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Alameda County · Building on your lot

Fences and walls in Alameda County

County fence limits: 4 feet in required front yards, 2 feet near corner-lot intersections, 6 feet elsewhere in A or R districts.

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Key points

  • Fence height: County fence limits: 4 feet in required front yards, 2 feet near corner-lot intersections, 6 feet elsewhere in A or R districts.

Each rule below links to the section of the Alameda County Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Alameda County's code says

Alameda County code What Alameda County's code adds
Corner visibility
  • No more than 2 feet tall, measured up from the center line grade of the street opposite.
    Applies: In a required yard on a corner lot, within 30 feet of where the street lot lines, or their extensions, meet.
    § 17.52.430 · code text
    When located in a required yard on a corner lot and within thirty (30) feet of the intersection of the street lot lines or of the projections of such lines: Two feet, measured upward from the center line grade of the street opposite thereto;
Height anywhere on the lot
  • No more than 6 feet tall.
    Applies: In A or R districts, outside the required front yard and the corner lot areas that have lower limits.
    § 17.52.430 · code text
    When located in any A or R district other than as specified hereinabove six feet;
  • Open wire fences can be up to 6 feet tall.
    Applies: Only open wire fences in an A district; the yard height limits do not apply to them.
    § 17.52.440 · code text
    An open wire fence up to six feet high in an A district.
Front yard height
  • No more than 4 feet tall.
    Applies: In a required front yard, except within 30 feet of the street corner on a corner lot, where the limit is 2 feet.
    § 17.52.430 · code text
    When located in a required front yard other than as specified in subsection A of this section: Four feet;
Side and rear yard height
  • No more than 4 feet tall.
    Applies: Required rear or street side yard of a corner lot, within 20 feet of the corner shared with a key lot behind it.
    § 17.52.430 · code text
    When located in a required rear or street side yard of a corner lot and within twenty (20) feet of the corner common to such a lot and a key lot at the rear: Four feet;

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Alameda County?

County fence limits: 4 feet in required front yards, 2 feet near corner-lot intersections, 6 feet elsewhere in A or R districts.

General information, not legal advice.

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Alameda County Municipal Code — full text