Inyo County, CA Fence Regulations: Fence Requirements (2026)

Inyo County's Title 18 Zoning Ordinance addresses fences mainly through height and placement in Chapter 18.78 (General Regulations). Section 18.78.160 allows fences, walls, and hedges to occupy any yard area, but caps height at six feet generally and three and one-half feet in a required front yard, the required street side yard of a corner lot, or the part of a corner-lot rear yard abutting a key lot's front yard. The lower corner-lot and front-yard limits exist to preserve visibility and safety. Height is measured from the finished ground level beneath the fence. Because the County adopts the California Building Code under Chapter 14.08, swimming pool and spa enclosures must also meet the building code's barrier requirements, including minimum barrier height and self-closing, self-latching gates, which are separate from the general fence height rule. Fences must not be placed so as to obstruct required yards beyond what the zoning code allows, and structures generally must respect the yard and setback requirements of the underlying zoning district set out in Sections 18.78.070 through 18.78.110. For any fence proposed above the six-foot zoning limit or above the seven-foot building-code threshold, confirm requirements with the Planning Department and Building and Safety before construction.