Santa Clarita Neighbor Fence Rules Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Fence disputes between neighbors in Santa Clarita are governed by both the city's Unified Development Code and California state law. Under California Civil Code Section 841, adjoining landowners are presumed to share an equal benefit from any fence separating their properties and are therefore equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, and replacement of the fence. This applies unless the parties agree otherwise or a court determines otherwise.

The city's zoning code (Chapter 17.57) limits side and rear yard boundary fences to 6 feet in height without special approval. If a property owner wishes to build a taller fence, Director approval is required for heights between 6 and 15 feet, and the fence must be set back at least 5 feet from the property line. This setback requirement helps prevent disputes over encroachment onto neighboring properties.

For single-family detached condominiums, the fence line serves as the property line for purposes of determining setbacks under the residential property development standards. When the location of a fence relative to the property line is in question, particularly for fences that were a Regional Planning requirement, approved grading plans showing the wall or fence relative to the property line are available at the Santa Clarita District Office (23757 Valencia Blvd., Suite 300). For all other situations, the city recommends obtaining the services of a licensed land surveyor to locate the property line.