Calabasas · Building on your lot

Fences and walls in Calabasas

City rule: front-line fences are limited to 42 inches, rising to 6 feet at 10 feet back; side and rear, 6 feet.

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Key points

Fence height: City rule: front-line fences are limited to 42 inches, rising to 6 feet at 10 feet back; side and rear, 6 feet.

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

What Calabasas's code says

Calabasas code What Calabasas's code adds
Corner visibility	No fence, wall, hedge or other obstruction over 42 inches tall in the traffic safety visibility area. Applies: On corner lots. Height is measured from the top of the existing or planned curb. § 17.20.100 · code text No fence, wall, hedge, shrubbery, mounds of earth, or other visual obstruction over forty-two (42) inches in height above the top of the existing or planned curb elevation shall be located within a traffic safety visibility area.
Height anywhere on the lot	Fences, walls and hedges can be at most 6 feet tall. Applies: For freestanding fences, walls and hedges behind the front setback. § 17.20.100 · code text Fences, walls and hedges are limited to a height of six feet beyond the front setback. A single retaining wall can be at most 6 feet tall. Applies: For each retaining wall, unless the director approves otherwise. § 17.20.100 · code text Individual retaining walls shall not exceed a height of six feet unless otherwise approved by the director. Entry features over front yard gates, such as arches or trellises, can be at most 8 feet tall. Applies: Only if approved through site plan review, and only if the entry feature is no wider than 8 feet. § 17.20.100 · code text Entry features over front yard gates (e.g., arches, trellises, pilasters, pedestals), with a maximum height of eight feet, may be authorized through site plan review provided that the entry features are no wider than eight feet. The average height of any wall or fence can be at most 6 feet 6 inches. Applies: This applies even when the director approves up to 25 percent more than the listed limits. A greater average needs a variance. § 17.20.100 · code text however, the average height of any wall or fence may not exceed six feet six inches without a variance.
Front yard height	At most 42 inches tall at the front property line. Applies: For freestanding fences, walls and hedges. Height can rise 6 inches for every 2 feet back, up to 6 feet at 10 feet. § 17.20.100 · code text Freestanding fences, walls and hedges shall be limited to a maximum height of forty-two (42) inches at the front property line At most 6 feet tall, reached 10 feet back from the front property line. Applies: For freestanding fences, walls and hedges in the front setback area, at 10 feet from the property line. § 17.20.100 · code text to a maximum of six feet at ten (10) feet from the property line. Retaining walls facing outward in the front setback can be at most 4 feet tall. Applies: For outward-facing retaining walls in the front setback. § 17.20.100 · code text Outward-facing retaining walls in the front setback may not exceed a height of four feet.
Side and rear yard height	Fences, walls and hedges can be at most 6 feet tall. Applies: In side yard or rear yard setback areas. § 17.20.100 · code text Fences, walls, and hedges within side yard or rear yard setback areas may not exceed six feet in height. These retaining walls can be at most 4 feet tall. Applies: For outward-facing retaining walls in a side or rear yard setback that face a street or public park. § 17.20.100 · code text Outward-facing retaining walls within a side yard or rear yard setback, and which face a street or public park, may not exceed four feet in height unless approved by the director to a height not exceeding six feet. These retaining walls can be at most 6 feet tall with director approval. Applies: For outward-facing retaining walls in a side or rear yard setback that face a street or public park, when the director approves. § 17.20.100 · code text unless approved by the director to a height not exceeding six feet.
Permit	Fences need administrative plan review in all zones except residential zones. Applies: Residential-zone fences in the scenic corridor need a minor scenic corridor permit instead. § 17.20.100 · code text Fences require administrative plan review in all zoning districts except Residential Zones unless located in the scenic corridor. Fences in the Residential Zone zoning district that are located in the scenic corridor shall require a minor scenic corridor permit. No land use permit is required. Applies: For wood, wrought iron or chain link fences in residential zones that meet the fence height limits. § 17.20.100 · code text Fences (wood, wrought iron, chain link) in the residential zoning districts, which comply with the height limits in subsection (B) of this section, are exempt from land use permit requirements.

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Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Calabasas?

City rule: front-line fences are limited to 42 inches, rising to 6 feet at 10 feet back; side and rear, 6 feet.

General information, not legal advice.

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Calabasas Municipal Code — full text