Pleasanton, CA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Chapter 18.84 splits Pleasanton's fence height limits by yard and by district. In a required front yard, Section 18.84.080(C) caps solid fences, brick or screen block walls, chainlink fencing, hedges and other screen planting at 30 inches in every district except R-1-20,000, R-1-40,000 and A. Open fencing, wrought iron, split rail or picket style, can reach 42 inches in those same front yards, and an owner combining an open fence with a solid brick or split-face block base can carry the base up to 18 inches as long as the total stays at or under 42 inches; decorative columns, caps or pilasters spaced roughly six feet apart may rise to 48 inches, and decorative arched gateways to eight feet. In the larger-lot R-1-20,000, R-1-40,000 and A districts, Section 18.84.080(D) sets a stricter 30-inch solid-fence cap but allows the zoning administrator to approve open wrought iron or split rail fencing up to six feet, provided it sits back at least 20 feet from any driveway curb and relates architecturally to the residence.

Side and rear yards get more height by right. Section 18.84.090(F) allows fences, walls and hedges up to six feet without special approval, except that the side yard on a corner lot's street side is held to the same 30-inch solid or 42-inch open front-yard limits, and outdoor storage fencing in the C-S, C-A, I-P and I-G districts can reach eight feet, with barbed wire on the top two feet, subject to zoning administrator sign-off. Separately, Section 18.84.110 caps anything in the corner-lot sight triangle, the 25-foot area formed at a street intersection, at 30 inches solid or 42 inches open, regardless of the general yard rule, to preserve driver sightlines.