Hawthorne, CA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Under Hawthorne Municipal Code Section 17.48.020, a wall, fence, or hedge not more than six feet in height may be located and maintained on any part of the lot. A fence on any portion of the lot other than the front yard or along a street frontage may exceed six feet, up to a maximum of ten feet, only to prevent criminal activity, based on a recommendation of the Hawthorne Police Department and subject to approval of a fence conditional use permit by the planning commission. In the front yard and within the visibility (sight) triangle defined in Section 17.42.090, no fence, wall, or hedge may exceed three and one-half feet. The first eighteen inches above the finished sidewalk elevation may be solid; anything above eighteen inches must be more than ninety-five percent open to view, with vertical elements no wider than three-quarters of an inch and no solid interval greater than eighteen inches measured horizontally. Where a fence sits directly on the ground, height is measured vertically from the top board, rail, brick, block, or wire to the base of the fence at ground level. These city standards are stricter than California Civil Code 841, which addresses cost-sharing but not height.