Paramount, CA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Section 17.44.340 of the Paramount Municipal Code handles retaining walls inside its fence rules for R zones. The definitions in § 17.04.010 describe a retaining wall as any wall used to resist the lateral displacement of any material, so the rules below reach walls holding soil, fill or any other material.

Cut condition. Where a retaining wall protects a cut below the natural grade and sits on the line separating lots or parcels, the wall can be topped by a fence, wall or hedge of the same height that would otherwise be permitted at that location if no retaining wall existed. The height is measured from the ground on the high side of the property line. In a front yard that means 42 inches above the high-side ground, and behind the front yard line it means the eight-foot limit in § 17.44.340(B).

Fill condition. Where a retaining wall contains a fill, the height of the retaining wall counts toward the permissible height of a fence, solid wall or hedge. In any event, a protective fence or wall not more than 42 inches high can be erected at the top of the retaining wall, and any portion of the fence above the six-foot maximum height must be an open work fence. The code defines an open work fence as one in which the solid portions are evenly distributed and constitute not more than 50% of the total surface area of the face of the fence.

R-1 chapter. Section 17.08.080(F)(3) and (4) repeat both rules for the R-1 zone. Its open work definition prints more than 50% where Chapter 17.44 prints not more than 50%, so R-1 owners in the City of Paramount should ask the Planning Department which wording applies before ordering materials.

The section prints no permit step and no engineering standard for the wall itself. Barbed wire, concertina wire, razor wire, cut glass and other sharp points are banned on any fence, wall or hedge along a property line (§ 17.44.340(E)).