7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Tulare County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Tulare County, the Zoning Ordinance (Ord. 352) allows a fence or wall up to 6 feet high along side or rear lot lines. Fences in a required front yard are limited to 3.5 feet. Heights above these are governed by the County code and the California Building Code.
Tulare County has adopted the 2022 California Building Code for its unincorporated areas. Under CBC Section 105.2, a building permit is not required for fences not over 7 feet high. Fences over 7 feet, and retaining walls over 4 feet, require a permit from the County RMA.
Tulare County's Zoning Ordinance sets fence height and placement but does not address cost-sharing between neighbors. Shared boundary fences in California are governed by the statewide Good Neighbor Fence Act (Civil Code Section 841), which presumes adjoining owners share equally in reasonable fence costs after 30 days' written notice.
Retaining walls in unincorporated Tulare County follow the adopted California Building Code. Under CBC Section 105.2, a building permit is not required for a retaining wall not over 4 feet high measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, unless it supports a surcharge. Taller walls require a permit.
Beyond general height limits, Tulare County's Zoning Ordinance imposes specific fence requirements in certain situations: commercial off-street parking lots abutting residential zones must be screened by a solid 6-foot fence or wall, and swimming pools must be enclosed by a barrier meeting building-code standards.
Tulare County's Zoning Ordinance does not prohibit common residential fence materials such as wood, vinyl, chain-link, or masonry. The only material-specific rules in County code apply to swimming-pool barriers and to required solid screening walls. General construction quality is governed by the adopted California Building Code.
Common fence materials are permitted in unincorporated Tulare County. The Zoning Ordinance speaks of 'a fence or wall' without a material list, so wood, vinyl, chain-link, masonry, and iron are all generally allowed. Material-specific standards appear only for solid screening walls and swimming-pool barriers.
2 cities in Tulare County have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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