Fairfield, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Director of Public Works, FMC §§16.4.3-16.4.6
- Start deadline
- Work must begin within 7 calendar days
- Completion deadline
- Work must finish within 14 days unless extended
- Financial security
- Cash performance bond plus $100,000 liability insurance
- Unpermitted work
- Triggers special field investigation fee, §16.4.6(m)
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under FMC §16.4.29
Summary
Anyone who wants to build, place, or maintain anything in a Fairfield street right-of-way or watercourse, from a fence to a utility trench, needs an encroachment permit from the Director of Public Works under City Code sections 16.4.3 and 16.4.4 before starting work.
All permits granted subject to this chapter shall be subject to the right of the city, and any person entitled thereto, to use any part of a public right of way for any purpose for which it may be lawfully used; and no part of a right of way may be unduly obstructed at any time. ... No person shall encroach or cause to be made any encroachment of any nature whatever within, upon, over or under the limits of any right of way or watercourse; ... or construct, put upon, maintain or leave thereon, or cause to be constructed, put on, maintained, or left thereon, any obstruction or impediment of any nature whatever; ... without having first obtained a permit as required by this article. An encroachment permit will normally be used only for a single parcel development.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-02, passed February 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
3 conditions every permit on the city's own right to use the right-of-way for any lawful purpose and states that no part of it may be unduly obstructed at any time. 6 lays out the process: the Director of Public Works prescribes the application form, requires maps or diagrams showing the exact location and dimensions of the work, and can take up to two working days to field-check conditions before deciding. Council-set fees apply, and permittees get seven calendar days to begin work and fourteen days to finish it, both counted from issuance, or the permit becomes void; a written extension request is available if delay is unavoidable.
7 requires licensed contractors to post a cash performance bond in the amount set by the fee schedule, plus, at the Public Works Director's discretion, public liability insurance of at least $100,000 naming the City of Fairfield as insured. 6(m), separate from the trench cut fee charged for any street excavation.
Violations & Fines
Excavating, building, or otherwise encroaching on a public right-of-way without a valid permit, or continuing work after a permit voids for missed deadlines, is unlawful under Article I of Chapter 16 and constitutes a misdemeanor under section 16.4.29, subject to the general penalty provisions of the Fairfield City Code. The Director of Public Works can also cancel a permit and restore the right-of-way at the permittee's expense if work stalls or safeguards are not maintained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a city permit to put a fence or trench in the street right-of-way in Fairfield?
How long do I have to complete work once Fairfield issues an encroachment permit?
What financial guarantees does Fairfield require from encroachment permittees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fairfield
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Solano County handle encroachment permits.