In unincorporated Sutter County, walls and fences within front or street side yard setbacks are limited to 3 feet 6 inches, and fences outside those setbacks may be up to 7 feet tall under the Residential Districts development standards (Sutter County Code Section 1500-06-040). Taller exceptions exist for Estate Residential and Ranchette districts and for agricultural parcels.
Sutter County's 2021 Zoning Code (Title 1500, comprehensively amended by ordinance of June 28, 2022) sets fence height standards in the development standards tables for each district group. In residential districts (Section 1500-06-040), walls and fences within front or street side yard setbacks may not exceed 3 feet 6 inches, while fences outside those setbacks may reach 7 feet. In the Estate Residential (ER) and Ranchette (RAN) districts, open ornamental fences (wrought iron or similar, but not chain link) up to 7 feet tall may be placed in front setbacks with Zoning Clearance approval, and ornamental walls with spaced pilasters up to 5 feet are also allowed. In agricultural and commercial districts (Sections 1500-05-040 and 1500-07-040), fences outside front or street side setbacks may be 7 feet without a building permit or up to 9 feet with one, and the Agricultural (AG) district allows solid or open fences up to 7 feet in the front setback if located outside any future maximum right-of-way. Separately, California Civil Code Section 841.4 makes any fence unnecessarily exceeding 10 feet that is maliciously erected to annoy a neighbor a private nuisance.
Erecting a fence that exceeds district height limits violates the Zoning Code. Under Section 1500-26-040 it can be declared a public nuisance and abated, and under Section 1500-26-060 a willful violation is a misdemeanor or infraction, with administrative penalties available under Chapter 87 of the Sutter County Ordinance Code. The Director may also order removal or modification and charge staff investigation fees under Section 1500-26-050.
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