Fences six feet or under do not need a Humboldt County building or zoning permit. A building permit from the Building Inspection Division is required for any fence taller than six feet. Any fence or gate built in or adjacent to a County road right-of-way also needs an encroachment permit from Public Works.
Per Humboldt County's Planning & Building Department, fences up to six feet in height are exempt from both zoning setback and building permit requirements. A fence over six feet is subject to the underlying zone's setback from property lines and requires a building permit from the Building Inspection Division. Humboldt County Code Section 331-11 incorporates the California Building Code by reference; the State CBC exempts fences up to 7 feet, but the County's six-foot threshold is more restrictive and therefore controls in unincorporated Humboldt County. (A pending Commercial Residential Zoning Update would change the definition of 'structure' to exempt fences up to seven feet, matching State code, but the current rule is six feet.) Separately, any fence or gate built in or adjacent to a County-maintained road right-of-way requires an encroachment permit from the Public Works Land Use Division (707-445-7205). Property owners building near roads should call Public Works before construction; staff can meet on-site at no cost.
Building a fence over six feet without a building permit is a violation of Section 331-11 and the California Building Code; the Building Division can issue a stop-work order, require a permit after the fact (typically at higher fees), or require removal if the fence cannot be brought into compliance. Building in the road right-of-way without an encroachment permit is an unlawful encroachment that Public Works may abate.
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