permit under County Code Sec. 15.04.140 (Ordinance 1373), unless parcel-specific zoning is more restrictive. Retaining walls up to 4 feet (footing to top) are also permit-exempt unless they support a surcharge. Taller fences and walls need a permit from the Building Division.
Trinity County's zoning and building codes do not assign cost-sharing or maintenance duties for boundary fences between neighbors. Those issues are governed by California's statewide Good Neighbor Fence Law (Civil Code Sec. 841), which presumes adjoining owners share equally in the reasonable cost of a common boundary fence after 30 days' written notice.
In unincorporated Trinity County, retaining walls up to 4 feet high - measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall - are exempt from a building permit under County Code Sec. 15.04.140 (Ordinance 1373), unless the wall supports a surcharge. Taller walls, or any wall holding back a sloped load, require a building permit.
Unincorporated Trinity County requires fences to meet the zoning district's height cap and yard rules and any Department of Transportation requirements, per County Code Sec. 15.04.140 (Ordinance 1373). Swimming pool barrier fences are separately required under the County's pool-safety provisions. There is no single county-wide fence design standard - requirements vary by zone and use.
Trinity County's codes do not ban specific fence materials county-wide. The County defines a fence as a barrier 'typically of wood or wire' (Sec. 15.04.040) and treats fences up to 7 feet as permit-exempt regardless of material, subject to zoning and Department of Transportation rules. Overlay districts such as Scenic Conservation may add appearance-based conditions.
Wood and wire are the common fence materials in unincorporated Trinity County, reflected in the County's own definition of a fence as a barrier 'typically of wood or wire' (Sec. 15.04.040). The County does not require a permit for fences up to 7 feet of any material, but the material must still satisfy zoning, overlay-district, and Department of Transportation requirements.
See every category we cover for Trinity County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Trinity County Ordinance Hub →