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

Section 14.03.060.B.1 lists the work exempt from a building permit, but item b carves fences and walls back in: 'Construction of block walls over 48" in exposed height require a building permit from Permit Center, prior to commencing construction. Otherwise, a zoning permit may be required.' That threshold sits on top of the general permit rule in Section 14.03.060.A, which bars erecting, altering, or repairing any structure regulated by the code without a permit from the Building Official.

Once a wall or fence clears the permit stage, Section 17.40.180 sets the design and height rules. Height is measured from the grade that existed on March 2, 2009, in a continuum along the wall, so raising the grade cannot be used to justify a taller fence. In the RS and RM-12 districts, the maximum height is six feet where the yard abuts an open-space, public-space, or residential-use property, eight feet where it abuts a commercial or industrial district, and four feet between the front property line and the occupancy frontage, where the fence must be at least 50 percent open and any block wall must have a finished stucco appearance. Near driveways, height is capped at 30 inches within the sight-visibility triangle. Barbed wire, concertina wire, and razor wire are prohibited on any wall or fence, and spikes are barred on walls or fences under six feet.