Fence Installationin Duarte, CA
Fence installation in Duarte needs no building permit up to 6 feet, but every fence and wall still goes through Site Plan and Design Review. R-1 front yards stop at 4 feet, side and rear yards at 6, and chain link is banned on residential lots. A fence over 6 feet needs a building permit.
Fences mark more than lots in Duarte; they once marked a city line. When Duarte incorporated on August 22, 1957, a rival group of foothill residents filed to incorporate Bradbury the same day, and according to Wikipedia, citing the Los Angeles Times, Bradbury's petition reached Sacramento first. The two cities still share a border. Duarte itself counts 7,832 housing units in the Census Bureau's 2024 five-year estimates, and 63.9 percent of them are detached houses on their own lots, so most fence work here is the boundary around one family's yard.
For a fence job, MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) surveys the lot, prepares the City paperwork and runs the schedule, and a licensed C-13 fencing subcontractor builds it, with a masonry subcontractor for block walls. The fencing page has the sourced prices and the Duarte overview lists our other trades here. Next door, Monrovia and Azusa write their own height rules, as the Monrovia and Azusa guides show.
What Duarte's Development Code says about fences and walls
Where fencing permits come from in Duarte: City of Duarte Community Development Department, Building & Safety Division.
- Duarte's Municipal Code 16.04.080 amends the permit-exempt list so fences other than swimming pool barriers that are not over 6 feet high need no building permit. That is one foot lower than the state's 7 foot fence exemption.
- Zoning still applies: 19.36.020 says all fences and walls are subject to Site Plan and Design Review, and Table 7-2 lists 'Fences and walls (all)' as a staff-level decision (19.122.030). Hedges need no permit (19.36.020.B).
- Table 3-3 in 19.36.030 caps fences and walls in the R-1 zones at 4 feet in the front yard and 6 feet in the side and rear yards, with 6 feet on the street side of a corner lot. In the other residential zones the street side yard is also 6 feet, and commercial, industrial and hospital zones allow 4 feet in the front and street side yards.
- In the R-1D, R-1E and R-1F zones an extra foot of non-view-obscuring fence may be added to a front yard fence or wall, up to 5 feet, or 7 feet when used with a necessary retaining wall (note to Table 3-3).
- Where a necessary retaining wall holds a lot above the sidewalk or top of curb, 19.36.030.C allows up to 3 more feet with site plan approval. A combined retaining wall and fence is limited to 7 feet, the solid part cannot exceed 4 feet either way, and anything above 4 feet measured from the sidewalk or curb must be wrought iron or another non-view-obscuring material.
- Fence height in Duarte is measured from the finished grade of the lot to the highest point and may vary 6 inches for topography. Where two adjoining parcels differ by less than 2 feet the higher grade controls, and at 2 feet or more the Director decides (19.36.040).
- Residential fences in Duarte may not use barbed or razor wire, electrified wire, chicken wire or similar small-gauge mesh, plastic, or chain link, with or without slats (19.36.050.A). In the R-1D and R-1E zones no fencing may have spikes or points that could harm wildlife.
- A Duarte commercial, industrial or hospital lot that abuts a residential zone must have a minimum 6 foot wall along the shared line except in a required street yard (19.36.070), and the Director can require a 6 foot or higher fence around hazards such as frequent inundation, erosion, excavation or grade separation (19.36.060).
Does a fence in Duarte need a permit, and what is design review?
A fence up to 6 feet needs no building permit, but it still needs the City's design review. Duarte amends the state exempt list in section 16.04.080 so that fences other than pool barriers not over 6 feet high are exempt, one foot lower than the state's 7 foot line. Zoning does not follow that exemption. Section 19.36.020 puts all fences and walls under Site Plan and Design Review, and Table 7-2 lists 'Fences and walls (all)' as a staff-level decision. Hedges need no permit.
So the order is review first, then a building permit where one applies, because no building or grading permit issues for work that needs review until the review is complete. The City also issues a Zoning Clearance before permits. Every City of Duarte page returned an error to us, so we read all of this on the GoCodebook mirror; confirm it with Building & Safety and ask what the review wants submitted. Starting a permitted fence before the permit issues adds an extra fee under section 16.04.060.
Ask whether staff review is finished before the crew orders posts.
How tall can a fence be in a Duarte front, side or back yard?
Table 3-3 in section 19.36.030 sets the limits, and the R-1 zones are the common case. Other residential zones also allow 6 feet on a street side yard, and commercial, industrial and hospital zones allow 4 feet in the front and street side yards. In the R-1D, R-1E and R-1F zones a front fence may gain one more foot if it does not block the view, up to 5 feet, or 7 feet when it sits with a necessary retaining wall.
Height is measured from the finished grade of the lot to the highest point and may vary 6 inches for topography. Where two neighboring lots differ by less than 2 feet the higher grade controls, and at 2 feet or more the Director decides. Near a corner, section 19.32.030 bars solid fences, walls and hedges over 36 inches (open work fences up to 42 inches) inside the cutback triangle, which is 10 feet from the corner of a street and driveway and 15 feet at a street and alley.
- R-1 front yard: 4 feet
- R-1 side and rear yards: 6 feet
- Street side of an R-1 corner lot: 6 feet
Is chain link allowed in Duarte, and what can a residential fence be made of?
No, not on a residential lot. Section 19.36.050 bars barbed or razor wire, electrified wire, chicken wire and similar small-gauge mesh, plastic, and chain link, with or without slats. In the R-1D and R-1E zones no fencing may have spikes or points that could harm wildlife. The text says plastic without defining it, so ask Planning whether a vinyl fence system counts before you order one.
Wood, iron or steel and masonry are what remain, and each lands with a different trade. CSLB's C-13 fencing class covers fences, railings and gates but excludes masonry walls, which belong to a masonry contractor. A commercial, industrial or hospital lot that abuts a residential zone must have a wall of at least 6 feet along the shared line, except in a required street yard, and the Director can require a fence of 6 feet or more around hazards such as erosion or an excavation.
What about fences and retaining walls on Duarte's foothill lots?
Above a certain line the lot changes the project. Chapter 19.46 covers every lot in the R-1B, R-1D and R-1F zones, plus R-1 and R-1A lots north of Sunnydale Drive and Brookridge Road, and caps retaining walls at 10 feet. A combined retaining wall and fence is limited to 7 feet, the solid part may not exceed 4 feet either way, and anything above 4 feet measured from the sidewalk or curb must be wrought iron or another non-view-obscuring material. Where a necessary retaining wall holds the lot above the sidewalk or curb, up to 3 more feet is allowed with site plan approval.
The state exempt list, as the City of Albany publishes it, excludes retaining walls up to 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall unless they support a surcharge, and Duarte's amendment does not touch that item. A hillside application also brings geologic and biological reports unless the Director waives them, and no earth may be disturbed before a grading permit issues, so a fence on a slope is a grading question first.
What fence does a Duarte pool or spa need?
Pool and spa barriers follow their own rule, and the 6 foot exemption does not cover them. Section 16.04.160 asks for a barrier at least 60 inches high with no more than 2 inches of clearance beneath it, openings that do not pass a 4 inch sphere and no indentations or protrusions on solid surfaces. Where horizontal members are less than 45 inches apart, the vertical members may be no more than 1 3/4 inches apart.
California Health and Safety Code 115922 adds a state layer for new and remodeled pools, requiring at least two of seven drowning-prevention features when a permit issues, and it points to an enclosure standard in section 115923 that we did not read. Plan the gate, latch and barrier together with the pool permit, and have the fence subcontractor read the City's section before anyone orders glass or iron.
Who pays for a shared fence, and does a tree change the plan?
Between neighbors, state law starts from an equal split. California Civil Code 841 presumes adjoining owners share the reasonable cost of building, maintaining or replacing a fence that divides their properties, and an owner who plans such costs must give each affected neighbor 30 days' written notice with the problem, the proposed fix, the estimated cost, the cost-sharing proposal and a timeline. The presumption can be rebutted, so settle terms in writing.
Duarte's trees are the other surprise. Native trees 12 inches or more in diameter and specimen trees 24 inches or more need a City tree permit before removal or alteration, and alteration includes filling, surfacing, grading or compacting the soil around a tree. A post line through an oak's root zone is worth a call to Community Development. Maintenance matters too: the property maintenance chapter lists warped or leaning fences and graffiti on walls and fences as substandard, so an old fence can be a code item before it is a neighbor dispute.
How much does a fence cost in Duarte, and how do I choose a fence company?
We found no Duarte price survey, so the numbers come from Los Angeles. Angi's August 4, 2026 page for the city lists $15 to $60 per foot and shows a 100 foot run at $2,100 to $2,350, while HomeGuide, Thumbtack and Fixr overlap it and a federal wage survey puts the area's fence erector at a mean $28.00 an hour. Blending them, we plan roughly $25 to $55 per linear foot installed for a 6 foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, $35 to $85 for aluminum or ornamental iron and $2,500 to $5,500 for a 100 foot backyard run. No independent source supports a block wall price, so we print none.
Choose a fence company on license and paperwork. Look up the C-13 or masonry license with our contractor license guide, expect a written contract that caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, and ask who pulls any permit. With MDG you can ask for each subcontractor's license number and certificate of insurance. Our guide to how general contractors use subcontractors explains the split.
A written fence proposal should list these on separate lines:
- Footing depth and post spacing, plus the post material
- Gate hardware and the gate openings
- Removal and disposal of the old fence
- Design review and any building permit, and who files them
- A boundary survey if the line is in doubt
Fence photos from Duarte and nearby communities
Six fencing scenes tied to Duarte lots and to nearby places such as Bradbury, Monrovia and Irwindale, from open iron fronts and hillside runs to solid backyard fences and pool barriers.
Where these Duarte fence figures come from
Each fence price and its source sits in the table on our fencing price page. Fences often go up alongside other work, and the Duarte rules for it are on the roofing page, the painting page and the kitchen remodeling page. For other cities to compare, read the fencing guides for Glendale and Pasadena.
| 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 |
Duarte fence questions, answered
Do I need a permit to build a fence?
In Duarte, a building permit is needed only above 6 feet, but every fence and wall goes through Site Plan and Design Review, and a Zoning Clearance comes before permits. Pool barriers are not exempt. We read the code on a mirror because the City's pages would not open, so confirm with Building & Safety.
How tall can my front fence be in California?
Front yard heights come from each city's zoning, not one state number. Duarte's R-1 zones cap a front yard fence or wall at 4 feet, with an extra foot allowed in the R-1D, R-1E and R-1F zones if it does not block the view. Solid fences also stay under 36 inches inside a corner cutback triangle.
Can I put up a 7ft fence?
Not in an ordinary Duarte R-1 side or rear yard, where the cap is 6 feet, and anything over 6 feet needs a building permit. Seven feet appears only in the R-1D, R-1E and R-1F front yards when the fence sits with a necessary retaining wall, or as a combined wall and fence limit.
Can I put a privacy fence up in my front yard?
Not a solid tall one. R-1 front yards stop at 4 feet, and above 4 feet measured from the sidewalk or curb the material must be wrought iron or another non-view-obscuring type where a retaining wall is involved. A privacy fence belongs in the side or rear yard, up to 6 feet.
Does your neighbor have to pay for half the fence in California?
Often in part, but not automatically. Civil Code 841 presumes adjoining owners share the reasonable cost of a boundary fence, and an owner who plans to incur that cost must give each neighbor 30 days' written notice first. The presumption can be rebutted, so put any agreement in writing.
Is it cheaper to install a wood or vinyl fence?
Wood is usually cheaper at the low end. On Angi's national page, updated October 13, 2026, wood runs $10 to $45 a foot and vinyl $15 to $40, so the two overlap. In Duarte, ask Planning first whether vinyl counts as the plastic that section 19.36.050 bans.
What is the maximum height of a retaining wall without a permit in California?
The state exempt list, as the City of Albany publishes it, allows retaining walls up to 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing, unless they support a surcharge. Duarte does not amend that item, but its hillside chapter caps retaining walls at 10 feet, so ask the City how it reads your lot.
How much does it cost to have 100 feet of fence installed?
About $2,500 to $5,500 for 100 feet of 6 foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, blending Angi, HomeGuide, Thumbtack and Fixr for Los Angeles. Angi's Los Angeles page alone shows $2,100 to $2,350. Gates, slopes, tear-out of an old fence and block walls change the figure.
What happens if I don't have a permit for a fence?
Starting work before a required building permit issues adds a fee in Duarte of no less than the investigation fee and no more than twice the permit fee. A fence that skips design review may also be refused a permit. We did not find the zoning penalty, so ask the City.
What are some reputable fencing companies?
Start with the license, not the ad. Any fence company should hold a CSLB C-13 license, or a masonry license for block walls, which you can verify on the CSLB site. MDG Builders manages the permit and schedule and uses licensed subcontractors for the build.
Get a fence plan for your Duarte lot
Send the street, whether the fence is front, side or rear and whether the lot sits on a hill or a corner. We check the height table, the material rules and the review step before we call back.