San Rafael, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

4 of the zoning ordinance sets citywide material restrictions that apply on top of the height limits in the same section. Concertina wire, razor wire, broken glass mounted on top of a fence, and electrified fencing are prohibited in every zoning district, residential or not, with no exception written into the subsection. Barbed wire is not banned outright citywide, but it cannot be used anywhere it would abut a residential use, which in practice rules it out for most fence lines adjoining a home. A separate restriction targets appearance rather than safety: in residential districts, wire mesh, chain link and similar fencing are prohibited within any yard that fronts a public street, right-of-way or waterway, meaning a chain link fence has to be set back from street-facing yards even if it complies on height.

The code carves out one exception to that visibility rule: chain link or wire mesh may still be used where it is required as an environmental mitigation measure, for example fencing tied to a habitat protection condition. These material rules apply on top of, not instead of, the height standards in the same section, so a compliant fence still has to clear both the height limit for its yard location and the material restriction for its district before it can be built without further review.