Fence Companyin Colton, CA
A Colton fence needs a Fence Permit and often a building permit, and Planning approves block walls before the permit issues. Side and rear fences top out at 6 feet, but front yard height depends on which of two overlapping chapters you read: 3 feet in Chapter 15.24, up to 5 feet for open fences in 18.38.
Fences in Colton follow an old grid. The City's History page says the first formal town was laid out on a grid after the Southern Pacific arrived in 1875, still visible downtown and in south Colton below Interstate 10, with homes built beside the rail and industrial operations. ACS 2024 five-year estimates count 17,856 housing units, 59.3 percent of them single-family detached, and 29.7 percent of all units predate 1960, so plenty of lot lines and fences are older than the codes that now govern them.
On a fence job, MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) reads both fence chapters before it prices anything, handles the City paperwork and sequences the crews, while a licensed C-13 fencing subcontractor sets posts and panels and a masonry-licensed subcontractor builds any block. The fencing page lists our sourced prices, the Colton overview covers every trade here, and the guides for Rialto and San Bernardino show how two neighbors write their limits. Permits come from the Building & Safety Division and zoning questions go to the Planning Division. The City's Municipal Code host returned an HTTP 403 error to us, so code text below is from GoCodebook, a third-party mirror with text as of October 4, 2026, and the City should confirm each section.
What Colton's two fence chapters, permit handouts and block wall sheet say about fences
Where fencing permits come from in Colton: City of Colton Development Services Department, Building & Safety Division.
- Colton's permit handout says all fences and walls and all retaining walls need a building permit and to consult Planning for setback and height; Municipal Code 18.38.100 requires a Fence Permit and, where applicable, a Building Permit before erecting any wall or fence, and concrete block walls over 4 feet must follow City standards or an engineer's or architect's design. (read in GoCodebook's third-party mirror of the Colton Municipal Code, 2026-10 edition, fencing sections, text as of 2026-10-04)
- Zoning Code 18.38.030 limits fences, hedges and walls in side and rear setbacks in residential zones to 6 feet, and in front setbacks to 5 feet for ornamental iron, hedges or any fence with openings and 3 feet for a masonry wall or any fence without openings, with nothing allowed in a corner cutoff area; the older Chapter 15.24 (1987) separately sets a 3 foot front-yard limit (5 feet for woven wire) and a 6 foot side and rear limit. (read in GoCodebook's third-party mirror of the Colton Municipal Code, 2026-10 edition, fencing sections, text as of 2026-10-04)
- Both fence chapters say no wall or fence may block the City Electric Department meter reader from reaching the meter within six inches of the meter face, and no fence is allowed in the public right-of-way (15.24.030 and 18.38.020). (read in GoCodebook's third-party mirror of the Colton Municipal Code, 2026-10 edition, fencing sections, text as of 2026-10-04)
- The City's block wall handout (written for the 2019 codes) says Planning approval is required before the permit is issued, a site plan is required for all block walls, a Common Wall Agreement is needed if the wall is built on the property line, right-of-way verification from Public Works (909-370-5065, 160 S. 10th St.) is needed near the right-of-way, and inspections are footings, pre-grout and final (with any iron rod fence on pilasters installed by final).
- Municipal Code 18.38.050 lets the Director approve chain link fencing, 18.38.070 bans barbed wire except on grazing land or atop storage and utility yards, and electric fences need a Fence Permit and are allowed only in M-1 and M-2 industrial zones with administrative approval (or I-P and C-2 with a Conditional Use Permit for listed uses), never within 50 feet of a residential zone or use, school or park, and only inside a non-electric fence or wall at least 6 feet high. (read in GoCodebook's third-party mirror of the Colton Municipal Code, 2026-10 edition, fencing sections, text as of 2026-10-04)
- Pool barriers: 18.38.060 requires a barrier of at least 5 feet with self-closing, self-latching gates around any water over 18 inches deep. (read in GoCodebook's third-party mirror of the Colton Municipal Code, 2026-10 edition, fencing sections, text as of 2026-10-04)
- The City's pool barrier handout (written for the 2016 codes) says the top of the barrier must be at least 60 inches above grade on the outside, no more than 2 inches of clearance below, openings that stop a 4 inch sphere, and vertical members spaced no more than 1-3/4 inches where horizontal rails are under 45 inches apart.
- Retaining walls: 18.38.080 allows retaining walls up to 3 feet in a front yard and 8 feet elsewhere through Planning review and permit processing, and walls over 8 feet must be built as two offset walls at least 1 foot apart with planting space. (read in GoCodebook's third-party mirror of the Colton Municipal Code, 2026-10 edition, fencing sections, text as of 2026-10-04)
How tall can a fence be in Colton, and why do two chapters disagree?
Two chapters of the Municipal Code set fence heights, and they overlap. Zoning Code 18.38.030 limits fences, hedges and walls in residential side and rear setbacks to 6 feet, and in a front setback to 5 feet for ornamental iron, hedges or any fence with openings and 3 feet for a masonry wall or any fence without openings. The older Chapter 15.24, dated 1987, sets 3 feet in the front yard, 5 feet for woven wire, and 6 feet on the sides and rear.
Side and rear fences agree at 6 feet. A wrought iron front fence is the conflict: 5 feet under 18.38 and 3 feet under 15.24. Neither chapter says it replaces the other and we found no City page that settles it, so we design to the stricter 3 feet unless Planning confirms the higher number in writing. Under 18.38.030, nothing at all is allowed in a corner cutoff area.
Ask Planning to email the front yard limit for your lot and zone, then keep the reply with the contract.
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Colton, and what does it cost?
Yes, in practice for every fence. The City's permit handout lists all fences and walls, and all retaining walls, as permit work and sends owners to Planning for setback and height. Municipal Code 18.38.100 requires a Fence Permit and, where applicable, a building permit before any wall or fence goes up, and 15.04 makes violations of the adopted codes a misdemeanor with each day a separate offense. There is a wrinkle: 15.06.010 adopts the state list of exempt work unchanged, and California Building Code section 105.2 exempts fences not over 7 feet, yet the handout and 18.38.100 take the stricter line, and we follow theirs.
The City's residential fee schedule is undated and shows spreadsheet errors in other rows, so we quote only the clean ones: $73.25 plan check plus $65.33 permit for a wrought iron or wood fence or a block wall of 0 to 300 square feet, and $91.56 plus $81.66 for a retaining or combination wall of that size. Fences and walls are a named building permit in eTRAKiT, the City's online portal, and inspections are booked on 909-370-5131.
Can a fence block the electric meter or sit on the property line in Colton?
Not over the meter, and not in the street. Both fence chapters say no wall or fence may keep the City Electric Department's meter reader from reaching the meter within six inches of the meter face, and 15.24.030 and 18.38.020 bar any fence in the public right-of-way. Colton runs its own electric utility, so a gate that boxes in a meter is a utility access problem as well as a neighbor one, and a gap left at the design stage is cheaper than a panel cut later.
On the line itself, the City's block wall handout, written for the 2019 codes, calls for a Common Wall Agreement when a wall sits on the property line and for right-of-way verification from Public Works, 160 South 10th Street, 909-370-5065, near the right-of-way. Colton's first town was laid out on a railroad-era grid, so a survey before digging is sensible. California Civil Code 841 presumes neighbors share a boundary fence's reasonable cost, with 30 days' written notice before one spends money.
Mark the meter, the gate swing and the property line on the proposal drawing.
What changes when the fence is a block wall or a retaining wall in Colton?
A block wall has its own approval path. The City's block wall handout says Planning approval is required before the permit is issued and a site plan is required for every block wall, and inspections cover footings, pre-grout and final, with any iron rod fence on pilasters installed by the final. Under 18.38.100, concrete block walls over 4 feet must follow City standards or an engineer's or architect's design. Masonry is also a separate trade: CSLB class C-13 excludes masonry walls, which are class C-29, so block brings in a second licensed subcontractor.
Retaining walls go through Planning review and permit processing under 18.38.080, which allows up to 3 feet in a front yard and 8 feet elsewhere and requires a wall over 8 feet to be built as two offset walls at least 1 foot apart with planting space. The City's 2017 soils handout asks for a soils or geology report for retaining walls over 3 feet measured from the bottom of the footing, and Hillside Standards (18.41) apply where natural slope reaches 15 percent. The City says its topography and soils can be challenging, and the Hazard Mitigation Plan maps the Rialto-Colton Fault through the city and liquefaction along the Santa Ana River, so tell the company if the wall sits near the river or in Reche Canyon.
What do Colton's pool barrier rules mean for a fence or gate swap?
Municipal Code 18.38.060 requires a barrier at least 5 feet high, with self-closing, self-latching gates, around any water more than 18 inches deep. The City's pool barrier handout, written for the 2016 codes, adds that the top must be at least 60 inches above grade on the outside, with no more than 2 inches of clearance below, openings that stop a 4 inch sphere, and vertical members no more than 1-3/4 inches apart where horizontal rails sit under 45 inches apart. That spacing rule is why a horizontal rail design needs a different layout from a plain picket.
Swapping a pool gate is therefore not a like-for-like job. The handouts come from different code cycles, so ask the counter which edition applies and whether the swap needs an inspection, and have the fence subcontractor state the barrier height and latch type in the proposal.
Do fences in a historic district or on a Reche Canyon hillside follow different rules?
Inside one of the six historic districts, or on a landmark, a fence is an alteration. Chapter 15.40 lists walls and fences among the exterior elements that need a Certificate of Appropriateness, and the City's application form names fences too, with a Major fee of $1,026 and a Minor fee of $806 on an undated form. Minor work can be approved by the Preservation Officer and major work by the Planning Commission. A house 50 years or older that is not designated is a potential resource, and 15.40.090 sends alterations to the Historic Preservation Officer before work starts.
Hillsides raise fire and wind questions. The Hazard Mitigation Plan puts the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in the La Loma Hills and Box Springs Mountains and says winds are strongest at the bottom of canyons such as Reche Canyon, where Reche Canyon Road is the only way in or out. Colton adopted the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code by reference in 15.04, but we did not read what it says about fences, so ask the Building Division whether a combustible fence near a hillside house needs anything special. Delivery trucks and post-hole rigs also need a plan for that single road.
Look up the address in the City's Property Viewer before drawing a fence in an older neighborhood.
How much does fence installation cost in Colton?
We found no Colton price survey, so we use Los Angeles figures. Angi's Los Angeles page, updated August 4, 2026, shows a $3,051 average inside a $1,734 to $4,422 range, wood at $1,600 to $2,500 and vinyl at $1,850 to $3,400 for a standard job, and $15 to $60 a foot across materials. Angi's national page lists a gate at $150 to $2,000 and old fence removal at $3 to $5 a foot. We found no independent per-foot source for block walls, so none is printed. Our planning numbers are $25 to $55 a foot for wood or vinyl privacy runs, $12 to $30 for chain-link and $35 to $85 for aluminum or ornamental iron.
The material list also narrows on a house lot. Chain link needs Director approval under 18.38.050, barbed wire is barred on house lots under 18.38.070 outside grazing land and storage or utility yards, and electric fences are limited to industrial zones. Read our license guide and how general contractors use subcontractors before choosing a company, and treat a measured written proposal as the real price.
Fencing photos from Colton and nearby communities
Fence scenes tied to Colton places such as Downtown Colton, South Colton, Cooley Ranch and Reche Canyon, and to nearby communities such as Grand Terrace, Loma Linda, Bloomington and Highgrove, from wood privacy runs and block walls to gates and pool barriers.
Where these Colton fence figures come from
Every fence material has a price, a source and a date in the table on the fencing page, along with the figures that conflict. Fence work often pairs with a roof or a repaint, and the Colton rules for those are on the roofing page and the painting page. For a city whose fence limits turn on zoning, read the guide for Fontana.
| 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 |
Colton fencing questions, answered
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Colton?
Yes. The City's permit handout lists all fences and walls as permit work, and Municipal Code 18.38.100 requires a Fence Permit and, where applicable, a building permit before any fence goes up. Block walls need Planning approval first. Call Building & Safety at 909-370-5079 before treating a low fence as exempt.
How tall can a front yard fence be in Colton?
It depends on the chapter. Zoning Code 18.38.030 allows 5 feet for ornamental iron, hedges or any fence with openings and 3 feet for a masonry wall or solid fence, while Chapter 15.24 sets 3 feet, or 5 for woven wire. We design to the stricter 3 feet unless Planning confirms otherwise in writing.
How tall can a backyard fence be in Colton?
Six feet in side and rear setbacks in residential zones, under both Zoning Code 18.38.030 and Chapter 15.24. A taller fence needs a conversation with Planning before it is drawn, and nothing is allowed in a corner cutoff area. Hillside lots add slope and soils questions that can matter more than the fence height.
Do I need a permit for a block wall in Colton?
Yes. The City's handout requires a building permit for all fences and walls, and its block wall sheet adds Planning approval before the permit, a site plan, and footing, pre-grout and final inspections. Block walls over 4 feet must follow City standards or an engineer's or architect's design under 18.38.100.
What happens if I build a fence without a permit in Colton?
Under Municipal Code 15.04, violations of the adopted building codes are a misdemeanor with each day a separate offense. We did not read the zoning penalty or how the City enforces fence cases, so we cannot name a fine. Pulling the permit first costs the fee rows quoted above and avoids the question.
How much does it cost to have 100 feet of fence installed?
Our planning range of $25 to $55 a foot puts a 100 foot wood or vinyl privacy run at about $2,500 to $5,500, while Angi's Los Angeles page shows $2,100 to $2,350 for 100 feet of standard fence. Gates, removal, block and slopes cost extra. A measured written proposal is the real price.
Can a fence block my electric meter in Colton?
No. Chapters 15.24 and 18.38 both say a wall or fence may not keep the City Electric Department's meter reader from reaching the meter within six inches of the meter face. Colton owns its electric utility, so plan the gate swing and any side gap before posts are set.
What is the difference between a fence company and a masonry contractor?
A fence company holds CSLB class C-13, which excludes masonry walls, while block and stucco walls fall under class C-29 masonry. A project with both uses two licensed subcontractors. We manage the pair under one contract, and each license can be checked on the CSLB site.
What are the pool fence requirements in Colton?
Municipal Code 18.38.060 requires a barrier at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates around any water over 18 inches deep. The City's handout adds a 60 inch top height, no more than 2 inches of clearance below and openings that stop a 4 inch sphere. Ask the counter which code edition applies.
Does a fence in a Colton historic district need approval?
Yes, a Certificate of Appropriateness. Colton's historic ordinance treats fences and walls as exterior alterations on a landmark or inside one of six designated districts. Minor work goes to the Preservation Officer and major work to the Planning Commission, and the City's application lists $806 and $1,026 fees on an undated form.
Ask for a fence estimate in Colton
Name your part of Colton, the material you want, which side of the lot faces the street and whether a pool, a meter, a slope or a historic district is involved. We read the height rule for that yard before we call back.