Mendocino County, CA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Sec. 020 of the Mendocino County Code ties several different permit triggers to fencing. 152-A, which sets the general fence height limits, states plainly that fences over seven feet require a building permit, so a property owner who wants to build to the eight-foot maximum allowed outside the front yard must first pull that permit. Separately, Sec. 020(D) lets a property owner install temporary security fencing around the perimeter of vacant land, but only with the Director's approval; the Director sets the maximum height case by case and it can never exceed eight feet, and the fencing has to come down once a permit or entitlement is issued to develop the property.

Razor and concertina wire is handled even more strictly under Sec. 192 for a security need such as an industrial user, or unless county, state, or federal law otherwise requires it. Temporary fencing installed to protect trees or sensitive features during construction, authorized as a condition of an Administrative Permit, Use Permit, Variance, or Subdivision approval under Sec. 020(C), has its own clock: it must come down within 90 days of construction being completed. Each of these permit paths runs through the Planning and Building Services Department rather than being automatic.