Victorville, CA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- No-permit fence height
- 3 feet in rear/side yards
- No-permit fence height (front yard)
- 18 inches
- Governing section
- Municipal Code Sec. 16-5.01.070(a)
- Amended state code
- CBC/CRC Section 105.2, R105.2
- Above threshold
- Standard building permit required
Summary
Victorville exempts only short fences from a building permit: walls and fences up to three feet tall in rear or side yards, or eighteen inches in front yards, need no permit under the locally amended California Building and Residential Codes. Anything taller triggers the standard building permit process through the Building Department.
Sections 105.2 of the California Building Code and R105.2 of the California Residential Code are amended as follows: (a)105.2 (CBC) and R105.2, subsection 2, (CRC); Fences and walls not over three feet in height when located in rear or side yards and eighteen inches in height when located within front yards.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 57).
Full Breakdown
Section 16-5.01.070 of the Municipal Code amends CBC Section 105.2 and CRC Section R105.2 as adopted for the City. Subsection (a) exempts fences and walls 'not over three feet in height when located in rear or side yards and eighteen inches in height when located within front yards' from the permit requirement that otherwise applies under the City's adopted 2025 California Building Code and California Residential Code (Section 16-5.01.020). Because the exemption is defined by that specific height and yard location, any fence or wall exceeding three feet in a rear or side yard, or eighteen inches in a front yard, falls back under the general permit rule and needs a building permit from the Building Department before construction.
The same amended section also exempts retaining walls up to specified heights and shallow pools and water features under eighteen inches deep, showing the City drew all of its structural permit exemptions from this single amendment to Section 105.2/R105.2. Permit applications for fences that do require one are subject to the same processing rules as other building permits: an application expires after 180 days without issuance under Section 16-5.01.100, and an issued permit expires after twelve months without work or inspection under Section 16-5.01.110.
Violations & Fines
Building a fence or wall above the exempt height without a permit is unpermitted construction, subject to Code Enforcement action, stop-work orders and the standard permit-after-the-fact process, which can require the owner to expose or modify work already completed for inspection. Repeated cases can also affect approval of any pending planning entitlement on the same property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard fence in Victorville?
Why is the front-yard fence limit lower than the backyard limit?
What code section actually sets Victorville's fence permit exemption?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Victorville
California rules heatmap·Compare Victorville to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
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Fence Permit Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle fence permit requirements.