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

Unincorporated Kings County's zoning code regulates fence height, location and visibility, but it does not contain a 'good neighbor' provision dividing fence costs between adjoining owners. That gap is filled by California state law. Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act, provides that 'adjoining landowners are presumed to share an equal benefit from any fence dividing their properties and, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties in a written agreement, shall be presumed to be equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or necessary replacement of the fence.' Before a landowner can collect a neighbor's share, the statute requires 30 days' prior written notice to each affected adjoining owner, describing the problem, the proposed solution, the estimated cost, the proposed cost-sharing approach, and the timeline. The equal-share presumption can be rebutted by showing it would be unjust - for example, where the cost is disproportionate or the fence serves only one owner. Boundary disputes themselves turn on a current survey, since Kings County setbacks and fence rules are all measured from the actual property line. The County does not mediate private fence cost or boundary disputes; those are civil matters resolved between neighbors or in court.