San Bernardino County allows wood, masonry, vinyl, metal, and chain-link fencing residentially. Barbed and razor wire are prohibited in residential zones. Fire zones need ignition-resistant materials.
San Bernardino County Development Code Chapter 83.06 allows a wide range of fence materials in residential zones including wood, masonry (block, brick, stone), vinyl, wrought iron, welded metal, and chain-link. Chain-link fences in front yards must often be vinyl-coated or include privacy slats per HOA or specific plan rules. Barbed wire and razor wire are prohibited in residential zones but permitted in agricultural, commercial, and industrial zones, typically above 6 feet. Electrified fencing is generally prohibited in residential areas unless specifically approved for livestock containment in agricultural zones. In Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ), including most mountain communities (Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, Wrightwood, Crestline) and many foothill areas, Public Resources Code 4291 requires fences within 5 feet of a structure to be constructed of ignition-resistant materials such as metal, masonry, or noncombustible composite. Wood fences attached to homes in these zones should be replaced with metal within the 0-5 foot defensible space zone.
Use of prohibited materials such as barbed wire in residential zones can result in citations and required removal. In fire hazard zones, combustible fencing within 5 feet of structures can trigger CAL FIRE defensible space violations with escalating fines.
San Bernardino County, CA
Unincorporated San Bernardino County allows personal cannabis cultivation only indoors. State Proposition 64 (Health & Safety Code Section 11362.1) permits u...
San Bernardino County, CA
San Bernardino County is entirely inland - Mojave Desert, Inland Empire, and the San Bernardino Mountains - with no coastline and no California Coastal Commi...
San Bernardino County, CA
Unincorporated San Bernardino County treats an above-ground residential pool deeper than 18 inches as a swimming pool under the California Swimming Pool Safe...
San Bernardino County, CA
California SB 54, the California Values Act, limits how San Bernardino County Sheriff and other local agencies may cooperate with federal immigration authori...
San Bernardino County, CA
California requires most employers, including warehouse and logistics operators in the Inland Empire portion of San Bernardino County, to provide at least 40...
San Bernardino County, CA
San Bernardino County does not set a local minimum wage, so the California statewide rate of 16.50 dollars per hour applies in 2026 to most employers in unin...
See how San Bernardino County's material restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.