Under La Habra Municipal Code 18.12.070, fence and wall heights in residential zones are measured from the highest grade at the wall's location, which governs how a fence combined with a retaining wall is measured. Structural retaining walls are regulated separately under the city's adopted California Building Code (Title 15).
La Habra addresses retaining walls in Orange County through two layers of regulation. For height purposes, Zoning Code Section 18.12.070 (Fences, walls, and hedges) states that the maximum height of the wall is measured from the highest grade at the wall's location. Because height is measured from the higher retained grade, a fence placed on top of a retaining wall is measured together with the wall from that highest grade, and the resulting structure must still meet the residential limits of three feet in the front yard and six feet in the side and rear yards. On sloped or graded lots this measurement method controls how much combined height is allowed near a property line. The structural design and safety
A fence-and-retaining-wall combination exceeding the three-foot front or six-foot side/rear limit when measured from the highest grade under Section 18.12.070 can be ordered lowered or modified. Building a structural retaining wall without a required building permit violates the adopted California
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