Fountain Valley, CA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Fountain Valley Municipal Code § 18.12.020 amends Section R105.2 of the residential code to list building work that is exempt from a permit. Item 2 reads: fences not over six feet high and block walls not over three feet high. Section 18.04.020 repeats the same two limits for the California Building Code. A wood or wrought iron fence up to six feet high therefore needs no building permit in the City of Fountain Valley, while a block wall taller than three feet falls outside the exemption as printed.

Exemption from a building permit does not exempt a fence from zoning. Section 21.18.070 of the Development Code sets the height rules. Fences, walls, lattice work, hedges and dense growth of shrubs or trees greater than three feet in height are not allowed within a required front yard. In side and rear yards they are not allowed in excess of six feet, except a fence or wall necessary for public safety, health and welfare as required by a governmental agency. Walls along arterial highways built as part of a subdivision must be maintained in original condition, and they can be extended to eight feet with like materials subject to approval by the director.

Material limits also apply. Barbed wire, razor wire or similar security wire, including broken glass, is prohibited in all residential and commercial zoning districts. Chain link fence is prohibited within the front yard setback area in all residential zoning districts.

Where a permit is required, starting work first is expensive. Under § 18.12.050 a person who commences work before obtaining the necessary permits pays double the permit fees as a penalty, and the Building Official can require a special investigation at a cost set separately. Building code appeals go to the planning commission under § 18.02.025.