Redding, CA Fence Regulations: Permit Requirements (2026)

Redding layers two permit regimes for fences. The California Building Code, adopted by the City under RMC Title 16, exempts fences seven feet and shorter from a state building permit per CBC §105.2 - this is the explicit threshold cited in Redding's published Development Services FAQ ('fences not over seven feet in height and not within 10 feet of a public right-of-way do not require a building permit'). Once a fence exceeds 7 feet, or sits within 10 feet of a public right-of-way (where sight-distance and encroachment concerns arise), a building permit is required and is issued through the Permit Center at 777 Cypress Avenue. Retaining walls have their own permit threshold under CBC §105.2: walls over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or any retaining wall supporting a surcharge, require an engineered design and a building permit. Separately - regardless of whether a building permit is exempt - the local zoning rule in RMC §18.40.180 still applies. So a 6-foot wood privacy fence in a residential rear yard does not need a building permit, but it still must comply with the 6-foot zoning height cap, the corner sight-triangle limits, and the prohibited-materials list. Fences in the floodway or flood-fringe are additionally prohibited under RMC §18.51.040(D) (except arterial street walls designed to pass floodwaters), regardless of permit exemption. Where a fence is on a shared boundary, California Civil Code §841 (the Good Neighbor Fence Act of 2013) requires 30 days' written notice to your neighbor before construction or repair of a partition fence on a shared boundary - the City permit process does not address this; it is a private civil obligation.