Daly City, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Daly City Municipal Code Section 17.40.020 does not prohibit specific fencing materials such as chain link or wood on residential parcels, and contains no barbed-wire or razor-wire clause. Material requirements appear in two narrower contexts. First, under DCMC 17.40.020(A) as amended by Ordinance No. 1412 (2017), fencing between 8 and 10 feet on parcels with non-residential uses is allowed only subject to administrative design review and must incorporate a decorative material such as tubular metal, vinyl cladding, or similar material. Second, the City's official Fences and Retaining Walls handout allows retaining walls less than 48 inches tall to be built of wood only if they sustain no loads other than landscaping backfill soil and are constructed of pressure-treated lumber or species naturally resistant to decay; taller or surcharged walls must be designed by a licensed professional engineer. Fences and walls extending into the front yard must also be approved by the City for visibility to incoming traffic and clearances to fire hydrants, gas and water valves, and utility boxes, which can affect material and placement choices.