Bakersfield, CA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Rear/side yard max
- 6 feet, most residential/MX zones
- Front yard max
- 4 feet (up to 6 ft with approval)
- Barbed wire, residential
- Banned within 3 feet of lot lines
- Barbed wire, commercial
- Allowed only 6 ft 3 in.+ above grade
- Agricultural zone
- Barbed wire 1,300+ ft from residential
- Grandfather date
- Fences built before Sept. 1, 1983
Summary
Bakersfield caps fences, walls, and hedges at six feet in required side and rear yards and four feet in the required front yard across the R-1 through R-6 and MX-1/MX-2 zones (BMC § 17.08.180). Front yards can go to six feet only with planning commission or council approval for arterial screening or noise attenuation, and barbed or electrified wire is banned within three feet of any residential lot line.
A. In the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, MX-1, and MX-2 zones, no fence, wall or hedge located in the rear or side yards shall exceed a height of six feet unless a greater height is required by city or state regulations for noise attenuation or sight screening. ... B. ... no fence, wall or hedge located in the required front yard shall exceed a height of four feet, except in the following situations, in which such fence or wall may be higher but shall not exceed a height of six feet... D. ... no barbed or electrified wire shall be used or maintained in or about the construction of a fence, wall or hedge along the front, side or rear lines of any lot, or within three feet of said lines, and no sharp wire or points shall project at the top of any fence or wall less than six feet in height.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 5221, passed July 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
180 sets citywide fence, wall, and hedge standards for the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, MX-1, and MX-2 zones. 462. Subsection B limits front-yard fences and walls to four feet, with two narrow exceptions allowing up to six feet: where the planning commission finds a side yard adjacent to an arterial or collector street needs a taller wall to complete a required subdivision wall, or where the city council, planning commission, or planning director finds a taller wall necessary for noise attenuation. Subsection D bans barbed or electrified wire on any fence, wall, or hedge along a residential lot's front, side, or rear line, or within three feet of that line, and bans sharp wire or points at the top of any fence under six feet tall.
Commercial and industrial zones (C-O, C-C, C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2) get a narrower rule under subsection E: barbed wire is allowed only if its lowest strand sits at least six feet three inches above grade and doesn't extend over neighboring property. 020, subject to building director approval (subsection F). Fences built before September 1, 1983 to protect children from canals are grandfathered out of the barbed-wire restrictions (subsection G).
Violations & Fines
A fence, wall, or hedge exceeding these height limits or using prohibited barbed or electrified wire is a Title 17 zoning violation, enforceable as a public nuisance subject to abatement or injunction under § 17.72.010, and subject to the citywide general penalty in Chapter 1.40.010: up to a $1,000 fine or six months in county jail for a misdemeanor, with each day of the violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my backyard fence be in Bakersfield?
What's the height limit for a front-yard fence?
Can I put barbed wire on my residential fence?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bakersfield
How Bakersfield compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·California rules heatmap·Compare Bakersfield to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
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Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kern County handle height limits.