Madera County, CA Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cost split
- equal, between adjacent owners
- Min. barbed wire strands
- four
- Top strand height
- 48 inches minimum
- Post spacing
- one rod (16.5 ft) max
Summary
Adjacent Madera County landowners who both use their land for raising livestock must split the cost of building and maintaining their boundary fence equally, and county code sets a minimum cattle-fence specification.
Adjacent landowners who are both using or leasing their land for raising of livestock shall share equally the cost of building and maintaining a lawful fence, cattleguards and gates... the minimum standards for cattle fences in Madera County shall be as follows: 1. All fences shall have a minimum of four strands of barbed wire, with the top strand not less than forty-eight inches from the ground, having a uniform separation of eleven inches between strands. 2. Supporting posts shall be not more than one rod distance from one another.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
Madera County Code § 6.24.040 requires adjacent landowners who are both using or leasing land for raising livestock to share equally the cost of building and maintaining a lawful boundary fence, cattleguards and gates. The minimum cattle fence in unincorporated Madera County must have at least four strands of barbed wire, with the top strand at least 48 inches off the ground and 11 inches of uniform spacing between strands, on posts no more than one rod (about 16.5 feet) apart. This cost-sharing and fencing-spec rule is tied to the county's grazing-area chapter and applies where adjoining land is used for livestock, not to ordinary residential boundary fences generally.
Violations & Fines
If a fence built to this standard still lets a particular type of livestock through, the livestock's owner must upgrade the fence so it actually contains the animals; the county animal control officer enforces the chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my neighbor have to pay half for our shared fence in unincorporated Madera County?
What's the legal minimum for a Madera County cattle fence?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
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