Where do you apply for a fence permit in Los Angeles County?

You can apply through the Los Angeles County permit portal or contact the Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division directly. The links are listed on this page.

Can a homeowner pull a fence permit themselves in Los Angeles County?

Under California law (Business & Professions Code 7044(a)-(b); Business & Professions Code 7031.5): California exempts an owner from contractor licensing under section 7044 when they personally perform all the work on their own property, or any work they do not perform themselves is done by their own employees paid only wages, and none of the improvements are intended or offered for sale. It also exempts an owner who directly contracts with licensed contractors for each trade, as long as no more than four of the single-family residential structures involved are intended or offered for sale in a calendar year; this route does not apply if the owner instead contracts with a general contractor for the construction. A homeowner may also improve their own principal residence without a license, as long as the work is done before any sale, they have actually resided there for the 12 months before completion, and they have not used this exemption on more than two structures more than once in any three-year period. Selling a self-built structure within one year of completion creates a rebuttable presumption that it was built for sale, which defeats the exemption, and selling five or more structures within a year makes that presumption conclusive. Separately, every city or county that requires a permit must also require the applicant to file a signed statement giving their contractor license number or the basis of their claimed exemption; a false or missing statement carries a civil penalty of up to $500. Confirm how Los Angeles County applies this before you apply.

California / Los Angeles County

Fence Permit in Los Angeles County, California

It depends

Sometimes, depending on the project

Before building a fence, freestanding block wall, or similar structure taller than 6 feet, and before installing any fence, gate, door alarm, or other protection device that acts as a barrier to a swimming pool, spa, or hot tub, at any height.

Confirmed on official page Verified 15 Aug 2026

Issued byLos Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division

By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources

Quick answer

In unincorporated Los Angeles County a fence or freestanding block wall 6 feet or lower is exempt from a building permit, and anything greater than 6 feet measured from the lowest adjacent grade needs one. Masonry or concrete fences only qualify for the exemption if they are also set back from a public way at least a distance equal to the fence height, and fences used as a barrier to a private swimming pool, spa, or hot tub are never exempt. These are unincorporated-county rules: LA County Building and Safety serves the unincorporated communities through 10 district offices plus a small set of contract cities, so incorporated cities including the City of Los Angeles (permitted by LADBS, which this dataset covers separately), Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Glendale, Pasadena, Lancaster, and Palmdale issue their own permits under their own rules.

Typical threshold: height of a fence or freestanding block wall measured from the lowest adjacent grade; a masonry or concrete fence must also be set back from a public way at least a distance equal to its height to stay exempt.

Diagram of the 6 ft fence height threshold for a fence permit in Los Angeles County, California — Threshold illustrated: 6 ft. Whether Los Angeles County requires a permit above or below this measurement is stated in the verdict on this page, verified 2026-08-15.

Who is pulling this permit?

Apply yourself

Apply on the Los Angeles County permit portal

Hire it out

When a permit is usually needed

What a fence permit costs in Los Angeles County

Line itemAmountApplies to

fence permitBy formulaNo fence line item is published. A fence over 6 feet is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees: $65.36 for a total valuation of $0 to and including $700, and $98.09 for more than $700 to and including $25,000 plus $25.27 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof in excess of $1,000. A $41.35 permit issuance fee is added to all building permit fees. Building Code Fee Schedule (Title 26 of the County of Los Angeles Code, Ord. No. 2013-0048), effective July 1, 2026.

Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead 15 Aug 2026. Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.

How Los Angeles County compares in California

Across the California jurisdictions we have verified, the same threshold runs from 6 to 7, so a project that is exempt here may still need a permit one county over.

Jurisdiction	Permit needed?	Threshold
Alameda County	It depends	Permit exemption height limit: 7 feet for fences of light materials, 5 feet 9 inches for fences of concrete, masonry, or similar heavy materials
Contra Costa County	It depends	height of a fence, with concrete and masonry walls treated as walls rather than fences
Fresno County	It depends	Fences not over 7 feet high are on the county's published list of work exempt from a building permit
Los Angeles Countythis page	It depends	height of a fence or freestanding block wall measured from the lowest adjacent grade; a masonry or concrete fence must also be set back from a public way at least a distance equal to its height to stay exempt
Orange County	It depends	Fences and freestanding walls over six feet in height require a building permit; fences not over six feet are exempt unless a permit was required as a condition of project approval
Riverside County	It depends	Fences 7 feet or less in height are exempt from a building permit, except block walls, which are exempt only up to 4 feet in height
San Diego County	It depends	Fences and freestanding masonry walls over 6 feet in height need a building permit; open fences up to 8 feet are also exempt if the uppermost two feet is only barbed or razor wire on angled supports.

Closest fence permit thresholds outside California

Jurisdictions we cover whose limit sits nearest Los Angeles County's 6 feet.

Clark County, Nevada, fences over 6 feet in height require a building permit; all fences require a Fence/Wall Permit (Form BPA-005) regardless of height
King County, Washington, fences 6 feet or less do not require a building permit in unincorporated King County; fences over 6 feet require a permit
Lake County, Florida, Masonry or concrete fences 4 feet or less in height, and fences of any other material 6 feet or less in height, are exempt from a building permit under the county's Chapter 6 building-code amendment
Pierce County, Washington, Fences 6 feet or less in height, measured from grade, are exempt; taller fences require a building permit.

How to apply in Los Angeles County

In Los Angeles County, most residential fences fall under the model code's 7-foot building-permit exemption, so the real approval step is a lightweight zoning or land-use permit built around a simple site plan showing the fence's location, height, and material, checked against setbacks and any corner-lot sight-triangle rule. A fence that will serve as a required swimming-pool barrier is the exception, since barrier fences carry life-safety requirements of their own.

What most fence permit applications include:

For Los Angeles County, a fence 7 feet or under is exempt from the model code's building permit, the same threshold the IRC uses for other small projects (IRC 2021 R105.2).
That exemption only removes the building-code permit. It does not authorize skipping a jurisdiction's own zoning approval, which is why an exempt fence can still need its own land-use or zoning permit rather than a building permit (IRC 2021 R105.2).
Whatever your jurisdiction calls that approval, the application centers on a basic site plan: a drawing of the property showing the fence's location, height, and material, and how it relates to the property lines (common local zoning practice).
For Los Angeles County, the same plan is checked against required setbacks and, on corner lots or near intersections, a sight-triangle rule that caps fence height so it does not block sightlines for drivers (common local zoning practice).
For Los Angeles County, a fence that will serve as a required swimming-pool barrier is handled as life-safety work rather than the light zoning process, and at least one state's adopted residential code requires a building permit for barrier fences regardless of the general fence exemption (Oregon Residential Specialty Code 2021, R101.2.2).

General submittal guidance from International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 edition, Section R105.2. Source. Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division sets the exact checklist for Los Angeles County.

Where to apply in Los Angeles County:

Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division

Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division, 3rd Floor, 900 S. Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, CA 91803
Phone: 626-458-3173

Fence Permit in Los Angeles County compared with nearby California localities

Locality	Permit needed?	Threshold	What each California schedule says	Verified
Los Angeles County	It depends	height of a fence or freestanding block wall measured from the lowest adjacent grade; a masonry or concrete fence must also be set back from a public way at least a distance equal to its height to stay exempt	...6 feet is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees: $65.36...	15 Aug 2026
Alameda County	It depends	Permit exemption height limit: 7 feet for fences of light materials, 5 feet 9 inches for fences of concrete, masonry, or similar heavy materials	...using the Schedule A building permit fee table, which starts at a '$140.00 minimum...	15 Aug 2026
Contra Costa County	It depends	height of a fence, with concrete and masonry walls treated as walls rather than fences	..."Fences Greater than 7ft": Building Permit / Inspection, chain-link or wood $116.00...	15 Aug 2026
Fresno County	It depends	Fences not over 7 feet high are on the county's published list of work exempt from a building permit	The Master Schedule of Fees publishes no flat fence permit fee	15 Aug 2026
Los Angeles	It depends	masonry or concrete fence up to 6 ft in height may be built without a permit if it meets LADBS construction specifications in IB-P-BC2014-080; a solid masonry infill panel between pilasters may not exceed 3 ft 6 in with lightweight open material filling the remaining height; non-masonry fence height threshold not confirmed from official page	Valuation-based building permit per LAMC 91.113 Table 1-A	18 Jun 2026

Inspections and closing out your permit

In Los Angeles County, inspection follows the permit: a fence that never needed one gets no inspection at all under the model code, and a permitted fence typically gets a single final check rather than the staged inspections used for a house. The exception is a fence serving as a swimming-pool barrier, which gets its own dedicated barrier inspection covering height, gaps, and gate hardware.

In Los Angeles County: inspection duty attaches only to work for which a permit is required, so a fence that qualified for the permit exemption carries no inspection obligation under the model code (IRC 2021 R109.1).
In Los Angeles County: where a fence permit was issued, the process skips the staged foundation, frame, and rough-in inspections used for buildings and goes straight to one final inspection once the fence is finished (IRC 2021 R109.1.6).
In Los Angeles County: that single check is typically a zoning compliance inspection rather than a structural review, confirming the fence matches the approved height and site plan (common local practice).
A fence built as a swimming-pool barrier breaks that light-touch pattern in Los Angeles County: it is separately inspected for barrier compliance, commonly required before the pool itself can be signed off (ISPSC 305; local pool-barrier inspection programs).
In Los Angeles County: that barrier inspection checks dimensional rules from the swimming pool and spa code rather than ordinary fence rules, including the minimum 48 inch barrier height and limits on openings and gaps a young child could pass through (ISPSC 305).
Gate hardware is inspected too in Los Angeles County: a self-closing, self-latching gate is part of the barrier requirement, since an unlatched gate defeats the fence's purpose as a barrier (ISPSC 305).

Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Los Angeles County permit portal or by phone at 626-458-3173.

Inspection sequence from International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 edition, Section R109, and ISPSC 2021 Section 305 (barriers). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.

Your Fence Permit checklist for Los Angeles County

Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: height of a fence or freestanding block wall measured from the lowest adjacent grade; a masonry or concrete fence must also be set back from a public way at least a distance equal to its height to stay exempt. Usually needed: Before building a fence, freestanding block wall, or similar structure taller than 6 feet, and before installing any fence, gate, door alarm, or other protection device that acts as a barrier to a swimming pool, spa, or hot tub, at any height.
Budget the fee. No fence line item is published. A fence over 6 feet is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees: $65.36 for a total valuation of $0 to and including $700, and $98.09 for more than $700 to and including $25,000 plus $25.27 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof in excess of $1,000. A $41.35 permit issuance fee is added to all building permit fees. Building Code Fee Schedule (Title 26 of the County of Los Angeles Code, Ord. No. 2013-0048), effective July 1, 2026. Official fee schedule.
Apply. In Los Angeles County, most residential fences fall under the model code's 7-foot building-permit exemption, so the real approval step is a lightweight zoning or land-use permit built around a simple site plan showing the fence's location, height, and material, checked against setbacks and any corner-lot sight-triangle rule. A fence that will serve as a required swimming-pool barrier is the exception, since barrier fences carry life-safety requirements of their own. Start at the Los Angeles County permit portal.
Keep the office details handy. Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division. Phone: 626-458-3173. Address: Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division, 3rd Floor, 900 S. Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, CA 91803.
Plan for inspections. In Los Angeles County, inspection follows the permit: a fence that never needed one gets no inspection at all under the model code, and a permitted fence typically gets a single final check rather than the staged inspections used for a house. The exception is a fence serving as a swimming-pool barrier, which gets its own dedicated barrier inspection covering height, gaps, and gate hardware.

Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked 15 Aug 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a fence permit in Los Angeles County?: In unincorporated Los Angeles County a fence or freestanding block wall 6 feet or lower is exempt from a building permit, and anything greater than 6 feet measured from the lowest adjacent grade needs one. Masonry or concrete fences only qualify for the exemption if they are also set back from a public way at least a distance equal to the fence height, and fences used as a barrier to a private swimming pool, spa, or hot tub are never exempt. These are unincorporated-county rules: LA County Building and Safety serves the unincorporated communities through 10 district offices plus a small set of contract cities, so incorporated cities including the City of Los Angeles (permitted by LADBS, which this dataset covers separately), Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Glendale, Pasadena, Lancaster, and Palmdale issue their own permits under their own rules. Height of a fence or freestanding block wall measured from the lowest adjacent grade; a masonry or concrete fence must also be set back from a public way at least a distance equal to its height to stay exempt. Always confirm with the office before starting.
How much does a fence permit cost in Los Angeles County?: No fence line item is published. A fence over 6 feet is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees: $65.36 for a total valuation of $0 to and including $700, and $98.09 for more than $700 to and including $25,000 plus $25.27 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof in excess of $1,000. A $41.35 permit issuance fee is added to all building permit fees. Building Code Fee Schedule (Title 26 of the County of Los Angeles Code, Ord. No. 2013-0048), effective July 1, 2026. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
Where do you apply for a fence permit in Los Angeles County?: You can apply through the Los Angeles County permit portal or contact the Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a fence permit themselves in Los Angeles County?: Under California law (Business & Professions Code 7044(a)-(b); Business & Professions Code 7031.5): California exempts an owner from contractor licensing under section 7044 when they personally perform all the work on their own property, or any work they do not perform themselves is done by their own employees paid only wages, and none of the improvements are intended or offered for sale. It also exempts an owner who directly contracts with licensed contractors for each trade, as long as no more than four of the single-family residential structures involved are intended or offered for sale in a calendar year; this route does not apply if the owner instead contracts with a general contractor for the construction. A homeowner may also improve their own principal residence without a license, as long as the work is done before any sale, they have actually resided there for the 12 months before completion, and they have not used this exemption on more than two structures more than once in any three-year period. Selling a self-built structure within one year of completion creates a rebuttable presumption that it was built for sale, which defeats the exemption, and selling five or more structures within a year makes that presumption conclusive. Separately, every city or county that requires a permit must also require the applicant to file a signed statement giving their contractor license number or the basis of their claimed exemption; a false or missing statement carries a civil penalty of up to $500. Confirm how Los Angeles County applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in Los Angeles County

Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.

Project	Permit needed?	Threshold	Typical fee
Deck Permit	It depends	height of the deck surface above grade; the exemption also requires the deck not to be over any basement or story below and not to be part of an accessible route	...grade is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees ($65.36 for...
Electrical Permit	Permit required	Any size	...the County of Los Angeles Code, Ord No. 2013-0049), effective July 1, 2026: $41.35...
HVAC Permit	Permit required	Any size	...the County of Los Angeles Code, Ord No. 2013-0051), effective July 1, 2026: $41.35...
Patio Permit	It depends	Before building a patio cover, a carport, an enclosed patio, or any patio work that...	...enclosure is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees ($65.36...
Plumbing Permit	Permit required	Any size	...28 of the Los Angeles Code, Ord. No. 2013-0050), effective July 1, 2026: $41.35 for...
Pool Permit	It depends	depth of a prefabricated pool or other body of water accessory to a one- or two-family (Group R-3) home; the same exemption also reaches pools that do not exceed 5,000 gallons and are installed entirely above adjacent grade	...is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees plus the $41.35...
Roof Replacement Permit	Permit required	Any size	A reroof is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees ($65.36 for a...
Shed Permit	It depends	gross floor area of a one-story detached accessory building; the exemption also requires the height not to exceed 12 feet and the maximum roof projection not to exceed 24 inches	...exemption is priced from the valuation-based Table 1-A Building Permit Fees ($65.36...
Solar Permit	Permit required	Any size	...permit fee for small residential rooftop photovoltaic systems shall not exceed $500...

Fence Permit in other California localities

Everything above, sourced

dpw.lacounty.gov: permitsread 15 Aug 2026

dpw.lacounty.gov: faqread 15 Aug 2026

Code references

National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Los Angeles County documents; the office above sets the local rules.

How this fence permit page for Los Angeles County was verified. 2 official sources: dpw.lacounty.gov, dpw.lacounty.gov; fee schedule: official document. Last checked 15 Aug 2026 by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

Last checked: 15 Aug 2026Report an error on this page

Compare Fence Permit requirements across California localities

Fence permit rules nationwide