Sonoma County, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Permit Sonoma's PJR-133 Fence Guidelines, reflecting the objective standards adopted in Ordinance No. 6547 (File ORD25-0006, December 2025), list the allowed and prohibited fence materials in residential and K zoning districts of the unincorporated county. Allowed materials include wood; composite wood that shows naturalistic graining and wood coloring; stone or masonry; stucco or plaster; woven metal or wire such as chain link or hog wire; non-reflective metal finishes; and concrete masonry units (CMUs) when finished with an allowed covering. Prohibited materials include glass, bunker blocks, exposed (unfinished) CMUs, razor wire, reflective metal finishes, and barbed wire. Barbed wire and certain utilitarian materials are allowed on qualifying agricultural fences in AR and RR districts, where the 2025 ordinance expanded agricultural exemptions; qualifying agricultural fences (split-rail, pipe, post-and-wire) may be up to 8 feet. Fences that propose materials outside the allowed list, or that need exceptions to the material standards, require Design Review Committee approval. These material rules apply to the AR, RR, R1, R2, R3 and K districts; agricultural and resource zones and commercial/industrial zones are generally not subject to the residential material/height restrictions. Confirm your zoning district and any combining-district overlays with Permit Sonoma before purchasing materials.