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

Plumas County's own ordinances (Title 9, Article 4) address how tall a boundary fence may be and where it can sit - up to 7 feet without a permit, 4 feet within 10 feet of a front line in 2-R/3-R/7-R/M-R zones - but they do not decide who pays for a shared fence. That question is governed by California Civil Code 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act of 2013. Under that statute, adjoining landowners are presumed to share equally the benefit of a 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. A landowner who intends to incur those costs must give each affected adjoining owner 30 days' prior written notice describing the problem, the proposed solution, the estimated cost, the proposed cost-sharing, and a timeline. The equal-cost presumption can be rebutted by a preponderance of evidence that splitting the cost equally would be unjust - for example, where the burden on one owner is substantially disproportionate to the benefit. Plumas County does not arbitrate these private disputes; they are civil matters between neighbors. The county's role is limited to enforcing the zoning height and setback rules.