In Burbank's single-family R-1 zone, fences and walls are limited to 4 feet within the front-yard setback (6 feet for hedges), 6 to 8 feet within the street-facing side yard, and 8 feet elsewhere, all under Burbank Municipal Code Section 10-1-603 and Table 10-1-603(A).
Burbank regulates fence, wall, and hedge height by zone in Title 10 (Zoning Regulations) of the Burbank Municipal Code (BMC). For single-family (R-1 and R-1-H) lots, Table 10-1-603(A) caps fences and walls at 4 feet within the front-yard setback area and 6 feet for hedges in the front yard. Within the street-facing side-yard setback, fences, walls, and hedges are limited to 6 feet to the rear of the house and 8 feet from there to the rear of the lot; on a reverse corner lot the street-facing side yard is subject to the same limits as the front yard. Outside the front and street-facing side-yard setbacks the limit is 8 feet (12 feet for hedges). Multi-family zones (R-2 through R-5) are governed by BMC Section 10-1-628 and Table 10-1-628(A), which set an 8-foot maximum (12 feet for hedges) in front and street-facing side yards. Height is measured from the highest abutting finished ground surface, and on sloped lots a stair-step design may exceed the limit so long as each step, measured from its horizontal midpoint, does not exceed the maximum. Ornamentation may rise up to 18 inches above the fence (to a maximum of 5 feet 6 inches) in the front yard if spaced at least 4 feet apart on center.
Fences exceeding the height limits in BMC 10-1-603 / 10-1-628 are zoning violations enforced by the Community Development Department; nonconforming fences and walls established before October 17, 2008 may be subject to abeyance under Section 10-1-19202, while newer over-height fences can be ordered lowered or removed and may require a Minor or Major Fence Exception Permit to remain.
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