Not for a fence of ordinary height. San Francisco does not require a building permit for a fence 3 feet or less in the front setback or 6 feet or less at the side or rear. Taller fences need a permit from the Department of Building Inspection, and the Planning Department sets how tall a fence may be in each part of the lot. The Peninsula and Marin towns we serve each have their own rules.
Do I need a permit to build or replace a fence?
In San Francisco, the city's permit pages say fences taller than 6 feet in a side or rear yard, or taller than 3 feet in a front yard, need a permit, and shorter fences do not. A like-for-like replacement follows the same test: if the fence being replaced is within those heights, no building permit is needed, and if it is taller, it is. Permits for fences that meet the Planning limits are normally issued over the counter. Daly City, South San Francisco, San Bruno, San Mateo, Mill Valley and the other towns differ, and each town page on this site names the office to ask.
How tall can my fence be? Is 6 feet allowed?
Yes, 6 feet is allowed at the side and rear, and with no permit. The Planning Department's fence handout gives these limits: in the front setback, 3 feet if the fence is solid or up to 6 feet if it is at least 75 percent open, and in the required rear yard, up to 10 feet above grade. Where a fence sits on a retaining wall, the Zoning Administrator decides case by case how height is counted. State law separately treats a fence that unnecessarily exceeds 10 feet and was built out of malice to annoy a neighbor as a private nuisance (Civil Code section 841.4).
How close to the property line can I build? Do I need a survey?
Rear and side fences in the city are almost always built on the line, because the lots have no room to spare. A front fence has to stay on your lot and off the sidewalk, which is public right-of-way. If the boundary is not marked, or an old fence is the only evidence of it, order a plot plan or a survey before posts are set. On a 25-foot lot, a few inches matter to both owners. Surveys are done by a licensed land surveyor.
I live in a historic district. What can I build?
Check with the San Francisco Planning Department before picking a design. A city landmark or a building in a designated historic district can need preservation review for exterior work that is visible from the street, and a front fence or gate is visible. We could not confirm one rule that covers every district, so we check it for the address.
Can my condo association or HOA restrict my fence?
Yes. In a condominium, a tenancy in common or a planned development, the governing documents can control height, style, material and color, and they sit on top of the city's rules. Many San Francisco buildings with shared rear yards need the other owners to agree. Get the approval in writing first.
We are adding a pool. What fence does code require?
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act sets out the enclosure in Health and Safety Code section 115923. It must be at least 60 inches tall, leave no more than 2 inches under the bottom, have no opening a 4-inch sphere can pass through, and offer no handholds or footholds a young child could use to climb the outside. Gates open away from the pool, self-close and self-latch, with the latch release at least 60 inches above the ground. The local building department inspects it and may require more.
The inspector failed my existing fence for the pool. Who brings it up to code?
A fence company does this work. Typical fixes are self-closing hinges and a self-latching latch at the right height, turning the gate so it swings away from the water, filling the space under the fence, and rebuilding any stretch that is too short or easy to climb. Give us the inspector's written list and the quote will follow it item by item.
My association only allows a 4-foot open fence, but I want privacy. What are my options?
Look for privacy that does not depend on the boundary fence. Planting along a 4-foot open fence is one way. A freestanding screen beside the deck or patio is another, provided the association does not count it as a fence. Failing that, apply to the board in writing for an exception. Check your plot plan for easements as well, since a fence across one may have to be removable.
Who calls 811 before digging, me or the contractor?
The person who digs makes the call. San Francisco is covered by USA North 811, which says to contact it at least 2 working days before digging, not counting the day of the notice, and requires the work area to be marked in white first. A ticket stays active for 28 days. On our jobs we place the ticket. Utility companies mark only their own lines, so show us any sprinkler pipe, garden lighting cable or drain line you or a past owner put in.
My contractor wants to skip the permit and reuse the old holes. What is the risk?
You carry it, not the contractor. If the fence needed a permit and has none, the Department of Building Inspection can issue a notice of violation, and the missing permit can surface again when you sell. Reusing old holes is a separate worry: a new post in an old, shallow, rotted footing fails early. In California, work that requires a permit also requires a licensed contractor.
The city says my existing fence breaks the current rules. Can I just repair it?
That is a question for the Planning Department and the Department of Building Inspection, and it is worth asking before you pay for anything. Repairing an older fence may be accepted where building a new one would have to follow today's limits. The city decides.
We measure the line and give you a written quote at no charge. Call (415) 888-9244 or text us a photo of the fence.