El Dorado County, CA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Solid front-yard fence cap
- 40 inches
- Open front-yard fence cap
- 7 feet (50%+ open)
- Side/rear cumulative height
- 7 feet by right
- Corner visibility triangle cap
- 40 inches within CVA
- Governing section
- El Dorado County Code § 130.30.070(A)-(C)
Summary
El Dorado County caps solid front-yard fences at 40 inches and open fences at seven feet, and bars anything over 40 inches inside the corner cross-visibility triangle, under Section 130.30.070(B). Side and rear yards allow a seven-foot cumulative fence-and-wall height in every zone.
B.Front Yards...1.Fences or walls at least 50 percent open shall be allowed up to a height of seven feet in both primary and secondary front yard setbacks...2.Fences or walls which are less than 50 percent open shall not exceed 40 inches in height in the primary front yard setback...8.On corner lots, no fence or wall greater than 40 inches in height shall be placed within the CVA consisting of a triangle having two sides 25 feet long, running along each right of way or road easement, said length beginning at their intersection, and the third side formed by a line connecting the two ends...C.Side and Rear Yards. In all zones, fences, walls, cut retaining walls, or fences and walls that are erected within five feet of a retaining wall shall be allowed within required side and rear yard setbacks to a maximum cumulative height of seven feet.
Full Breakdown
070(A) measures fence height as the vertical distance from natural or finished grade at the fence's lowest side to the top of the fence material. 2 caps a solid fence or wall, meaning less than 50 percent open, at 40 inches in the primary front yard. 8 applies the same 40-inch cap within a larger CVA triangle formed by two 25-foot legs along the right-of-way at a corner lot. Side and rear yards get more room: Subsection C allows fences, walls, or fences combined with a retaining wall to reach a cumulative seven feet as of right in every zone.
Going up to 10 feet cumulative is possible, but only with a notarized statement from each affected adjacent owner confirming no view, light, or air impact, Director review of that statement, and an Administrative Permit plus a building permit where Title 110 requires one. Agricultural fencing in the county's agricultural and resource zones may reach 14 feet. Outside any required setback or CVA, Subsection H removes the fence-specific cap entirely, limiting height only by the zone's general building height limit.
Violations & Fines
A solid fence over 40 inches in a front yard or corner cross-visibility triangle, or a side/rear fence-and-wall combination over seven feet without the neighbor consent and Administrative Permit process, is a zoning violation. Code Enforcement can require the owner to lower, modify, or remove the fence, and a fence built without the building permit required for structures over seven feet under Title 110 can also draw a separate citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my front-yard fence be in El Dorado County?
What is the cross-visibility area rule for corner lots?
Can I build a 10-foot fence in my backyard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
How El Dorado County compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·California rules heatmap·Compare El Dorado County to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
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