Mountain View, CA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Mountain View splits fence regulation into three tiers. The lowest tier is permit-free: Sec. 36.06.50(g) exempts specific R1 and R2 fence configurations from any zoning permit, covering interior-lot fences up to three feet in the front yard or six feet on rear and side property lines, plus entry features like arbors and trellises up to eight feet. The middle tier requires development review: Sec. 36.10.30(c) lists fences over six feet in height and up to seven feet among the categories of R1 development that must go through the development review process under Sec. 36.44.45, the same process used for planned unit developments and conditional use permits. The top tier caps administrative approval entirely: Sec. 36.08.20 limits fences and walls in nonresidential yards, other than front yards and street setbacks, to seven feet, though the zoning administrator may consider taller fences case by case, and the multi-family R3 zone applies the same six-to-seven-foot ceiling subject to development review under Sec. 36.10.70.

Because the permit trigger runs on height and location rather than a single flat rule, a homeowner replacing a six-foot rear fence with a like-for-like six-foot fence in the same spot needs no city sign-off, but adding even a foot of height, or building into the six-to-seven-foot band, moves the same project into the development review track and its own application, fee and findings under Sec. 36.44.45.