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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Who must build it
Commercial/industrial owner
Height range
6 to 10 feet
Material
Solid brick or decorative block
Governing section
§ 17.48.020(B)(1)

Summary

Where a commercial or industrial lot in Hawthorne shares a property line with residentially zoned land, the code requires the commercial or industrial owner to install and maintain a solid screening wall on that shared line, six to ten feet tall.

On any boundary line which is a common property line with R classified property, a solid wall or view-obscuring fence of solid brick or decorative block, not less than six feet or more than ten feet in height, shall be installed and maintained for screening purposes and controlling trespass, except where the wall of a building is on such common property line, no separate wall need be installed along the portion of the property line occupied by the wall of a building.

Full Breakdown

" The obligation runs with the commercial or industrial parcel, not the adjacent residential owner, and it exists specifically to shield residential neighbors from the sight and trespass exposure of a bordering commercial or industrial use. The exception for an existing building wall means a business does not have to build a redundant wall where its own structure already occupies the shared line. 020(A) govern instead without singling out either neighbor for the cost or duty of installing a fence.

Violations & Fines

A commercial or industrial property owner who fails to install or maintain the required screening wall on a residential common line is subject to code enforcement action, which can require construction of the wall as a condition of continued occupancy or of any pending building or business permit for the site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my residential neighbor have to help pay for a shared fence in Hawthorne?
The zoning code does not impose a cost-sharing duty between two residential neighbors; Section 17.48.020(B)(1) instead places the wall obligation only on a commercial or industrial property owner whose lot borders residentially zoned land.
How tall must the wall be between a business and a house in Hawthorne?
Section 17.48.020(B)(1) requires a solid wall or view-obscuring fence of solid brick or decorative block between six and ten feet in height on any boundary line the commercial or industrial parcel shares with residentially zoned property.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Hawthorne

All Hawthorne rules

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