Bishop, CA Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)

Inyo County's Title 18 zoning ordinance sets the physical limits for fences (six feet under Section 18.78.160), but it does not establish a cost-sharing rule for fences on a shared property line. Those questions are controlled by California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Law. Section 841 provides that adjoining landowners shall share equally in the responsibility for maintaining the boundaries between them, and presumes that they share an equal benefit from any fence dividing their properties; unless otherwise agreed in writing, they are presumed equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or necessary replacement of the fence. A landowner who intends to incur such costs must give each affected adjoining owner at least 30 days' prior written notice, including notice of the presumption of equal responsibility and a description of the problem, the proposed solution, the estimated cost, the proposed cost-sharing, and the timeline. The equal-cost presumption can be overcome by a preponderance of evidence that equal responsibility would be unjust, considering whether the financial burden on one owner is substantially disproportionate to the benefit received. Boundary-line location and cost-sharing are private civil matters, not enforced by the County; the County enforces only the zoning height and placement standards.