Colusa County, CA Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)

There is no Colusa County ordinance governing shared boundary fences, fence maintenance responsibility, or cost-sharing between neighbors. For unincorporated county property, the controlling law is California Civil Code Section 841, the 'Good Neighbor Fence Law.' It provides that adjoining landowners are presumed to share an equal benefit from any fence dividing their properties and, unless they agree otherwise in writing, are presumed equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or necessary replacement of the fence. A landowner who intends to incur costs for a shared fence must give the affected adjoining owner 30 days' prior written notice that describes the problem with the shared fence, the proposed solution and estimated cost, the proposed cost-sharing, and the timeline. The equal-responsibility presumption can be overcome by a preponderance of the evidence showing that equal cost-sharing would be unjust, considering factors such as whether the cost is disproportionate to the benefit or reflects one owner's personal aesthetic choice. Spite-fence claims are addressed by Civil Code Section 841.4. Boundary-fence disputes are private civil matters; the county does not mediate or enforce them.