Fence Installation in Los Angeles and Across Southern California
Green Design and Build is a licensed general contractor (CSLB #1110975) that designs, permits and builds fences, block walls and gates for homeowners across Los Angeles County and the San Fernando Valley, Orange County, Ventura County, western Riverside County and western San Bernardino County. Almost every leaning fence we are called to look at has the same story: a post set in dirt or a shallow plug of concrete, a bottom rail sitting on wet soil, and screws that rusted through in five summers. This page covers what we build, what decides how long it lasts, height and permit rules, shared fences, and cost per linear foot.
Fence types we build
Vinyl privacy fence. The default for a rear or side yard. Six-foot tongue-and-groove panels, no painting, no rot. Vinyl takes the sun better than wood; the trade-off is that it flexes in wind and a cheap panel bows between posts. We use thicker-walled posts with aluminum inserts at gates and corners. See how much vinyl fence installation costs.
Wood fence, redwood or cedar. Redwood is what we recommend for a wood fence in Southern California; cedar is the alternative when the supplier’s redwood grade is poor. Dog-ear, flat-top and cap-and-trim styles are built the same way: 4×4 or steel posts, three rails on a 6 ft fence, 1×6 or 1×8 boards.
Horizontal modern fence. Horizontal boards with a small gap, usually redwood or cedar, sometimes on a steel post frame. It costs more than a vertical fence for a reason: the boards have to be straight, they are screwed rather than nailed, and posts go closer together because horizontal boards sag across wide spans.
Board-on-board. Overlapping vertical boards, so there is no gap and no “good side”; more lumber, better privacy, and the right answer on a shared property line.
Block and CMU walls. Split-face or precision block with a stucco finish, on a footing, with rebar and grout: the quietest and longest-lived fence you can build. Any block wall that holds back soil is a retaining wall and is engineered as one; see retaining walls.
Ornamental iron and aluminum. Powder-coated steel for driveway gates and front-yard fences where you want security without blocking the view; aluminum near the coast or where the budget is tighter.
Chain link. We install it where it belongs: a side yard, a dog run, or a budget property line. It is not a privacy fence and we will not dress it up as one.
Gates. Walk gates in every material above, plus driveway gates, swing or slide, manual or automated. Automation means a motor, a dedicated circuit, a trench for conduit and safety photo-eyes; our licensed electrician runs the circuit and we pull the electrical permit.
What decides how long a fence lasts in Southern California
Post footings. Every post on our jobs goes in a hole at least 24 inches deep for a 6 ft fence, belled at the bottom, filled with concrete, crowned so water sheds away from the wood. Our rule of thumb is one third of the post in the ground. Dry-set posts and a two-inch collar of concrete at grade are why most fences in the Valley lean toward the neighbor within a decade.
Rot at grade and hardware. Wood touching wet soil rots. We keep the boards 1 to 2 inches off grade, run a pressure-treated kickboard along the bottom, and never let a rail sit on dirt. Fasteners are hot-dip galvanized or stainless; electroplated hardware rusts through and stains redwood black.
Sun. Redwood grays in a year without a finish and checks after a few summers of west sun; plan on stain every two to three years. Vinyl does not rot, but a thin or non-UV-stabilized panel chalks and goes brittle.
Wind on hillsides. A solid 6 ft fence on a ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains or above the 210 is a sail. Closer post spacing, steel posts inside wood sleeves, or some open area in the design are the answers, and we will recommend one rather than watch a solid fence rack after the first Santa Ana. Valley clay, which swells and shrinks with the seasons, argues for deeper footings for the same reason.
Fence height and setback rules
In the City of Los Angeles, residential fence and wall height is set by LAMC Section 12.22 C.20(f): a fence in the required front yard may be no more than 3 feet 6 inches tall, and a fence in a side or rear yard may be up to 8 feet on lots 40 feet or wider, or 6 feet on narrower lots and in designated Hillside Areas unless a Zoning Administrator approves more. Height is measured from natural ground level, so a berm does not buy height. On a reversed corner lot, a fence within 5 feet of the side street lot line is held to 3 feet 6 inches so drivers can see. Every other city in our service area writes its own version of this rule, and an HOA in Orange County or Rancho Cucamonga adds a stricter one on top. We confirm the numbers for your address before we quote.
When a fence needs a permit
In the City of Los Angeles, the building code (LAMC 91.106.2) exempts non-masonry fences up to 10 feet tall and masonry or concrete fences up to 3 feet 6 inches tall from a building permit. So a 6 ft wood or vinyl fence within the zoning limits needs no building permit, while a 6 ft block wall does. A block wall that holds back any soil is a retaining wall: over 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing, or carrying any surcharge such as a driveway or slope above it, it needs a permit and engineering throughout our service area. Under the California Residential Code that most other cities adopt, the fence exemption is 7 feet rather than 10, so a tall fence outside the City of Los Angeles is more likely to need a permit. A gate with a motor needs an electrical permit anywhere, and a pool barrier fence needs a permit regardless of height. We pull the permits and schedule the inspections.
Fences you share with a neighbor
California’s Good Neighbor Fence law, Civil Code Section 841, presumes that adjoining owners benefit equally from a fence on the shared line and are equally responsible for the reasonable cost of building, replacing or maintaining it. The owner who wants the work has to give the neighbor at least 30 days’ written notice, stating the presumption of equal responsibility, the problem with the current fence, the proposed fix, the estimated cost, the proposed split and the timeline. A neighbor can rebut the presumption in court, for example if the fence costs far more than their benefit.
On our jobs that means three things. Find the property line; the old fence is often not on it, and we ask for the survey pins before we set posts near a disputed line. Send the notice even if you plan to pay for all of it. And if the neighbor is sharing the cost, pick a two-sided style such as board-on-board or vinyl so nobody gets the rail side.
Where we build fences
In Los Angeles County and the San Fernando Valley, the recurring problems are clay soil that rotates shallow posts and mature ficus roots on the line. In Orange County, most new fences in Irvine, Yorba Linda and Mission Viejo go through HOA design review, and we prepare the submittal. In Ventura County, from Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley to Camarillo, wind on open lots and salt air push us toward steel posts and stainless hardware. In western Riverside County, Corona, Riverside and Murrieta lots are larger, so runs are longer and block walls are the norm on the street side. In western San Bernardino County, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Chino sit in a wind corridor at the base of the mountains, in decomposed granite that needs deeper footings. See our service areas page for the full list.
Timeline
A wood or vinyl fence of 100 to 200 feet is two to four working days, including a cure day for the post concrete. A block wall takes two to three weeks once the permit is in hand, because the footing, the block and the grout are each inspected. In a larger backyard project, the fence goes in after grading and drainage and before the finished surfaces; see how we sequence a backyard build.
What fencing costs per linear foot in Southern California
The per-foot price assumes reasonable access and posts in normal soil; slopes, rock, tree roots and a long carry from the street add to it.
| Fence type (6 ft unless noted) | Typical Southern California installed range, per linear foot |
|---|---|
| Chain link, galvanized, 4–6 ft | $18–$35 |
| Wood privacy, redwood or cedar, dog-ear | $35–$70 |
| Board-on-board, redwood or cedar | $45–$80 |
| Horizontal modern, redwood or cedar | $55–$95 |
| Vinyl privacy, tongue-and-groove | $45–$75 |
| Ornamental iron or aluminum, 4–6 ft | $50–$100 |
| Block wall, 6 ft, footing, rebar, stucco finish | $130–$240 |
| Removal and haul-away of an old fence | $3–$7 |
| Walk gate, matching material | $350–$1,200 each |
| Driveway gate, iron or wood, manual | $2,500–$7,000 |
| Driveway gate automation, motor, circuit, safety devices | $2,500–$7,000 added |
These are typical Los Angeles budgeting estimates, not a price list or a quote. Your project can come in lower or higher depending on the house, the scope and the finishes; the only real number is a written proposal after a site visit.
A typical 150 linear feet of 6 ft vinyl with one walk gate, replacing an old wood fence, lands roughly between $8,000 and $13,500; the same run in stuccoed block is closer to $22,000 to $38,000 because of the footing, the grout and the inspections. These are typical Los Angeles budgeting estimates, not a price list or a quote. Your project can come in lower or higher depending on the house, the scope and the finishes; the only real number is a written proposal after a site visit.
Frequently asked questions
How tall can a fence be in Southern California?
In the City of Los Angeles, LAMC 12.22 C.20(f) limits a front-yard fence to 3 feet 6 inches and a side or rear fence to 8 feet on lots 40 feet or wider, 6 feet on narrower lots and in Hillside Areas, measured from natural grade. Other cities and HOAs in our service area have their own limits, some stricter. We confirm the rule for your address before we quote.
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Los Angeles?
In the City of Los Angeles, a wood, vinyl, iron or chain link fence up to 10 feet tall needs no building permit, though it still has to meet zoning height limits. A masonry or block wall over 3 feet 6 inches does need one, as does any wall that retains soil above the threshold and any gate with a motor. Most other cities use the state code’s 7 ft exemption.
Who pays for a fence between neighbors in California?
California Civil Code 841 presumes that neighbors benefit equally from a boundary fence and share the reasonable cost equally. The owner who wants the work must give 30 days’ written notice describing the problem, the proposed fence, the estimated cost and the split. The presumption can be challenged, so most homeowners send the notice, keep the design reasonable and get agreement in writing before we start.
Is vinyl or wood better for a fence in Southern California?
Vinyl wins on maintenance: no rot, no staining, and it handles the sun as long as the panel is UV-stabilized. Redwood looks better, costs less per foot and can be built in styles vinyl cannot match, but it needs a finish every two to three years. On a shared line with a neighbor who will not maintain their side, we lean vinyl; on a design-driven front yard, redwood.
How deep should fence posts be set?
Our rule of thumb is one third of the post in the ground: a 6 ft fence gets an 8 ft post in a hole at least 24 inches deep, filled with concrete and crowned so water runs off. On hillsides, in soft fill, or in the wind corridor near Rancho Cucamonga we go deeper and use steel posts. Shallow posts cause almost every leaning fence we inspect.
How long does fence installation take?
A 100 to 200 ft wood or vinyl fence takes two to four working days including a cure day for the post concrete. A block wall runs two to three weeks after the permit is issued because the footing, the block and the grout are each inspected. Automated driveway gates add about a week for the trench, circuit, inspection and programming. Block wall permits take a few weeks on top.
Get a written fence price
The site visit is free, takes about two hours, and you will have a written proposal within 48 hours that spells out the post depth, the hardware and the permits.