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

Two layers of rules apply to a fence on a shared property line in Whittier. First, the City of Whittier Zoning Code (Title 18) controls how tall and where the fence can be, including the roughly six-foot limit in side and rear yards and the lower, non-view-obscuring limits in front yards. The City does not set who pays for a shared fence. That cost question is answered by state law: California Civil Code Section 841 (the Good Neighbor Fence Act of 2013) presumes that adjoining landowners share an equal benefit from a fence dividing their properties and are equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, and necessary replacement, unless they agree otherwise in writing. A landowner who intends to incur costs must give 30 days' prior written notice to each affected adjoining owner, describing the problem, the proposed work, the estimated cost, and how it will be shared. The equal-share presumption can be overcome by evidence that splitting the cost equally would be unjust. Whittier does not need a local cost-sharing ordinance because Civil Code 841 applies statewide. For boundary or property-line disputes, owners may need a survey; the City regulates the structure, while ownership and cost disputes are civil matters.