Westminster, CA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Fence height in the incorporated City of Westminster is governed by Westminster Municipal Code Section 17.300.030, Fences, Hedges, and Walls, with the specific limits set out in Table 3-2. The code applies to fences, walls used as fences, latticework screens, hedges, thick growths of shrubs or trees, and open-mesh wire fences. As reported by the City's planning summary and the code section, the maximum height is generally six feet, dropping to three feet when the fence sits within a required front-yard or street-side-yard setback so that sightlines and the streetscape are preserved. How height is measured matters: along an interior property line the height is taken from the higher of the natural or established grade of the two abutting properties, and if the wall is within five feet of a public right-of-way, height is measured from the grade of the abutting right-of-way. This is a true city rule that is stricter than California's statewide default, where the Building Code only requires a permit once a fence exceeds seven feet (CBC Section 105.2). Because Westminster's three-foot front-yard limit and six-foot general limit are zoning standards rather than building-permit thresholds, a fence can be legal to build without a building permit yet still violate the zoning height cap. Walls and fences creating a traffic-visibility hazard at corners are separately regulated by the city.