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

In unincorporated Trinity County, the County's zoning ordinance (Title 17) and building code (Title 15) regulate fence height, permits, and placement, but they do not address private disputes between neighbors over who pays for or maintains a shared boundary fence. Those matters fall under California state law. Civil Code Section 841 (the 'Good Neighbor Fence Law') states that adjoining landowners are mutually responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or necessary replacement of fences dividing their properties, and creates a rebuttable presumption that they share equally. An owner who intends to alter a shared fence and seek contribution must give the neighbor at least 30 days' prior written notice describing the problem, the proposed work, the estimated cost, and how the cost will be shared. A neighbor can rebut the equal-share presumption with evidence that equal responsibility would be unjust. Boundary-line disagreements themselves are civil matters; the County does not adjudicate them, and a survey may be needed to locate the true property line before building. Because a fence must sit on or within the builder's own land unless both owners agree, and must still meet Trinity County's 7-foot permit threshold and any district height cap, owners are encouraged to document agreements in writing.