Fence laws in Glendora, California
What the Glendora municipal code says about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line. Where Glendora sets no rule of its own, the California rule is shown in its place and marked as such.
Fence laws in Glendora, California, question by question
The short version
- Who pays on the line
- A Glendora multifamily development of eleven or more units has to install perimeter fencing along every side and rear property line, and where a solid wall runs longer than fifty linear feet it cannot be a blank face. The figure is 18 inches, for minimum depth of a jog in a long solid wall.
- How tall
- Glendora prices its front yard fence in transparency, and the answer turns on the yard, how much of the fence can be seen through, and what the lot backs onto. The figure is 4 feet, for open front yard fence.
- Permits
- Glendora sets no general fence permit and states two approvals, each tied to a particular reason for extra height, and the answer turns on why the extra height or the fence is being sought. The figure is 8 feet, for height above which a noise study is required.
- Pool barriers
- A pool fence in California stands at least sixty inches high. The figure is 60 inches, for minimum height of a pool enclosure.
- Spite fences
- A fence over ten feet tall in California is a private nuisance when it was put up or kept there to annoy the neighbor and the extra height serves no purpose. The figure is 10 feet, for spite fence threshold, with malice required.
- Measured from what
- Glendora states its datum in the one place where a wall is required rather than merely allowed. The figure is 6 feet, for required masonry wall between a business and housing.
- Corner lots
- Glendora states the corner rule in a single sentence and aims it only at solid barriers. The figure is 10 feet, for radius from the corner where thirty inches applies.
- Retaining walls
- Glendora leaves retaining walls to Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, the California Building Standards Code, which tracks the International Building Code and the International Residential Code.
- Materials
- Glendora prohibits four groups of material in its residential, commercial and mixed use zones: barbed wire, razor wire, concertina wire and electrified fencing; reflective or unfinished metal fencing; untreated or unfinished wood including plywood; and broken glass, sharp objects or hazardous features, and the answer turns on the zone, the size of the development, and what the fence is for.
- Livestock
- California calls a fence lawful when it is strong enough to keep livestock from getting in or out. The figure is 4 feet, for height of the top wire on a lawful wire fence.
Who owns the fence between two properties in Glendora?
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Glendora answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
A Glendora multifamily development of eleven or more units has to install perimeter fencing along every side and rear property line, and where a solid wall runs longer than fifty linear feet it cannot be a blank face. Two or more features have to appear every twenty to fifty feet: a jog or offset at least eighteen inches deep and eight feet wide, a decorative pilaster or column which may exceed the height limit by up to eight inches, a change of material, or planted pockets or vines. Walls and fences facing a public street have to be softened with berms, hedges, planter strips or climbing vines.
For solid walls exceeding fifty (50) linear feet in length, two (2) or more of the following features must be incorporated every twenty (20) to fifty (50) feet:
21.03.010(F)(2)(a), (b) and (F)(3)(d)
18 inminimum depth of a jog in a long solid wall
Also on fences on the property line in Glendora
- set in state lawTwo neighbors split the cost of a fence on the line in California. The law starts from the idea that both get the same benefit from it, so both owe the same share of building it, keeping it up and replacing it. A neighbor about to spend that money gives the other one thirty days written notice first. Either neighbor can show the even split is wrong, and a court can then order less than half or nothing at all. Civ. Code 841California · Statute
- set in state lawThe notice has to say six things: that the law starts from an even split, what is wrong with the fence now, what is planned instead, what it is expected to cost, how the cost gets shared, and when the work happens. Civ. Code 841(b)(1)California · Statute
How tall can a fence be in Glendora?
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Glendora answers this, but the answer changes depending on the yard, how much of the fence can be seen through, and what the lot backs onto.
Glendora prices its front yard fence in transparency. Four feet is allowed where at least half the fence area is visually open, such as wrought iron, picket or tubular steel. A solid fence stops at three feet. A fence combining the two may have a solid lower portion of up to three feet with a visually open upper portion of no more than one foot, for four feet overall. Behind the front yard setback the limit is six feet, and above six feet is available for public facilities with City Council approval. A fence or wall next to a railroad or state highway right of way may reach eight feet for noise mitigation, and anything above eight feet needs a noise study from a licensed acoustical engineer, approved by the Community Development Director.
A fence with a solid lower portion (up to three (3) feet) may include a visually open upper portion not exceeding one (1) foot, for a total height not to exceed four (4) feet.
21.03.010(F)(1)(a), (b) and (d)
The answer turns on the yard, how much of the fence can be seen through, and what the lot backs onto.
- a front yard setback, at least half visually open
- Four feet. 4 ft
- a solid front yard fence
- Three feet. 3 ft
- behind the front yard setback
- Six feet. 6 ft
- beside a railroad or state highway right of way
- Eight feet for noise, or more with an acoustical study. 8 ft
Also on fence height in Glendora
- no rule, documents checkedCalifornia sets no limit on how tall a fence at a house can be. Cities and counties write that in their zoning codes and the answer changes a lot from one town to the next. The one height in state law is the ten feet in the spite fence rule, and that only matters when the fence was put up to annoy a neighbor. It is not a building limit. Civ. Code 841California · Statute
Do I need a permit for a fence in Glendora?
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Glendora answers this, but the answer changes depending on why the extra height or the fence is being sought.
Glendora sets no general fence permit and states two approvals, each tied to a particular reason for extra height. A fence above six feet for a public facility goes to the City Council. A wall above eight feet has to be supported by a noise study prepared by a licensed acoustical engineer and approved by the Community Development Director, so the justification is technical rather than discretionary. In the mixed use, commercial and industrial zones a fence may be installed only where it is needed for security, screening or buffering, which means the reason for the fence is itself a condition of building one.
Any wall exceeding eight (8) feet in height requires a noise study by a licensed acoustical engineer, subject to approval by the Community Development Director.
21.03.010(F)(1)(b)(ii), (F)(1)(d)(ii) and (F)(3)(a)
The answer turns on why the extra height or the fence is being sought.
- above six feet for a public facility
- City Council approval.
- above eight feet
- A noise study by a licensed acoustical engineer. 8 ft
- any fence in a mixed use, commercial or industrial zone
- Only where needed for security, screening or buffering.
Also on permits in Glendora
- set in state lawCalifornia does not write its own building code from scratch. Section 17922 adopts Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations and requires it to ask for much the same things as the International Building Code and the International Residential Code, with state additions and cuts. So the permit rule for a fence starts out as outside code text that California then edits. Health & Saf. Code 17922California · Statute
- set in state lawA California city or county can make the statewide building code stricter, but not quietly. Section 17958.7 makes the city council say in writing why each change is needed because of local weather, ground or land shape. That finding goes to the California Building Standards Commission, and the change does nothing until it is filed. The finding is a public record, which is why a local permit line can sit well below the statewide one. Health & Saf. Code 17958.7California · Statute
Pool fence requirements in Glendora
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California answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
A pool fence in California stands at least sixty inches high. No more than two inches may be left between the ground and the bottom of it, and no gap in it may pass a four inch ball. The outside face has no handholds or footholds a child under five could climb. Gates open away from the pool and close and latch by themselves, with the latch set no lower than sixty inches above the ground.
This one is California law, not Glendora law. All California findings
An enclosure shall have all of the following characteristics: (a) Any access gates through the enclosure open away from the swimming pool, and are self-closing with a self-latching device placed no lower than 60 inches above the ground. (b) A minimum height of 60 inches. (c) A maximum vertical clearance from the ground to the bottom of the enclosure of two inches. (d) Gaps or voids, if any, do not allow passage of a sphere equal to or greater than four inches in diameter. (e) An outside surface free of protrusions, cavities, or other physical characteristics that would serve as handholds or footholds that could enable a child below the age of five years to climb over.
60 inminimum height of a pool enclosure
Spite fence laws in Glendora
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California answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
A fence over ten feet tall in California is a private nuisance when it was put up or kept there to annoy the neighbor and the extra height serves no purpose. Height on its own is not enough. The case turns on proving why the fence is there. The rule covers anything built like a fence, not only a fence.
This one is California law, not Glendora law. All California findings
Any fence or other structure in the nature of a fence unnecessarily exceeding 10 feet in height maliciously erected or maintained for the purpose of annoying the owner or occupant of adjoining property is a private nuisance.
10 ftspite fence threshold, with malice required
How fence height is measured in Glendora
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Glendora answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Glendora states its datum in the one place where a wall is required rather than merely allowed. Where a nonresidential use abuts a residential zone, the six foot solid masonry wall on the shared line is measured from the highest adjacent grade, so the residential neighbor sees the full six feet whichever side sits higher. The general front, side and rear yard figures in the same subsection carry no stated datum and no rule for a difference in grade between two lots, so on a slope the reading for an ordinary fence is not settled by the text.
Where a non-residential use abuts a residential zone, a six (6) foot high solid masonry wall (measured from the highest adjacent grade) shall be constructed along the shared property line.
6 ftrequired masonry wall between a business and housing
Also on how height is measured in Glendora
- left to the townCalifornia gives a fence height and never says what it is measured from. Civil Code section 841.4 makes a fence over ten feet a private nuisance when it is kept up to annoy a neighbor. It does not say whether the ten feet starts at bare dirt, at the finished yard, or at the high side of a slope. Government Code section 65850 is why the state stops there: it lets any county or city set the place, height and size of structures. So the number and the surface it starts from are both written into local zoning. Cal. Gov. Code 65850(c)(1)California · Zoning code
Fence rules for corner lots in Glendora
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Glendora answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Glendora states the corner rule in a single sentence and aims it only at solid barriers. No solid fence or wall over thirty inches may stand within ten feet of the intersection of two public streets, which is a radius rather than a triangle, and which leaves an open fence such as wrought iron or tubular steel outside the restriction by its terms. The concern reappears in the screening standards, where a fence used to screen utility equipment may not obstruct a driver’s line of sight at a driveway or an intersection.
Corner Lot Visibility. No solid fence or wall over thirty (30) inches in height shall be located within ten (10) feet of the intersection of two public streets.
10 ftradius from the corner where thirty inches applies
Also on corner visibility in Glendora
- set in state lawCalifornia writes no clear view triangle into state law. The Streets and Highways Code counts a fence as an encroachment once it stands in, under or over any part of a state highway right of way. Section 670 then makes putting one there without a written permit from the department a misdemeanor. That covers the public strip, not the corner of a private yard. Government Code section 65850 gives every city and county the power to set the height and place of structures, and that is where a corner triangle gets written in California. Cal. Sts. & Hy. Code 660California · Traffic code
Retaining wall rules in Glendora
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Glendora does not set this. It leaves it to Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, the California Building Standards Code, which tracks the International Building Code and the International Residential Code.
California has no rule of its own in statute for a wall that holds back earth. The rule is in Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, which section 17922 adopts by reference and requires to match the newest editions of a named list of outside codes, the International Building Code and the International Residential Code among them. The same section leaves setbacks, side yards, rear yards and property line rules entirely to cities and counties.
This one is California law, not Glendora law. All California findings
The building standards and rules and regulations shall impose substantially the same requirements as are contained in the most recent editions of the following international or uniform industry codes as adopted by the organizations specified:
The code hands this to Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, the California Building Standards Code, which tracks the International Building Code and the International Residential Code, which is not published in the code itself.
Fence materials allowed in Glendora
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Glendora answers this, but the answer changes depending on the zone, the size of the development, and what the fence is for.
Glendora prohibits four groups of material in its residential, commercial and mixed use zones: barbed wire, razor wire, concertina wire and electrified fencing; reflective or unfinished metal fencing; untreated or unfinished wood including plywood; and broken glass, sharp objects or hazardous features. Two of those are about appearance rather than danger, which is unusual. For multifamily development the permitted list is aluminum, brick, concrete block, precast concrete, steel, vinyl, and pressure-treated or sealed wood, a stucco-over-CMU wall has to carry concrete capstones, every solid wall needs a decorative cap, and fence colors have to match or complement the building with wood painted or sealed against water. Front yard fencing on such a development has to be visually penetrable, such as wrought iron or tubular steel. Chain link, slatted chain link and similar fencing are prohibited where a fence is used to screen utility equipment.
The following materials are prohibited for fences and walls in residential, commercial, and mixed use zones:i. Barbed wire, razor wire, concertina wire, or electrified fencing;ii. Reflective or unfinished metal fencing;iii. Untreated or unfinished wood, including plywood; and/oriv. Broken glass, sharp objects, or hazardous features.
21.03.010(F)(1)(e) and (F)(2)(d) and (e)
The answer turns on the zone, the size of the development, and what the fence is for.
- residential, commercial and mixed use zones
- No security wire, reflective or unfinished metal, untreated wood or sharp objects.
- a multifamily development of eleven or more units
- A named list of durable materials, with a decorative cap on every solid wall.
- a fence screening utility equipment
- No chain link or slatted chain link.
Also on materials in Glendora
- set in state lawCalifornia sets a wire standard for a lawful fence in grazing counties. A wire fence takes three tight barbed wires on solid posts set no more than a rod apart, with one wire at least four feet up. Any fence as strong and as tall as that one counts too. Cal. Food & Agric. Code 17121California · Statute
Livestock and boundary fence law in Glendora
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California answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
California calls a fence lawful when it is strong enough to keep livestock from getting in or out. A wire fence gets real numbers: three tight barbed wires on posts set no more than one rod apart, with one of those wires at least four feet off the ground. Any other fence as tall, as strong and as good at holding animals counts too, and so does a cattle guard wide and deep enough to turn them.
This one is California law, not Glendora law. All California findings
No wire fence is a good and substantial fence within the meaning of this article unless it has three tightly stretched barbed wires securely fastened to posts of reasonable strength, firmly set in the ground not more than one rod apart, one of which wires shall be at least four feet above the surface of the ground.
4 ftheight of the top wire on a lawful wire fence
Also on agricultural fencing in Glendora
- depends, see the pageCalifornia answers this one county by county. Section 17123 names Siskiyou, Lassen and Modoc, plus parts of Trinity and Shasta, as land used mainly for grazing. Section 17124 lets the board of supervisors of any county put the same label on the county or part of it. Where the label applies, the land has to be fully fenced before the person on it may take in a stray animal or hold it for payment. Cal. Food & Agric. Code 17122California · Statute
Documents behind this page
10 documents, of which 1 was published by Glendora itself. Each was read on the date shown.
- California LegislatureCalifornia Civil Code Section 841, Good Neighbor Fence Act of 2013
- City of GlendoraMunicipal Code, Title 21, Chapter 21.03, Section 21.03.010(F), Fences and Walls
- California LegislatureCalifornia Civil Code Section 841.4, spite fences
- California LegislatureCalifornia Health and Safety Code Section 17922, adoption of building standards
- California LegislatureCalifornia Health and Safety Code Section 17958.7, local modification of building standards
- California LegislatureCalifornia Health and Safety Code Section 115923, enclosure requirements
- California LegislatureCalifornia Government Code, Title 7, Division 1, Chapter 4, Article 2, Section 65850
- California LegislatureCalifornia Streets and Highways Code, Division 1, Chapter 3, Section 660
- California LegislatureCalifornia Food and Agricultural Code, Division 9, Part 2, Chapter 3, Article 5
- California LegislatureCalifornia Food and Agricultural Code, Division 9, Part 2, Chapter 3, Article 5
What this page does not cover
A city ordinance is not the only rule that reaches a fence. The zoning district a parcel sits in can change the height allowed on it, and so can an overlay district, a recorded easement, a fire hazard severity zone or a coastal zone. A homeowner association can be stricter than the city and nothing in the municipal code will say so. None of those appear here.
The rules above are the ones Glendora publishes, plus the California rules that apply where the city sets none. Fence laws in California has the state layer in full.
This is general information drawn from published government documents. It is not legal advice, ordinances are amended, and the date beside each finding is the date the document was read. How findings are made · What the terms mean