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

Dublin's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 8.72) controls how tall a fence may be and where it can sit, but it does not decide who pays for a fence on a shared property line. That question is governed statewide by California Civil Code Section 841, the 'Good Neighbor Fence Act of 2013.' Under Section 841(a), adjoining landowners shall share equally in the responsibility for maintaining the boundaries between them. Section 841(b)(1) presumes that adjoining landowners share an equal benefit from a fence dividing their properties and, absent a written agreement otherwise, are presumed equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or necessary replacement of the fence. Section 841(b)(2) requires a landowner who intends to incur such costs to give 30 days' prior written notice to each affected adjoining landowner; the notice must describe the problem with the shared fence, the proposed solution, the estimated cost, the proposed cost-sharing, and the proposed timeline, and must state the presumption of equal responsibility. That presumption can be overcome by evidence that equal cost-sharing would be unjust. For disputes over the fence's location relative to the true boundary line, a survey may be needed. Dublin's Traffic Visibility Area and height rules still apply to any shared fence near a corner or street.