Sunnyvale limits front yard fences to 3 feet, side and rear yard fences to 6 feet, and allows up to 8 feet with a minor fence permit for privacy and sound attenuation needs.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code Title 19 (Zoning) regulates fence heights by yard location. Front yard fences and any fence within the required front setback are capped at 3 feet, with open-design fences (pickets, wrought iron) up to 4 feet sometimes allowed for decorative use. Side and rear yard fences can be 6 feet tall by right. Fences up to 8 feet are allowed administratively with a minor zoning permit, often approved for freeway buffering along Central Expressway, Lawrence, or El Camino, and for commercial-residential boundaries. Corner lots have additional sight distance rules where fences within the visibility triangle must stay under 3 feet to preserve driver sightlines. Flag lots and double-frontage lots follow specific rules requiring consultation with the Planning Division.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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