Sacramento, CA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Front/street-side yard limit
- 4 feet (6 feet wrought-iron/tubular-steel)
- Rear/interior side yard limit
- 6 feet standard
- Abutting school/park/alley
- 8 feet allowed
- Sound wall vs. freeway/rail
- Up to 12 feet
- Driveway sight triangle
- 3.5 feet maximum
- Decorative gateway feature
- Up to 10 feet tall
Summary
Sacramento caps residential fences at 4 feet in front and street-side yards (6 feet for decorative wrought-iron), 6 feet in rear and interior side yards, and just 3.5 feet within the driveway sight-distance triangle at the curb.
A. Front yards and street side yards. Walls or fences not exceeding 4 feet in height may be placed along the front and street side property lines or within the front-yard and street side-yard setback areas... 1. Exception-Welded-metal fences. A decorative, open wrought-iron or tubular-steel fence not exceeding 6 feet in height may be placed along the front and street side property lines... B. Rear yard and interior side yard. 1. Except as provided in subparagraphs a and b below, a wall or fence not exceeding 6 feet in height may be placed along the rear or interior side property lines... a. A wall or fence not exceeding 8 feet in height may be placed along a rear or interior side property line that abuts a school, park, alley, or other nonresidential use.
Full Breakdown
110 sets fence and wall height limits for single-unit, duplex, and multi-unit residential development. 2. 3 allows a 6-foot fence within the street side-yard setback if it sits at least 5 feet from the property line or aligns with the nearest wall of the main building, paired with a landscaping requirement of climbing vines, shrubs or trees along the street-facing base. 4 permits a decorative gateway feature up to 10 feet tall, 8 feet long and 24 inches wide. B allows 6 feet generally, 8 feet where the property line abuts a school, park, alley or other nonresidential use, and up to 12 feet for a solid sound-attenuation wall abutting a freeway or railroad (which must also meet the Article III sound-wall standards); fences over 6 feet are allowed outright once outside the required setback area. C. 110 would otherwise permit more height.
Violations & Fines
A fence exceeding these height limits is a zoning violation subject to Sacramento's code enforcement process, typically a correction notice followed by administrative citation and civil penalties if the fence is not lowered or removed; obstructing the driveway sight-distance triangle can trigger a public works abatement order given the traffic-safety purpose behind § 17.620.100.C.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a front-yard fence be in Sacramento?
Can I build a 6-foot backyard fence in Sacramento?
Why is my corner-lot fence limited to 3.5 feet near the driveway?
How tall a wall can I build against a freeway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento
How Sacramento compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
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Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle height limits.