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

Madera County's Zoning Ordinance (Title 18, Chapter 18.98) governs where structures, including fences, may be placed. Section 18.98.030 (Setback area restrictions) lists fences among the items expressly permitted within the street setback area, alongside utility lines, traffic signs, and rural mailboxes. Section 18.98.050 requires that within the vision setback area at intersections, no structure exceed three feet in height except open fences offering clear vision-this protects driver sight lines. Much of unincorporated Madera County is rural foothill and mountain land in a State Responsibility Area (SRA) for fire protection. Sections 18.98.010 and 18.98.070 require that parcels one acre or larger in SRA comply with the building and accessory-structure setback/offset standards of California Public Resources Code 4290 (Section 1276.01), with the fire department determining equivalent standards for parcels under one acre. While these PRC 4290 rules speak to buildings and accessory structures, they shape the cleared, defensible-space environment around fences and outbuildings. There is no general fence-height standard in Title 18; the controlling requirements are location (setback/vision), the 7-foot building-permit threshold of the adopted Building Code, and fire-clearance standards in rural zones. Confirm parcel-specific requirements with Madera County Planning.