Fence Companyin Cerritos, CA
A fence company in Cerritos has to work inside the City's walls and fencing guide: any new front-yard fence or wall needs Planning approval, anything over 30 inches also needs a building permit, and chain link is banned everywhere. Visible fences must be decorative, and block walls over 30 inches need structural plans.
Cerritos wrote its fence rules for a city of block-walled tract lots. The City library's timeline counts 31 tracts holding more than 2,000 homes finished or started by April 1968, and the Census Bureau's 2024 five-year estimates say 80.4 percent of the city's 16,343 homes are detached single-family houses, 13,147 of them. The City's guide still expects a masonry block wall that matches the house along side and rear lines inside a subdivision, and it treats the front yard as a stage rather than a barrier. A fence here is a design decision first and a carpentry job second.
MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) plans and manages fence and wall jobs as the general contractor, using a licensed fencing subcontractor for wood and metal and a licensed masonry subcontractor for block, because the CSLB fencing class excludes masonry walls. The sourced price table is on our fencing page, the City's own rules are in its walls and fencing guide, and the next-door lots follow other limits, as the Lakewood, Norwalk and Downey fence pages show.
What the City of Cerritos says about fences and walls
Where fencing permits come from in Cerritos: City of Cerritos Department of Community Development.
- In a Cerritos front yard, any new or replacement wall or fence needs Department of Community Development approval and anything taller than 30 inches also needs a building permit. If the repaired or replaced portion is less than 50 percent of the length of the wall segment on the property, a building permit is not required at the same time as the planning application. The planning fee for a fence or wall is $160 (plus 17.5 percent).
- Block walls over 30 inches need structural plans. The City provides example structural plans that may be used instead of an engineer if the owner signs the City's General Release and Waiver of Claims, any alternative design must be approved by Building and Safety, and 4-inch thick block is prohibited (a thicker new wall beside an existing 4-inch street-facing wall must line up flush with no visible jog).
- A wall or fence on a shared property line needs a Common Property Line Agreement signed by the adjacent owners. If a neighbor will not sign, the wall may be built entirely inside the owner's lot, foundation included, with a land survey signed by a California-licensed land surveyor.
- Front yard standards from the City's guide: walls and fences visible from the public right-of-way must be decorative (slump block, brick, wrought iron or wood-grain embossed vinyl) and approved by the Director; block walls reach at most 30 inches within the first 5 feet from the front property line, and decorative walls on a corner lot's arc within that distance are limited to 18 inches measured from the curb top; walls and fences up to 5 feet are allowed when set back at least 5 feet and open enough to see through above 30 inches.
- Pilasters supporting a decorative fence may be stucco-finished block, brick or concrete up to 5 feet tall, no more than 12 inches square and at least 8 feet apart. Decorative walls, fences and gates visible from the right-of-way that abut a side or rear yard need decorative solid screening approved by the Director.
- Painting or staining a masonry wall or fence is prohibited unless the Director deems the color consistent with the natural color of the masonry, and anyone who wants to paint or stain one needs written approval from Community Development first.
- Within a residential subdivision, a perimeter wall along a side or rear line must be masonry block compatible with the house and abutting walls, a solid block wall must be 6 to 8 feet tall measured from the highest ground on either side, and extensions must be approved by the Director. Along the perimeter of a subdivision the wall must be slump block 6 feet 6 inches to 8 feet tall, and no wall extensions are permitted.
- Chain link fences and gates are not allowed in Cerritos. Side yard gates must be at least 6 feet high and solid (wood or steel) to screen the side yard from the right-of-way, and decorative gates may not swing out into the public right-of-way.
Sources for these rules
How tall can a fence or wall be in a Cerritos front yard?
Lower than most owners expect. Any new or replacement wall or fence in a front yard needs approval from Community Development, and anything taller than 30 inches also needs a building permit. A block wall may rise to 30 inches within the first 5 feet back from the front property line. Beyond that, a wall or fence up to 5 feet is allowed when it is set back at least 5 feet and is open enough to see through above the first 30 inches.
Corner lots add a curb rule: decorative walls on the corner lot's arc within that distance are limited to 18 inches, measured from the top of the curb. If a repair or replacement covers less than half the length of the wall segment on the property, the building permit is not required at the same time as the planning application, though the Planning step still is.
A fence is not the only front-yard rule that shapes the job. At least 40 percent of the front yard must be landscaped, and a driveway may be no wider than 25 feet for a two-car garage or 35 feet for a three-car garage, with a 3 foot planter at the side line. Code Enforcement lists inadequate front yard landscaping among its common violations, so a new wall should come with a landscape plan, not instead of one.
Ask for the front-yard height in inches on the proposal, with the setback it is measured from.
Is chain link allowed in Cerritos, and what counts as a decorative fence?
No. Chain link fences and gates are not allowed in Cerritos, so the cheapest backyard fence in most cities is off the list here. A third-party mirror of the Municipal Code at gocodebook.com says chain link is prohibited except during permitted construction. That mirror is not the official text, but the City's own guide states the ban without exceptions for homeowners.
What replaces it is a solid or decorative choice. Anything visible from the public right-of-way must be decorative and approved by the Director of Community Development: slump block, brick, wrought iron or wood-grain embossed vinyl. Pilasters may be stucco-finished block, brick or concrete up to 5 feet tall, no more than 12 inches square and at least 8 feet apart. Side yard gates must be at least 6 feet high and solid, wood or steel, and a decorative gate may not swing out into the public right-of-way.
What does a Cerritos block wall need: thickness, plans and a release?
Block walls over 30 inches need structural plans. Four-inch block is prohibited, and a thicker new wall beside an existing 4-inch street-facing wall has to line up flush, with no visible jog. The City provides example structural plans an owner may use in place of an engineer, but only if the owner signs its General Release and Waiver of Claims, and Building and Safety must approve any other design.
Do not plan to paint a masonry wall. Painting or staining one is prohibited unless the Director finds the color consistent with the natural color of the masonry, and written approval comes first. Masonry is its own CSLB class, C-29, and our license-check guide shows how to confirm it before a block crew starts.
- Does the plan rule out 4 inch block, as the City requires?
- Are you using the City's example plans, and who signs the release?
- Which subcontractor holds the C-29 license, and can you see the number?
How high can side and rear walls go in a Cerritos tract, and what about a pool fence?
Inside a residential subdivision, a perimeter wall along a side or rear line must be masonry block compatible with the house and the walls beside it. A solid block wall must be 6 to 8 feet tall, measured from the highest ground on either side, and any extension needs the Director's approval. Along the outer perimeter of a subdivision the wall must be slump block 6 feet 6 inches to 8 feet tall, and no extensions are permitted.
Pools are the exception to a low fence. The code mirror's summary of section 22.22.700(17) says a swimming pool must be enclosed by a fence or wall of at least 6 feet with self-latching gates. Treat that as a mirror reading, not the official Code, and ask Building and Safety what the pool barrier on your lot has to be before you order a glass or steel panel.
Who signs when a Cerritos wall sits on the property line, and what if my neighbor will not?
A wall or fence on a shared property line needs a Common Property Line Agreement signed by the adjacent owners. If a neighbor will not sign, the wall may be built entirely on your own lot, foundation included, with a land survey signed by a California-licensed land surveyor.
State law is a separate track from the City form. Civil Code 841 presumes that adjoining owners share the cost of a boundary fence and asks for 30 days' written notice before one owner takes on the expense, and the presumption can be rebutted. A signed City agreement settles who owns the wall for permit purposes. It does not settle who pays, so keep the notice letter and the quotes together.
- The signed Common Property Line Agreement, or the surveyor's stamped drawing
- The written notice to your neighbor and the date it was delivered
- Two or more written quotes that name the wall height and material
Do Cerritos fence posts and block footings need special depth, and can a fence touch the parkway?
Soil is the quiet factor. The City's Safety Element describes liquefaction hazard citywide and shallow perched water under many lots, and we found no City rule that sets a post or footing depth for fences, so the depth comes from the example structural plans for block walls over 30 inches or from the engineer. Ask your fence company what depth it will dig and how it handles wet soil.
The curb side has its own rules. Any fence, barrier or post in the public right-of-way needs an encroachment permit and an inspection before work begins, at $200 for residents. The City page does not say whether driveway approaches or curb concrete are covered, so call Engineering at (562) 916-1219. The public parkway itself must be all living plants, so a fence line never belongs there.
How much does fence installation cost in Cerritos, and how do I pick a fence company?
No Cerritos fence price survey turned up, so these are Los Angeles figures. Angi's August 2026 Los Angeles page gives an average job of $3,051, $15 to $60 per linear foot and $2,100 to $2,350 for 100 feet, with wood and vinyl jobs from $1,600 to $3,400. The federal wage survey puts fence erectors in the Los Angeles area at a mean $28.00 an hour in May 2025, a wage and not a billing rate. We found no independent per-foot source for reinforced block walls, so we print none.
The City adds a $160 planning fee for a fence or wall plus a 17.5 percent surcharge, about $188, and a $45 permit issuance fee, with County fees on top for walls needing a building permit. The contractor needs an active Cerritos business license before a permit issues, and an agent filing for you needs a notarized Letter of Authorization no more than a year old.
Fence photos from Cerritos and nearby communities
Six fence and wall scenes tied to Cerritos tract lots and to nearby communities such as Artesia, Bellflower and La Mirada, covering block, wood-grain vinyl, steel and gates.
Where the Cerritos fence numbers come from
The per-foot figures are Los Angeles numbers from Angi and the federal wage survey, and each source and date sits in the table on our fencing cost page. Fees come from the Cerritos Master Fee Schedule revised July 13, 2026. A new fence often comes with other exterior work, so see the roofing page, the painting page and the kitchen remodeling page, or the Cerritos overview for every trade we cover here.
| What it covers | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Wood or vinyl privacy fence, 6 feet | $25 to $55 per linear foot |
| Chain-link | $12 to $30 per linear foot |
| Aluminum or ornamental iron | $35 to $85 per linear foot |
| Typical 100-foot backyard run | $2,500 to $5,500 total |
| Block walls, horizontal slat fences, gates and openers, hillside lots | Set by the written proposal |
Cerritos fence company and fence installation questions, answered
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Cerritos?
Yes for most fences. A new or replacement front-yard wall or fence needs approval from Community Development, and anything taller than 30 inches also needs a building permit. The City's Home Improvement page lists fences and block walls as work that needs a permit. Call (562) 916-1201 and describe the height, material and location.
How tall can my front fence be in California?
We found no single statewide front fence height, because cities set their own. In Cerritos a block wall may reach 30 inches within the first 5 feet from the front property line, and a fence up to 5 feet is allowed beyond that if it is set back 5 feet and is open above 30 inches. Corner lot arcs are limited to 18 inches.
Can I put a privacy fence up in my front yard?
Not a solid one. The City wants front-yard fences to be decorative, and above 30 inches they must be open enough to see through when set back at least 5 feet. Slump block, brick, wrought iron and wood-grain embossed vinyl are the listed materials, and the Director of Community Development approves them.
Can I put up a chain link fence in Cerritos?
No. The City's guide says chain link fences and gates are not allowed in Cerritos. That includes backyards, and the guide offers no homeowner exception. Choose wood, block, steel or wood-grain vinyl, and ask Community Development whether the style you picked suits the side the street can see.
Does your neighbor have to pay for half the fence in California?
Usually the law presumes they share the cost of a boundary fence. Civil Code 841 asks the owner who wants to build to give 30 days' written notice, and the presumption can be rebutted. In Cerritos the wall also needs a Common Property Line Agreement signed by both owners, or a survey and a wall built on your own lot.
What happens if I don't have a permit for a fence?
Code Enforcement can start a process of door tag, letters and a Property Preservation Commission hearing, with up to 30 days to correct, then a citation after re-inspection. Fines run $100 for a first violation, $200 for a repeat within a year and $500 for a third. The City also will not approve a new permit on a lot with unpermitted structures until they are corrected.
Can I install my own backyard fence?
An owner can pull the permit as the owner-builder, and the City's rule is that the homeowner becomes the party of record and may not offer the structure for sale within 12 months of construction. A block wall over 30 inches still needs structural plans, and a front-yard fence still needs Planning approval.
How much does it cost to have 100 feet of fence installed?
In Los Angeles, Angi's August 2026 page gives $2,100 to $2,350 for 100 feet, inside a $15 to $60 per linear foot range. Cerritos has no published survey, and block walls are not covered by any independent source we found. Add the City's $160 planning fee plus 17.5 percent and a $45 issuance fee.
Can I get a permit after work is done?
Ask first. The City publishes a legalization guide for an unpermitted patio, but we found none for fences or walls, and it will not approve a building permit on a lot with existing violations until they are corrected. Call Community Development before you decide whether to correct, remove or apply.
Ask for a fence estimate in Cerritos
Tell us the height and material you want, whether the fence faces the street and whether a neighbor shares the line. We check the front-yard limits and the agreement steps before we call back.