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

For ordinary residential fences in unincorporated Inyo County, the Title 18 Zoning Ordinance does not list permitted or prohibited fence materials. Section 18.78.160 controls fences, walls, and hedges by height (six feet generally, three and one-half feet in regulated front and corner-lot yards) and by where they may be placed, but it does not dictate what they must be made of. As a result, common materials such as wood, vinyl, chain link, wrought iron, and masonry block are generally allowed, subject to the height and placement standards. Two indirect material considerations apply. First, because Inyo County adopts the California Building Code under Chapter 14.08, fences over seven feet, masonry or block walls, and pool-barrier fences must meet the structural and safety requirements of that code, which can effectively limit material choices for taller or load-bearing walls. Second, much of unincorporated Inyo County lies in fire-prone and high-wind mountain and desert terrain, and the County's local building-code amendments cite climatic and topographical conditions; wildland-urban interface and defensible-space rules under state law can favor non-combustible materials for fences attached to or immediately adjacent to dwellings. Outside these contexts, residential fence material choice is generally left to the property owner. Confirm any tall or structural wall with Building and Safety.