Fence Repair in Santa Barbara, CA
Most fences fail at the posts first. A good repair company fixes the cause, like rotted posts or loose footings, not just the boards you can see.
- Wrought iron or steel picket fence. Open fences fit the 3.5 foot front limit and the city likes see-through elements on tall fences.
- Wood privacy fence. Common on side and rear lines up to the 8 foot setback limit, but it needs regular sealing.
Strong sundowner winds can push on solid privacy panels. Ask about post depth and wind load.
Soil type and post depth: ask your contractor and the building office.
Santa Barbara rules that apply
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.
- 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.