Lakewood, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Section 8014 sits in Part 2 of the Building Code chapter, added by the same 1960s ordinance, Ord. 105, that created Lakewood's pool-fencing rules in Sections 8010 through 8013. Where those sections require a fence around a pool, Section 8014 does the opposite for barbed wire, sharp-pointed fencing, and electrified wire: it bans them outright unless the City Planning Commission grants a permit "pursuant to the terms and provisions of Chapter 3 of Article IX," the City's zoning chapter. That routes any request for one of these fence types through the same public hearing process used for zoning variances and conditional use permits, not a routine over-the-counter building permit.

When Section 8014 first took effect, Section 8015 gave property owners already using barbed wire or electric fencing ninety days to comply, either by removing the fencing or obtaining the new permit. That transition window is long past, but the underlying ban and the Planning Commission permit route remain the only path to a lawful barbed-wire or electrified fence in Lakewood today. The ban applies citywide and is not limited to residential zones, though it most often comes up on residential lots where a homeowner installs barbed wire or an electric pet-containment wire without realizing it falls under this section rather than under the City's ordinary fence-height rules in Section 9384.