Fence Companyin Hemet, CA
A fence company in Hemet builds to a 42 inch line: only a fence that needs no continuous footing and stays at or under 42 inches skips the building permit, so a six foot back yard fence needs one, with a $150 fee line. Solid front yard fences stop at 42 inches, and Planning approval is required for all walls.
Hemet fences mostly mark lots from three building waves. General Plan 2030 says the Greater Downtown District grew from the late 1890s into the early 1930s on a street grid, Wikipedia says the 1980s brought single-family subdivisions on former ranchland, and the 2000s added more. Census Bureau ACS 2024 five-year estimates count 35,345 housing units, 18,690 of them single-family detached homes at 52.9 percent, with 7,442 built in the 1980s and 7,165 in the 2000s. The Page Ranch community plan alone approved more than 6,000 homes.
For fence installation, MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) measures the lot, checks the height tables and permit steps and coordinates the crew, while a licensed C-13 fencing subcontractor builds wood, vinyl and metal fences and a masonry subcontractor builds block, since C-13 excludes masonry walls. Our fencing page holds the sourced prices, the Hemet overview covers the other trades, and the fence guides for Menifee and Riverside show how two other Inland Empire cities set their limits. The Building & Safety Division issues permits. The City's code page returned HTTP 403, so code text here comes from GoCodebook's third-party mirror, updated October 19, 2026, and each section needs confirming with the City.
What Hemet's Residential Code amendments, Section 90-316 and the City's wall handout say about fences
Where fencing permits come from in Hemet: City of Hemet Community Development Department, Building & Safety Division.
- HMC 90-316 limits solid walls, fences and hedges in a required front yard setback to 42 inches measured from the sidewalk or street, allows a mix of solid and open fence up to 72 inches if the solid part stays at or under 42 inches, allows pilasters to 72 inches spaced at least 10 feet apart and 18 inches wide at most, requires open fencing to be at least 75 percent open, and bans chain link, chain link with slats, plexiglass, electric, hog wire, woven and barbed wire in the front yard setback; wood over 42 inches is prohibited there (text read in GoCodebook's verbatim copy of the Hemet Municipal Code, a third-party mirror updated 2026-10-19, because the City's own code page at hemetca.gov/104/Municipal-Code returned HTTP 403).
- HMC 90-316 also allows a wall, fence or hedge up to six feet on the street side of a corner lot (parallel to the sidewalk, up to the front setback), keeps the corner cutback (30 feet back from the intersection of the front and street side lot lines) clear of anything over 42 inches, caps interior and rear property line fences at 72 inches, and caps a retaining wall plus fence at six feet on a street side yard and nine feet on interior or rear lines (text read in GoCodebook's verbatim copy of the Hemet Municipal Code, a third-party mirror updated 2026-10-19, because the City's own code page at hemetca.gov/104/Municipal-Code returned HTTP 403).
- The adopted Residential Code amendments exempt from a building permit only fences of wood, vinyl or other approved material that need no continuous footing and are not over 42 inches high, so the usual six foot back yard fence needs a permit (text read in GoCodebook's verbatim copy of the Hemet Municipal Code, a third-party mirror updated 2026-10-19, because the City's own code page at hemetca.gov/104/Municipal-Code returned HTTP 403).
- The Master Schedule of Fees lists a residential fence permit at $150 and says fees in its minor-permit section include inspection and plan review but not Planning review, technology fees or fees collected for other agencies.
- The City handout says planning approval is required for ALL walls, block walls over 3 feet need city standard details or engineering calculations, retaining walls over 3 feet need city standards or engineering with a soils report, and any retaining wall that holds back a slope needs a permit and engineered design whatever its height.
- Building & Safety's Standard Plans page posts a Garden Wall Standard Plan and a Pilaster Standard Plan for residential walls.
- Building & Safety's Forms and Handouts page has a Neighbor Consent Form under its block wall heading, next to the block wall and retaining wall pilaster city standard.
- HMC 90-316(8) requires a swimming pool to be completely enclosed by buildings, fences or walls, with the required fence or wall in place and approved by the building department before the pool is filled (text read in GoCodebook's verbatim copy of the Hemet Municipal Code, a third-party mirror updated 2026-10-19, because the City's own code page at hemetca.gov/104/Municipal-Code returned HTTP 403).
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Hemet, and why does 42 inches matter?
Yes for the usual six foot fence. Hemet's Residential Code amendments exempt from a building permit only fences of wood, vinyl or other approved material that need no continuous footing and are not over 42 inches high, so a standard back yard fence is a permit job. The Master Schedule of Fees lists a residential fence permit at $150, a line in its minor-permit section that covers inspection and plan review but not Planning review, technology fees or fees collected for other agencies.
Code Compliance lists new or replacement fences and walls among the work that needs permits and says officers issue administrative citations for work done without approval. The building permit is one gate and zoning is another, and the City's handout says planning approval is required for all walls. We read the 42 inch exemption on the mirror, so confirm it with Building & Safety at (951) 765-2475.
Ask for the permit number before the first post hole is dug.
How tall can a fence be in a Hemet front yard, and which materials are banned there?
Section 90-316 limits solid walls, fences and hedges in a required front yard setback to 42 inches, measured from the sidewalk or street. A mix of solid and open fence may reach 72 inches when the solid part stays at or under 42 inches, and pilasters may rise to 72 inches if they are spaced at least 10 feet apart and are no more than 18 inches wide. Open fencing must be at least 75 percent open.
The same section bans chain link, chain link with slats, plexiglass, electric, hog wire, woven and barbed wire fencing in the front yard setback, and it prohibits wood over 42 inches there. A six foot cedar panel in front of the house will not pass, and neither will slatted chain link. An open metal rail on a low solid base is the arrangement the 72 inch mixed limit describes.
Have Planning confirm where your front setback line falls before panels are ordered.
How tall can a fence be on a corner lot, a side yard or a back yard in Hemet?
Corner lots get extra room on the street side. Section 90-316 allows a wall, fence or hedge up to six feet there, parallel to the sidewalk and up to the front setback, but it keeps the corner cutback, 30 feet back from the intersection of the front and street side lot lines, clear of anything over 42 inches.
Interior and rear property line fences cap at 72 inches. A retaining wall plus the fence on top of it may not total more than six feet on a street side yard or nine feet on interior or rear lines, so a fence added to a retaining wall spends the same budget. We read no exception that allows a seven foot panel, which is also over the permit line, so a taller fence would need a conversation with Planning before any contract is signed.
When does a block wall or retaining wall need engineering in Hemet?
At 3 feet and above. The City's handout says block walls over 3 feet need city standard details or engineering calculations, retaining walls over 3 feet need city standards or engineering with a soils report, and any retaining wall that holds back a slope needs a permit and engineered design whatever its height. Building & Safety posts a Garden Wall Standard Plan and a Pilaster Standard Plan, and its Forms and Handouts page carries a Neighbor Consent Form under the block wall heading.
Block is masonry, and CSLB's C-13 fencing class excludes masonry walls, so a masonry contractor in class C-29 builds it. No independent Inland Empire block wall price turned up, so we print none. Soils matter at the footing: the Public Safety Element says shrink-swell soils occur throughout Hemet, somewhat more in the east, and are likely to affect building slabs, and the City requires soil testing with new construction plans. It names no garden wall rule, so ask the engineer what the footing needs.
What stops a Hemet fence at the line: neighbors, the right of way, pools and park lots?
Neighbors come first. Civil Code section 841 presumes that adjoining owners share the reasonable cost of a boundary fence equally and says an owner planning to spend money on it should give each neighbor 30 days' written notice, though a neighbor can rebut the presumption. Put the agreement in writing and hire a surveyor if the line is unclear. Work in the City right of way needs an encroachment permit, and Engineering's page lists a signed application, a traffic control plan, a City of Hemet business license, a valid CSLB license and insurance.
Two special cases need their own question. HMC 90-316(8) requires a swimming pool to be completely enclosed by buildings, fences or walls, with the required fence or wall in place and approved by the building department before the pool is filled. Hemet also counts 8,257 mobile homes, and the City inspects each park lot, but we read no fence rule for a leased park lot, so ask park management and the City's park inspectors before building.
Mail the 30 day notice before the fence company orders materials.
Do Santa Ana wind, fire zones or termites change how a Hemet fence is built?
Wind comes first. The City's design page lists 110 mph Risk Category II wind at Exposure C, and its Climate Vulnerability Assessment says Santa Ana winds frequently exceed 40 mph, so ask the fence contractor for post depth, spacing and panel bracing in the proposal. We found no City rule on any of the three.
For fire, HMC 14-421 makes existing development in the interface area thin native vegetation near windows and openings by distances set by zone, from 30 feet upslope in a moderate zone to 300 feet downslope in an extreme one. The sections we read say nothing about fence material, and the City calls CAL FIRE's 2025 maps proposed, so ask Fire Prevention which rules reach a fence on your lot. Termites are the quiet threat: the University of California's pest management guide says drywood termites are most prevalent in southern California, infest decks and fences and favor termite-resistant wood or concrete footers where wood meets soil.
How much does fence installation cost in Hemet, and who builds it?
We found no Hemet price survey, so the numbers come from Los Angeles and national guides, and an Inland Empire proposal can differ. Angi's Los Angeles page, dated August 4, 2026, shows $15 to $60 a linear foot and $2,100 to $2,350 for 100 feet, HomeGuide's February 3, 2026 page lists $20 to $60 and Thumbtack's July 1, 2026 page lists $23 to $57. Federal wage data puts fence erectors in the Los Angeles metro at a mean $28.00 an hour for May 2025. Blending them, we plan $25 to $55 a linear foot for a 6 foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, $35 to $85 for aluminum or ornamental iron, $12 to $30 for chain link and $2,500 to $5,500 for a 100 foot back yard. Chain link is barred from the front setback, so its price matters only behind the house.
Angi's national guide, updated October 13, 2026, lists $150 to $2,000 for a gate and $3 to $5 a foot to haul off an old fence. Down payments are limited by state law to $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is lower. Check the contractor with our license guide and see how general contractors use subcontractors for who answers for what.
Fence photos from Hemet and nearby communities
Fencing scenes tied to Hemet places such as Downtown Hemet, Weston Park, Cawston Community Park and Hemet Valley Mall, and to nearby communities such as San Jacinto, East Hemet, Winchester and Green Acres, from open iron gates to solid back yard runs.
Where these Hemet fence figures come from
Each fence price and its source sit in the table on the fencing page. A fence often comes with other exterior work, and the Hemet guides for that work are the roofing page, the painting page and the kitchen remodeling page. To see how a city with a taller permit line sets its limits, compare the fencing guides for Moreno Valley and Temecula.
| 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 |
Hemet fence questions, answered
How much does fence installation cost for 100 feet in Hemet?
A 100 foot run of 6 foot wood or vinyl privacy fence lands near $2,500 to $5,500 when Los Angeles guides are blended, and Angi's Los Angeles page alone shows $2,100 to $2,350. Gates, hauling off an old fence, slopes and block sections all change it, so treat the range as a starting point until a site visit produces a written proposal.
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Hemet?
Yes for anything over 42 inches. Hemet's Residential Code amendments exempt only fences that need no continuous footing and are not over 42 inches high, so a six foot fence needs a building permit, listed at $150 in the fee schedule. Planning approval is also required for all walls. Phone Building & Safety at (951) 765-2475.
Can I put up a 7ft fence?
Probably not. Interior and rear property line fences cap at 72 inches in Section 90-316, and we read no exception for seven feet. A seven foot fence would also need a building permit, since the exemption stops at 42 inches. Ask Planning before signing, because an exception, if one exists, is not something a fence company can grant.
How tall can my front fence be in Hemet?
A solid wall, fence or hedge in the required front yard setback is limited to 42 inches measured from the sidewalk or street. A mix of solid and open fence may reach 72 inches if the solid part stays at or under 42, and open fencing must be at least 75 percent open. Confirm your setback line with Planning.
Can I put a privacy fence up in my front yard in Hemet?
Not a tall one. Wood over 42 inches is prohibited in the front yard setback, chain link with slats and plexiglass are banned, and anything between 42 and 72 inches must follow the mixed solid and open rules. Corner lots may build up to six feet on the street side, parallel to the sidewalk.
Do you need a permit to build a block wall in California?
In Hemet, planning approval is required for all walls, and a block wall over 3 feet needs city standard details or engineering calculations. The City posts a Garden Wall Standard Plan and a Pilaster Standard Plan. A masonry contractor, not a C-13 fence contractor, builds the wall, because C-13 excludes masonry.
What is the maximum height of a retaining wall without a permit in California?
In Hemet, a retaining wall over 3 feet needs city standards or engineering with a soils report, and one that holds back a slope needs a permit and engineered design at any height. A retaining wall plus fence may not exceed six feet on a street side yard or nine feet on interior or rear lines.
Does your neighbor have to pay for half the fence in California?
Often, but only as a presumption. Under Civil Code section 841 the owners on each side of a boundary fence are presumed to split its reasonable cost equally, and the owner who plans to spend money is expected to send each neighbor 30 days' written notice. Because a neighbor can rebut that, agree on the terms in writing first.
What happens if I don't have a permit for a fence in Hemet?
Code Compliance can issue an administrative citation, and work begun before the City says the job card and plans are ready is treated as working without a permit and may draw a special investigation fee. The simpler path is to file the application in the Tyler portal first.
Is it cheaper to install a wood or vinyl fence?
Usually wood, though the two ranges overlap: Angi's national guide, updated October 13, 2026, puts wood at $10 to $45 a foot and vinyl at $15 to $40. Wood also carries a termite question here, and the University of California suggests termite-resistant lumber or concrete footers wherever wood touches soil.
Get a fence plan for your Hemet lot
Send your street or neighborhood, whether the fence is front, side, corner or rear, how tall you want it and whether a block wall or slope is involved. We check the 42 inch line, the Section 90-316 height table and the wall handout before we call back.