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

For unincorporated Tulare County, two layers of rules apply to a fence on or near a property line. First, the County Zoning Ordinance (Ord. 352, Section 15.C.1.n) allows a fence or wall up to 6 feet high along side or rear lot lines and confirms that yard setbacks are measured to the lot line, so a boundary fence is permitted but must respect the 3.5-foot front-yard limit and corner-lot street-side restriction. Second, who pays is a matter of state law, not County code: California Civil Code Section 841 (the Good Neighbor Fence Act of 2013) provides that adjoining landowners 'are presumed to share an equal benefit from any fence dividing their properties' and, unless they agree otherwise in writing, 'shall be presumed to be equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or necessary replacement of the fence.' A landowner who intends to incur such costs must give each affected adjoining owner 30 days' prior written notice describing the problem, the proposed work, estimated costs, and the presumption of equal responsibility. A neighbor can rebut the equal-cost presumption by showing it would be unjust. Exact property-line location can require a survey; the County does not adjudicate private boundary or cost disputes.