San Diego, CA Fence Regulations: Fence Requirements (2026)

A compliant fence in unincorporated San Diego County must satisfy both zoning and building requirements. Zoning (Section 6708) sets height by location - 42 inches in front/exterior side yards, 72 inches in rear/interior side yards, with rural and administrative exceptions. Gates and gate entry structures may not exceed 12 feet, must sit at least 10 feet from a public road right-of-way or private road easement they access, and must preserve a minimum 13-foot 6-inch vertical clearance for fire-protection vehicles (Section 6708(d) and (e)); the County Fire Code and local fire district ordinances govern gates across fire-access roads. Construction standards from handout PDS-070 require, among other things, posts set in 12-inch-diameter concrete footings extending at least 24 inches into undisturbed natural ground or properly compacted fill, with prescriptive masonry footing and reinforcing tables (Table A). In Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas, any portion of a fence within 5 feet of a building must be non-combustible or approved fire-retardant material meeting Section 707A of the County Building Code. Fences that confine animals must also conform to the Animal Regulations beginning at Section 3000. Swimming-pool enclosure barriers are separately required under the adopted California Building Code/state pool-safety law. Where a fence sits in a required yard, it must not create traffic-visibility hazards, a finding the Director must make when granting fence exceptions under Section 6708(h).