Fence Companyin Downey, CA
A fence company in Downey can build up to 42 inches in the front and street side yard and up to seven feet on interior side and rear lines under zoning Section 9520.08, and anything over 42 inches also needs a Building Division permit. Every fence installation needs Planning approval first, so start there.
Downey's yards were cut from farm and citrus land. John Gately Downey began dividing his 17,000 acres into small farms in 1865, orange groves defined the town for almost ninety years, and the postwar tract boom turned groves into lots. Today 56.3 percent of the city's 35,919 housing units are detached houses and 48.9 percent of households rent, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 five-year estimates, so the person ordering a fence may be an owner or a landlord, and either one faces the same approvals.
For a fence job, MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) checks the lot against the zoning code, prepares the plot plan the City asks for and schedules the work, and a licensed fencing subcontractor does the building. Planning's development standards page and the Building and Safety Division's permit page are where the City's own rules live, and our fencing price page has the sourced cost table. Related Downey guides cover roof repair and house painting, and bigger neighbors have fence guides too, including Long Beach and Los Angeles.
What Downey's zoning code and Building Division say about fences
Where fencing permits come from in Downey: City of Downey Community Development Department, Building & Safety Division.
- The Division's FAQ says a block wall or fence of 42 inches or less needs no building permit but does need Planning approval and possibly Engineering approval, and a wall or fence over 42 inches needs a Building Division permit as well as Planning and Engineering approval. Commercial fencing needs Planning, Building, Fire and Engineering approval.
- Section 9520.08 of the zoning code limits residential walls, fences and hedges to 42 inches in the front and street side setback area (30 inches in the corner cutback) and to seven feet on interior side and rear property lines. A fence over 42 inches needs five-foot triangular setbacks next to driveways and alleys, and on a street side yard a wall up to seven feet may sit at least three feet from the side street line and at least 35 feet from the front property line.
- The same section prohibits barbed wire, razor wire and electrified fencing in every zone except limited use in the M-1 and M-2 zones, prohibits chain-link in any front or street side yard or required landscape planter in residential, commercial or mixed-use zones, and requires an anti-graffiti paint or coating wherever a wall or fence face looks onto the public right-of-way. Wood, metal (wrought iron or similar), vinyl, stone, masonry, stucco and concrete are the listed materials.
- Height is measured from existing or finished grade, except in the front or street side yard where it is measured from the top of the nearest street curb elevation, and along an interior property line between lots at different levels it is measured from the lot with the higher grade. Solid masonry pilasters may rise six inches above the 42-inch limit in the front yard only if the wall between them stays at 42 inches and no infill or screening goes above 42 inches.
- The Planning Division's R-1 fence sheet shows 42 inches in the front yard and six feet on interior lines, with up to seven feet allowed on an engineering foundation, while Section 9520.08 and the Division's FAQ state seven feet on interior side and rear lines. The sheet cites an older code section number (9152), so the current zoning code text above controls.
- Fences, gates, paving, driveways and accessory structures under 120 square feet are listed on Planning's Development Standards page as projects that may be permitted over the counter, with a plot plan showing the entire property and the proposed work and flat fees for single-family properties.
- The block wall standard (effective 2017, code cycle revised 2023) covers garden, site and block walls under 7 feet high, needs a plot plan, calls for footings at least 16 inches into natural soil (widths from 18 to 36 inches depending on wall height and detail), and requires inspections for footing and steel, pre-grout and building final after the cap. A Common Wall Agreement is required for walls on or next to a shared property line, and retaining walls may not use the standard.
How tall can a fence be in a Downey front yard or on a corner lot?
Section 9520.08 of the zoning code caps residential walls, fences and hedges at 42 inches in the front and street side setback area and at 30 inches inside the corner cutback. In those yards the height is measured from the top of the nearest street curb, not from your lawn, so a raised front yard does not buy extra inches. Solid masonry pilasters may rise six inches above the limit in the front yard only if the wall between them stays at 42 inches and no infill or screening goes above that line.
Driveways and alleys bring five-foot triangular setbacks for any fence over 42 inches. On a street side yard, a wall up to seven feet may stand at least three feet from the side street line and at least 35 feet from the front property line. Those two distances belong on a sketch before anyone orders panels, and the full text is on eCode360.
- The distance from the nearest street curb to the top of the fence
- Whether the lot is a corner, which adds the 30 inch cutback
- Driveway and alley edges that need five-foot triangles
- Any pilasters, which may add six inches only in the front yard
Height in front and street side yards is measured from the curb, so take that measurement before pricing a front fence.
What is the maximum height for a backyard fence in Downey, six feet or seven?
Section 9520.08 allows seven feet on interior side and rear property lines, and the Building Division's FAQ says the same. Planning's older R-1 fence sheet shows six feet on interior lines, with up to seven on an engineered foundation, and it cites a section number the code no longer uses for fences. We follow the current code text, but call Planning before committing to seven feet, because the City's own pages disagree.
Slope changes the count. Along a line between lots at different levels, height is measured from the lot with the higher grade, so on a lot that sits lower than its neighbor, a fence that looks six feet tall from your side may be judged as taller. Planning also lists fences, gates and paving among the projects it may permit over the counter, with a plot plan showing the entire property and the proposed work.
Does fence installation in Downey need a building permit?
Every fence needs Planning approval, and height decides whether Building joins in. The Division's FAQ says a block wall or fence of 42 inches or less needs no building permit but does need Planning approval and possibly Engineering approval, while one over 42 inches needs a Building Division permit as well. Commercial fencing adds Fire to the list.
Building applications now go through the Accela portal, the counter keeps Monday through Thursday hours, and inspections run on the same four days. An issued permit lapses if work does not begin within 12 months or stops for 180 days. If a fence already went up without approvals, the City's handout on unpermitted work says time and a change of ownership do not clear it: the owner either restores the property under a demolition permit or legalizes the work, and legalization starts with a site plan to Planning.
- A plot plan showing the whole property, the fence line and every gate
- The height of each run and the yard it sits in
- Footing and steel details if the wall is masonry
- A Common Wall Agreement where the wall sits on a shared line
What does a Downey block wall need: footings, inspections and a shared-wall agreement?
The City's block wall standard covers garden, site and block walls under seven feet high. It was issued in 2017 and revised for a later code cycle. It calls for a plot plan, footings at least 16 inches into natural soil with widths from 18 to 36 inches depending on height and detail, and inspections for footing and steel, pre-grout and the building final after the cap. A Common Wall Agreement is required for a wall on or beside a shared property line, and retaining walls cannot use the standard.
Retaining walls up to four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, are exempt from a building permit unless they carry a surcharge, yet the soils report handout asks for a report on retaining walls over three feet, and the whole city is mapped as a liquefaction zone. A wall between three and four feet is the gray case, so ask Building which applies. Masonry also needs a different license: CSLB class C-13 fencing excludes masonry walls, which fall under C-29, so a block wall quote should name who holds it.
Which fence materials does Downey allow, and what is banned?
The zoning code lists wood, metal such as wrought iron, vinyl, stone, masonry, stucco and concrete as fence materials. It prohibits chain-link in any front or street side yard or required landscape planter in residential, commercial and mixed-use zones, and it bans barbed wire, razor wire and electrified fencing everywhere except limited use in the M-1 and M-2 industrial zones. The chain-link ban is written for front and street side yards, so ask Planning about it elsewhere on the lot.
One more line surprises owners. Wherever a wall or fence face looks onto the public right-of-way, the code requires an anti-graffiti paint or coating. That makes the finish part of the fence scope, and our Downey painting guide covers repainting a street-facing wall.
Who pays for a shared fence in Downey, and where exactly is the line?
California Civil Code section 841 presumes that neighbors share the cost of a boundary fence that benefits both, and it asks for 30 days' written notice before one owner incurs costs. The presumption can be rebutted, and the statute does not settle a dispute for you. Section 841.4 treats a fence unnecessarily over 10 feet, built maliciously, as a private nuisance, which sits well above Downey's seven foot limit anyway.
A fence that has stood since the tract era may not sit on the recorded line. Ask for a survey, or at least set stakes both owners accept, before posts go in, and have utilities marked before anyone digs. For a wall on the line itself, the City's Common Wall Agreement puts the arrangement in writing.
- Stakes or a survey for any run that borders a neighbor
- Written notice to the neighbor 30 days before costs, if you will ask them to share
- A note of who owns each existing fence section
How much does fence installation cost in Downey, and how do I hire a fence company?
We found no independent Downey fence price study, so this page prints no Downey price. The planning range on our fencing page, read from five published sources for Los Angeles, is $25 to $55 per linear foot for a six-foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, $12 to $30 for chain-link and $35 to $85 for aluminum or ornamental iron. Block walls, horizontal slat designs and gates have no independent price, so a written proposal sets them. Permit fees are separate.
Fencing is CSLB class C-13, which excludes masonry. Ask for the license number, a City of Downey business license and a written contract that follows Business and Professions Code 7159, and use our guide to checking a contractor's license before comparing bids. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the mean wage of fence erectors in the Los Angeles area at $28.00 an hour in May 2025, which is a labor check and not a billing rate. Our note on how general contractors use subcontractors explains who answers for what.
- The height of each run and the yard it sits in
- Material, post spacing and footing depth
- Gate size, swing and hardware
- Who files with Planning and Building, and who pays the fees
- Removal and disposal of the old fence
Fence and gate photos from Downey and nearby communities
Six fence scenes tied to Downey's tract streets and to nearby communities such as Bell Gardens, Pico Rivera and South Gate, from wood and vinyl privacy runs to block walls and gates.
Where the Downey fence numbers come from
The per-foot figures on this page come from Los Angeles and national sources, each named with its date in the table on our fencing cost page. Fence work often travels with other outdoor jobs, so see the Downey roofing page, the kitchen remodeling page and the Downey overview.
| 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 |
Downey fence questions, answered
How much should I pay for a fence installation?
Plan on $25 to $55 per linear foot for a six-foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, or roughly $2,500 to $5,500 for a typical 100-foot backyard run. That range is drawn from Los Angeles and national sources, since Downey has no published survey. Gates, slope, removal of an old fence and permit fees change the total.
How much does 200 ft of fencing cost?
Roughly $5,000 to $11,000 for a six-foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, which is 200 feet at the $25 to $55 per foot planning range. Chain-link runs lower at $12 to $30 per foot, and aluminum or iron higher at $35 to $85. Block walls and gates are priced from a written proposal.
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Downey?
Planning approval, yes, for every fence. A building permit is needed only when the fence or wall is over 42 inches, according to the Division's FAQ. Fences of 42 inches or less still go through Planning and possibly Engineering. Call the Division at (562) 904-7142 or file through Accela for the exact path on your lot.
How tall can a fence be in Downey?
Forty-two inches in the front and street side yard, 30 inches inside the corner cutback, and seven feet on interior side and rear property lines, under zoning Section 9520.08. Planning's older sheet shows six feet on interior lines, so confirm before building to seven. Fences over 42 inches also need a Building Division permit.
Can I put up a 7ft fence?
On interior side and rear lines, yes, under Section 9520.08 and the Division's FAQ, but not in the front or street side yard, where the limit is 42 inches. Planning's older R-1 sheet says six feet, with seven on an engineered foundation, so call Planning first. Anything over 42 inches needs a building permit.
What are the new fence rules in California in 2026?
We found no statewide 2026 law that changes Downey's fence heights, which come from the local zoning code. A state wildfire rule called Zone 0 has been reported, but sources conflict on whether it took effect, and Downey's Housing Element lists no CAL FIRE hazard areas. Ask the City before relying on either.
Does my neighbor have to pay for half the fence in California?
Often yes, but it is a presumption and not a guarantee. Civil Code section 841 presumes neighbors share the cost of a boundary fence that benefits both and requires 30 days' written notice before one owner incurs costs. Either side can rebut it, and a block wall on the line also needs Downey's Common Wall Agreement.
What if I don't get a permit to build a fence?
The City can require you to fix it. Its handout on unpermitted construction says time and a change of ownership do not resolve the problem, and the owner either restores the property under a demolition permit or legalizes the work, starting with a site plan to Planning. Plans are then reviewed as if the work were new.
Is chain-link allowed in a Downey front yard?
No. The zoning code prohibits chain-link in any front or street side yard or required landscape planter in residential, commercial and mixed-use zones. It also bans barbed wire, razor wire and electrified fencing outside limited uses in the M-1 and M-2 zones. Ask Planning about chain-link on the rest of the lot.
How do I choose a fence company in Downey?
Check for CSLB class C-13, or C-29 if the job is a block wall, then ask for a City of Downey business license and a written contract that follows Business and Professions Code 7159. The proposal should state fence height, the yard each run sits in and who files with Planning. A bid that skips those lines is a gamble.
Plan your fence project in Downey
Send the address, the length you want to enclose and whether any run faces the street or sits on a shared line, and we check the height rules before we call back.