Santa Cruz County, CA Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)

The unincorporated County's zoning code (SCCC 13.10.525) addresses fence height, location, and sight distance but does not allocate responsibility for shared boundary fences. That question is controlled by California's statewide 'good neighbor' fence law, Civil Code 841. Under that statute, adjoining landowners are presumed to share equally the benefit of a fence dividing their properties and are presumed equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or necessary replacement, unless they agree otherwise in writing. A landowner who intends to incur costs for a boundary fence must give each affected adjoining landowner 30 days' prior written notice that includes notice of the presumption of equal responsibility, the intended cost and the basis for it, the proposed cost-sharing approach, and the proposed timeline. The presumption of equal responsibility can be overcome by a preponderance of the evidence showing that equal cost-sharing would be unjust — for example, where the financial burden on one owner is substantially disproportionate to the benefit that owner receives. Because the County does not regulate this directly, neighbors generally resolve cost disputes through the Civil Code 841 process or, if needed, civil court rather than through County code enforcement.