Merced County, CA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Front setback (first 15 ft)
- 4 ft max
- Beyond 15 ft from property line
- 7 ft max
- Sight distance triangle
- 2 ft 6 in max
- Corner lot side yard over 2'6"
- 16-ft setback from curb
- Permit required
- fences/walls over 7 ft
Summary
Fences and walls in Merced County residential zones are capped at 4 feet within the first 15 feet of the front setback and 7 feet everywhere else, while a 2-foot-6-inch limit applies inside sight distance triangles at intersections and driveways. Anything over 7 feet needs a building permit.
Within front setbacks for the first 15 feet (except for sight distance area): Open or solid fences, walls, hedges with vines and/or shrubs, Maximum Height 4′ – 0″. At 15 feet or more from the property line: Hedges, No height limits; Fences and walls, 7′ – 0″. Sight distance triangles at intersections and driveways: Open or solid fences, walls, hedges with vines and/or shrubs, 2′ – 6″. Other setback areas abutting a non-residential district: Open or solid fences, walls, hedges, and/or landscaping, as required by Landscape Standards, See Ch. 18.36 (Landscaping), 7′ – 0″.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4930839; v8 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
030(B) sets residential fence, wall, and hedge heights by location. Within the first 15 feet of a required front setback, open or solid fences, walls, and hedges are capped at four feet, except in the sight distance area. Beyond 15 feet from the property line, fences and walls can reach seven feet, and hedges have no height limit at all. Within a sight distance triangle at an intersection or driveway, the cap drops to two feet six inches for any fence, wall, or hedge. 36.
020(B): a fence, wall, or hedge in the side yard adjacent to the street that exceeds two feet six inches must be set back at least 16 feet from the face of curb, and where a corner lot abuts the driveway side of a key lot or alley, anything over three feet is measured from the edge of the right-of-way. 020(A) measures height as the vertical distance from the highest finished grade abutting the fence to its top edge, and specifically bars artificially raising the grade to sneak a fence over the limit.
030(E)(1) requires a building permit for any fence or wall higher than seven feet, and (E)(3) lets a seven-foot masonry wall in a residential zone count one foot of that height as light-filtering lattice.
Violations & Fines
Building a fence over seven feet without a building permit violates § 18.34.030(E)(1), and any fence, wall, or hedge over two feet six inches placed inside a sight distance triangle at an intersection or driveway violates § 18.34.020(D) and can be ordered removed as a traffic-safety hazard. Artificially raising the ground next to a fence to exceed the height limit is expressly barred by § 18.34.020(A) and does not exempt the fence from enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my front fence be in Merced County?
Is there a shorter fence limit near driveways and intersections?
Do I need a permit for a tall backyard fence?
Can I raise the dirt next to my fence to make it look taller than allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced County
How Merced County compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·California rules heatmap·Compare Merced County to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.