Monterey, CA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Monterey caps fence and wall height at six feet everywhere in the city under Sec. 38-22(D)(10), dropping to four feet in a required front or side yard on a reverse corner lot. A fence at or under that limit is a by-right structure: no discretionary permit is needed, though corner-lot fences still go to the Traffic Committee for a sight-line check within the 30-foot corner cut-off area that keeps drivers from being blocked at an intersection. Anything taller needs approval. Sec. 38-153(C) lets the Zoning Administrator hear fence-height variances, and item 9 sets out a specific path for fences and walls above six feet directly adjacent to Highway 1: the property must be zoned and used residentially, the extra height must function as a sound barrier reducing highway noise transfer, the fence's Highway 1-facing side must not detract from the highway's appearance, an earth berm and landscaping must soften the perceived height, and the wall or fence cannot exceed ten feet above existing grade.

Even after the Zoning Administrator grants that variance, criterion (f) requires the owner to separately satisfy the Building Division and pull a building permit before installation begins; the variance alone does not authorize construction. Denials of the variance or the underlying zoning permit can be appealed under Article 27. Fences built without the required variance or without the Building Division permit are treated as unlawful zoning-ordinance violations, not a paperwork oversight.