Buena Park, CA Fence Regulations: Permit Requirements (2026)

Per the City's Planning Division and Buena Park Municipal Code section 19.328.010, no fence may be constructed in any single-family residential zone until the plans and design are approved by the Planning Director through the zoning compliance review procedure (section 19.128.090). In practice the City states that 'a fence permit is required for all fences/block walls.' On top of that planning approval, a structural building permit is triggered under the California Building/Residential Code as adopted by the City: fences exceeding 6 feet in height (measured from grade), garden and perimeter walls exceeding 5 feet (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall), and retaining walls exceeding 4 feet (bottom of footing to top, or any retaining wall supporting a surcharge) all require a building permit. The City's Single-Family Residential handout adds a local overlay: for any fence or wall over 6 feet in height, a structural engineer's report is required. The two-track system distinguishes Buena Park from the bare state baseline: the California Residential Code (CRC section R105.2) exempts certain low fences and 4-foot non-surcharge retaining walls from a building permit, but Buena Park's zoning compliance review still applies to those fences. Applicants submit through the Planning Division's online inquiry portal and the Building Division for the structural permit. Masonry walls must use minimum 6-inch-wide ornamental block in earth-tone colors; standard grey or pink block is not permitted except to match existing adjacent walls (section 19.328.030.D).