Alhambra Zoning Code 23.12.050 limits fences, walls and dense hedges to a maximum of three feet in the front yard or within five feet of a street side property line, and six feet on all other portions of a residential lot, measured from finished grade.
The City of Alhambra regulates fence and wall heights under its own Zoning Code, Section 23.12.050 (Fences and Freestanding Walls), not Los Angeles County's code. Per the city's Community Development Department, fences, walls, dense hedges and similar structures may be a maximum of three feet high measured from finished grade when located within the front yard or within five feet of a street side property line. On all other portions of a lot, such as interior side yards and rear yards, the maximum height is six feet. These are the city's zoning limits, which are stricter than the California Building Code permit threshold. The state Residential Code (CRC R105.2 / CBC 105.2) only exempts fences not over seven feet from a building permit, but Alhambra's zoning caps residential heights well below that. Fences, walls or hedges over six feet that enclose commercial or industrial uses, tennis courts or similar areas, when not in a street setback area, may be erected only with approval of a minor use permit. Heights are measured from finished grade, with special rules where retaining walls are involved. Because the front-yard limit is only three feet, taller decorative front fences are not permitted by right.
Fences exceeding the three-foot front-yard or six-foot side/rear limit, or commercial fences over six feet built without the required minor use permit, are zoning violations handled by Alhambra Code Enforcement and the Community Development Department, which can require modification or removal.
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