Fences and walls in Albany: the local rules

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

What Albany's code says

Albany code What Albany's code adds
Corner visibility	No more than 3 feet tall within 10 feet of a driveway edge or 25 feet of a street corner. Applies: Fences, walls, hedges and other visual obstructions in the street side yard of a corner lot. § 20.24.110 · code text In the street side yard of a corner lot, any fence, wall, hedge, or other visual obstruction, shall not exceed three (3) feet in height within ten (10) feet of the intersection of a street line with the outside line of any driveway, or within twenty-five (25) feet of the intersection of any two (2) street lines.
Height anywhere on the lot	Fences, walls and hedges can be no more than 6 feet tall. Applies: In any R District, unless the code states another limit. § 20.24.110 · code text Except as otherwise provided below, no fence, wall or hedge shall exceed six (6) feet in height in any R District, or eight (8) feet in height in any C District.
Front yard height	Front yard fences, walls and hedges can be no more than 3 feet tall. Applies: In any required front yard in any R District. § 20.24.110 · code text In any R District any fence, wall hedge, or other visual obstruction shall not exceed three (3) feet in height within any required front yard.
Side and rear yard height	Fences, walls or hedges can be up to 8 feet tall. Applies: Only along interior lot lines next to public recreation areas such as parks, playgrounds and bicycle paths. § 20.24.110 · code text The maximum height of fences, walls or hedges shall be eight (8) feet along interior lot lines which are adjacent to public recreational facilities such as parks, playgrounds and bicycle paths.
Permit	An encroachment permit is needed to build into a public right-of-way; nothing may extend over a sidewalk. Applies: Fences, walls, gates, hedges, retaining walls, or plants with less than 7 feet of clearance underneath, in a public right-of-way. § 20.24.110 · code text No fence, wall, gate, hedge or retaining wall, nor any portion of a tree or other vegetation having a vertical clearance of less than seven (7) feet, shall encroach upon any public right-of-way without an encroachment permit, nor, in any case, upon any sidewalk within a public right-of-way.

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Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Albany?

Albany limits fences to 3 feet in required front yards and 6 feet elsewhere in R Districts; 8 feet next to parks.

Fences and walls in Albany

Key points

What Albany's code says

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

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