Madera, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Barbed wire
- banned in R-1, R-2, R-3, and PD zones
- Sharp points on fence tops
- prohibited citywide in those zones
- Approved materials
- wood, chain link, stone, concrete block, masonry, wrought iron
- Prohibited materials
- thin plywood, particle board, cardboard, tarp, scrap wood/metal
- Rear/interior side yard height
- 6 ft maximum
- Front/street side yard height
- 3 ft maximum, or within 25 ft of a corner
Summary
Madera bans barbed wire on residential fences in the R-1, R-2, R-3, and PD zones and limits construction to permanent materials like wood, chain link, and masonry under Municipal Code § 10-3.412. Thin plywood, particle board, and scrap materials are explicitly prohibited.
(A) No fence, wall, or screen planting of any kind shall be constructed or grown to exceed a maximum of six feet in height between the rear property line of a lot and the front line of the main building or along any rear property line, nor to exceed three feet in height in any required front or street side yard or within 25 feet of any street corner except as may otherwise be permitted under this chapter. (B) In R-1, R-2, and R-3 zones, or any Planned Development zone, no barbed wire shall be used or maintained in or about the construction of a fence, wall, hedge, or screen planting along the front, side or rear lines of any lot, or within three feet of the lines, and no sharp wire or point shall project at the top of any fence or wall. (C) A fence may only be constructed of permanent building materials, such as wood, chain link, stone, rock, concrete block, masonry brick, brick, decorative wrought iron or other similar building materials approved by the Planing Department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2024 S-50: Current through Ordinance 1010 C.S., passed 6-5-24).
Full Breakdown
506. Division (A) caps fences at six feet between the rear property line and the front of the main building or along any rear line, and at three feet in a required front or street side yard, or within 25 feet of a street corner. Division (B) then bans barbed wire outright in the R-1, R-2, and R-3 zones, and in any Planned Development zone: no barbed wire can be used or maintained on a fence, wall, hedge, or screen planting along any front, side, or rear lot line, or within three feet of those lines, and no sharp wire or point can project from the top of any fence or wall in those zones.
Division (C) narrows what a fence can be built from: only permanent building materials qualify, specifically naming wood, chain link, stone, rock, concrete block, masonry brick, brick, and decorative wrought iron, or other similar materials the Planning Department approves. The same division bars cast-off or secondhand materials never intended for fence construction, listing plywood under five-eighths of an inch thick, particle board, cardboard, paper, visqueen plastic, plastic tarp, scrap wood, and scrap metal as specific examples of what cannot be used. took effect on January 3, 2007, is itself a violation of the section.
Violations & Fines
Section 10-3.412(E) states directly that a fence built, replaced, or repaired inconsistent with the section's material or height rules is a violation of that section. Fence violations also fall under the general zoning enforcement scheme: § 10-3.1603 makes violating the zoning chapter a misdemeanor and a declared public nuisance subject to abatement by the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put barbed wire on my fence in Madera?
What materials are banned for a Madera fence?
What materials are approved for a fence in Madera?
What if my fence isn't properly maintained?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
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