Santa Barbara fence rules and permits

A plain-English guide for Santa Barbara, California homeowners. Always confirm with the city before work starts. Rules change.

Do you need a permit?

Depends. In the City of Santa Barbara, residential fences and walls 3.5 feet or lower are exempt from a building permit. Taller fences generally need one. Retaining walls and other walls up to 4 feet are exempt, with limits. A front yard fence or wall over 3.5 feet also goes to the Single Family Design Board. The city's fee schedule was not confirmed. Call the Permit Center before you sign a contract.

Who to ask: City of Santa Barbara Community Development, Planning Counter and Building & Safety, 630 Garden St. (website)

The rules

• Within 10 feet of the front lot line, fences and walls are limited to 3.5 feet. Screens and hedges can be 8 feet there.
• Within front setbacks (10 to 35 feet in residential zones) and interior setbacks (5 to 15 feet), fences, walls and hedges are limited to 8 feet.
• The city can approve taller fences in some cases. In interior setbacks a fence or wall can go up to 4 feet over the limit with administrative approval. Pool security fences are one reason the city lists for an exception.
• Height is measured from the lowest point of ground next to either side of the fence to its top. A fence on a retaining wall counts the part of the wall above grade as fence height.
• Near a driveway, nothing over 3.5 feet can sit in a triangle 10 feet along the driveway and 10 feet back from the front lot line. With no sidewalk or parkway, the triangle is 20 feet by 10 feet.
• On corner lots, Public Works staff decide fence height and location case by case inside the required intersection sight distance.
• A wall, fence or gate in the front yard taller than 3.5 feet needs Single Family Design Board review. Retaining walls 6 feet or taller also go to that board.
• In the El Pueblo Viejo and Brinkerhoff Avenue landmark districts, exterior changes, including landscaping that affects the look of the property, need Historic Landmarks Commission approval.

HOAs

Some Santa Barbara neighborhoods and condo or townhome communities have HOAs. Check your rules and get approval in writing before you sign.

Call before you dig

DigAlert (Southern California 811): dial 811. call at least 2 working days before digging, and no more than 14 calendar days ahead

Local conditions

Santa Barbara has a Mediterranean climate with wet winters and dry summers. Dry offshore winds called sundowners blow down the mountain slopes, often near sunset.

• Strong sundowner winds can push on solid privacy panels. Ask about post depth and wind load.
• Fences near the ocean get salt air. Ask about rust-resistant hardware and finishes.
• Hillside lots often mean retaining walls. A fence on a wall counts the wall as fence height.
• Dry summers and wildfire risk are why the city has High Fire Hazard Area rules. Ask your contractor about fire-resistant materials near the house.
• Soil type and post depth: ask your contractor and the building office.

Good to know

• The City of Santa Barbara had 88,665 residents in the 2020 census.
• California requires a licensed contractor for fence jobs of $500 or more. The fence license is class C-13.
• Santa Barbara's Coastal Zone extends about half a mile inland and covers about six miles of shoreline.
• Council adopted new High Fire Hazard Area maps on July 1, 2025. They took effect July 31, 2025.
• Decorative posts or lights up to 9 by 9 inches may rise 12 inches above a fence or wall height limit if spaced 6 feet apart.
• Sundowner winds blow down the south-facing slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Strong ones happen a few times a year.