Compton, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

4, Fencing Materials, sets the approved materials list for every fence in the city by land use, and subsection h flatly prohibits eight categories regardless of location: corrugated metal, sheet metal, tin and similar materials; chicken wire; fiberglass products; plywood, panel board, or other wood products not designed for exterior fencing; used or salvaged materials of any kind, including tires, railroad ties, or doors; electrified fencing; razor wire, concertina wire, or cut glass; and fabric or plastic sheeting. The ordinance carves out one narrow exception for barbed wire: subsection g allows a maximum of three strands along property-line fences that don't abut a residential zone, and only within the M-L and M-H manufacturing zones.

2 backs this up separately, stating that preexisting fences can never be grandfathered into razor wire, concertina wire, cut glass, used or salvaged materials, or barbed wire in residential or commercial zones, no matter how long they've stood. Property owners who want a material not on the approved list still have a path: subsection f lets the Architectural Review Board approve alternates comparable in appearance, durability, and screening capacity, and the Board keeps a running list of approved alternates that already includes split rail fencing, enameled steel, and hedges or other landscaping treatments used as a fence substitute. 3.