Per SMC 19.46.030, fences in front and street-side setbacks are limited to 3.5 feet; rear and interior side yards generally allow up to 7 feet (8 feet with the top foot at least 40% open). Corner-lot sight triangles cap fences at 30 inches.
Sonoma Municipal Code Chapter 19.46 (Fences, Hedges and Walls) sets the height rules. Under SMC 19.46.030, fences, hedges and walls other than retaining walls may be built to the heights in Table 4-3: in the required front setback and street-side setback the maximum is 3.5 feet (42 inches). Outside the front/street-side setbacks (interior side and rear yards), a fence may be up to 7 feet, with an additional one foot of height allowed (up to 8 feet total) only if all fencing above 7 feet is open grill, latticework or similar open design that allows light and air to pass through at least 40% of the material. Where a fence is less than 75% open and is located at a street intersection within the traffic safety sight area, the maximum height is 30 inches. The Planning Commission may modify these standards by use permit.
Fence-height violations are enforced under SMC Chapter 19.90 (Enforcement of Development Code Provisions). The Planning Department issues notice to comply; continued violation is treated as a public nuisance and may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or infraction under the general penalty provisions of SMC Title 1, with civil penalties and abatement costs recoverable. Property owners are typically ordered to lower or remove the noncompliant fence within a set time.
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