Fence Companyin Pasadena, CA
A fence company in Pasadena works to Municipal Code 17.40.180: a front setback fence on an RS or RM-12 lot is limited to 4 feet and must be at least 50 percent open, while side and rear fences reach 6 feet. A non-masonry fence up to 6 feet skips the building permit but still goes through zoning.
A fence is a small structure with a long list of rules behind it, and in Pasadena the list changes with the lot. A backyard run behind a house in Hastings Ranch, a low front fence in Bungalow Heaven and a pool enclosure in Oak Knoll each fall under a different line of the City's zoning and building rules, and the material changes the permit answer as much as the height does.
MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) does not set posts or lay block with its own crew. We measure the run, check what the City allows on your lot and manage the licensed fence or masonry subcontractor who builds it. Our fencing guide covers materials and gates in general, and the Pasadena overview lists the other trades we manage in the city; this page covers what Pasadena adds.
Fence and wall rules the City of Pasadena publishes
Where fencing permits come from in Pasadena: City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development Department, Permit Center.
- The City's list of work exempt from a building permit includes non-masonry fences not over 6 feet high and retaining walls not over 4 feet high measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless the wall supports a surcharge. The sheet adds that a zoning permit may be required for these exemptions.
- The Permit Center says fences up to 6 feet high go through the zoning permit process, and that although many permits are issued over the counter, fence and retaining wall permits require one week for review.
- The City's block wall handout (dated 6/11/18) says zoning approval is required for a concrete masonry wall, that a block wall over 48 inches in exposed height needs a building permit before construction, and that a survey is required unless a Common Wall Agreement is provided. It requires an inspection when trenches and steel are ready and another before the cells are grouted.
- Under Pasadena Municipal Code 17.40.180 as published by the code host (text as of October 4, 2026), a fence or wall in the front setback of an RS or RM-12 lot may be 4 feet high at most and must be at least 50 percent open. The City's own 2002 historic district guidelines also refer to fences being "less than the permitted four feet."
- Under the same section, side and rear setback fences in RS and RM-12 zones are limited to 6 feet next to open space, public space or residential uses, and to 8 feet along a line with a commercial or industrial zone with a nonresidential use. Fences inside the driveway visibility triangle are limited to 30 inches.
- The section also measures fence height from the existing grade as it was on March 2, 2009, so raising the grade does not add height. It prohibits spikes on walls or fences under 6 feet and prohibits barbed, concertina and razor wire. On flag lots whose front yard is bordered by interior side or rear yards all around, a 6 foot front fence is allowed.
- For multifamily projects the same section limits a solid wall or fence in a front or corner yard to 2 feet, allows 4 feet if it is at least 50 percent open, and allows up to 10 feet along the rear property line.
- The City's swimming pool handout (revised 1/2/2026) requires an enclosure at least 5 feet high measured from outside, no chain link, no more than 2 inches of clearance under it, no gaps that pass a 4 inch sphere, and gates that open away from the pool, self-close and self-latch with the latch at least 60 inches up. The barrier goes around the water or at the property line per Municipal Code 14.04.440.
Sources for these rules
Who pays for a shared fence in Pasadena, and what notice do I owe the neighbor?
California Civil Code 841 presumes that adjoining owners share equally in the cost of a dividing fence. It requires 30 days' prior written notice to each affected neighbor before you incur costs, and the notice should describe the problem, the proposed solution and its cost, how the cost would be split and the timeline. The presumption can be overcome if equal sharing would be unjust, so a neighbor with a different view has a legal route to say so. We read the section as reproduced by FindLaw, current as of January 1, 2026.
Know where the line runs before the notice goes out. The City's block wall handout, dated 6/11/18, says a survey is required unless a Common Wall Agreement is provided, which is a useful habit for any fence that sits on or near a boundary.
Send the written notice first, then order materials.
How tall can a fence company build in Pasadena, from the front yard to the back?
The height rules sit in Pasadena Municipal Code 17.40.180. We read the section as published by the code host Gocodebook, with text as of October 4, 2026, rather than on the City's own code site, which returned an error to our research tools. It covers RS and RM-12 lots, the residential single-family and multifamily zones. The City's 2002 historic district guidelines refer to the permitted four feet for front fences, which supports the front yard number independently.
Height is measured from the existing grade as it stood on March 2, 2009, so building up the ground under a fence does not add height. Spikes are prohibited on walls or fences under 6 feet, and barbed, concertina and razor wire are prohibited outright. A flag lot whose front yard is bordered by interior side or rear yards all around may have a 6 foot front fence.
For multifamily projects, a solid wall or fence in a front or corner yard may be 2 feet, or 4 feet if it is at least 50 percent open, and up to 10 feet is allowed along the rear property line. Corner lots and other zones were not covered in what we read, so email Zoning at zoningquestions@cityofpasadena.net with your address.
- Front setback, RS and RM-12 lots: 4 feet at most, and at least 50 percent open
- Side and rear setbacks: 6 feet next to open space, public space or residential uses
- Along a line with a commercial or industrial zone that has a nonresidential use: 8 feet
- Inside the driveway visibility triangle: 30 inches
Confirm the zone and corner-lot status of your address with Zoning before you pick a height.
Does fence installation or a block wall need a permit in Pasadena?
A wood, vinyl or metal fence is treated differently from a block wall. The City's list of work exempt from a building permit includes non-masonry fences not over 6 feet high, and retaining walls not over 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless the wall supports a surcharge. The same sheet warns that a zoning permit may still be required, and the Permit Center says fences up to 6 feet go through the zoning permit process. Many permits are issued over the counter, but fence and retaining wall permits take one week for review.
Block walls add steps. The City's handout says a concrete masonry wall needs zoning approval and that one over 48 inches in exposed height needs a building permit before construction. Two inspections follow: one when the trenches and steel are ready, and another before the cells are grouted. Apply through the Permit Center's application page.
Who builds the wall matters for the license check. CSLB's C-13 Fencing classification covers fences, railings, posts, gates and similar work but excludes masonry walls, so a block wall belongs to a masonry contractor in a different class.
What fence does a Pasadena pool need?
The City's residential swimming pool handout, revised January 2, 2026, is the most detailed fence document it publishes, and it applies whether the pool is in Linda Vista, Oak Knoll or anywhere else in the city. The enclosure must be at least 5 feet high measured from the outside, with no more than 2 inches of clearance under it and no gaps that pass a 4 inch sphere. Chain link is not allowed. The barrier goes around the water or along the property line, per Municipal Code 14.04.440.
Gates get their own rules. They must open away from the pool, close by themselves and latch by themselves, with the latch at least 60 inches up. A driveway gate may serve as part of the barrier only if it is at least 60 inches high, has a motorized closer set to close within 30 seconds, and has a power backup. The handout also bars decorative work that makes the fence easy to climb from outside, and it requires a temporary fence and gate before pool construction starts.
We did not read Pasadena's text of Municipal Code 14.04.440 or the state pool safety statutes, so we treat the handout as the working checklist and ask the Permit Center whether a given design needs its own barrier permit. A horizontal slat fence with wide gaps, or a decorative panel with footholds, would clash with those limits, so settle the design before a quote is signed.
What front fence is allowed in Bungalow Heaven and Banbury Oaks?
In the Bungalow Heaven plan adopted June 16, 2025, front and side yard fences and walls visible from the public right-of-way, retaining walls included, need City staff review, while rear yard fences are not reviewed. The Banbury Oaks plan treats front and side yards the same way.
The City's 2002 guidelines say a new front fence should echo the historic ones, usually low and open, and suggest 3 feet. They call solid walls, decorative metal panels, masonry piers and bases, chain link, concrete block, plywood and plastic inappropriate in front yards, and say a wood fence should be painted or stained.
Front and side fences that show from the street go to City staff review; rear yard fences do not.
Does a retaining wall or hillside fence need a soils report in Pasadena?
Pasadena's design parameters sheet requires a soils investigation report for hillside construction such as decks, retaining walls and pools. A retaining wall designed to the Category 5 soil properties in CBC Table 1806.2 is exempt from that, but a wall that carries a vehicle surcharge or supports a slope steeper than 1:3 needs a report.
Chapter 14.05 of the Municipal Code, the Hillside Grading Ordinance, sets the rules for excavation and grading, so a fence that needs a cut into a bank can trigger more than a fence permit. Walls that hold back soil are a structural question, and our concrete page covers the footing and drainage side.
For any retaining wall, ask the Permit Center whether the soils report applies before you order materials.
How do I hire a fence company in Pasadena?
Hiring a fence contractor Pasadena owners can verify takes four checks, and MDG's own role is the same on every job: we manage, and a licensed specialty subcontractor builds. Our guide to checking a contractor license shows where the class appears, and how general contractors use subcontractors explains our model.
Material choice should answer local conditions too. UC Integrated Pest Management says drywood termites are most prevalent in southern California and infest decks and fences, and it advises termite-resistant wood or concrete footers where wood meets soil. A National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard forecast from October 2026 called for foothill gusts of 50 to 70 mph in a Santa Ana wind event, so ask how deep the posts are set and whether a solid panel fence gets wider footings.
Fence rules also differ across the foothills. The same wood fence meets other limits in Glendale and the City of Los Angeles, and a new gate beside a re-roofed house may touch the work on our Pasadena roofing page and painting page.
- The contractor's CSLB number and class
- A Pasadena business license and workers' compensation
- A written scope naming footing depth, post spacing, gate hardware and who hauls away the old fence
Fence photos from Pasadena and neighboring communities
Six photos of fences, gates and wall details from Pasadena and nearby cities, showing the materials and styles discussed above.
What fences cost around Pasadena, and what the sources say
The fence price table gives installed Los Angeles-area ranges built from Angi, HomeGuide, Thumbtack and Fixr, with a federal labor check: $25 to $55 per linear foot for a 6-foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, $12 to $30 for chain link and $35 to $85 for aluminum or ornamental iron, or roughly $2,500 to $5,500 for a 100-foot backyard run. Angi lists $20 to $60 for a fence permit and $3 to $5 per foot to remove an old fence, both national figures, so ask the Permit Center for Pasadena's fee. Block walls and gates have no sourced price.
| 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 |
Pasadena fence questions, answered
How much should I pay for a fence installation in Pasadena?
Use Los Angeles-area ranges, because we found no sourced Pasadena price. Installed, a 6-foot wood or vinyl privacy fence runs about $25 to $55 per linear foot, chain link $12 to $30 and aluminum or iron $35 to $85. Gates, slopes, old-fence removal and permits come on top.
How much does 200 feet of fencing cost?
HomeGuide lists $4,000 to $12,000 for 200 feet, but its page states no method, so treat that as a wide guide. Per-foot prices from Angi, Thumbtack and Fixr point to $25 to $55 for wood or vinyl in Los Angeles, and material, gates and grade decide where your 200 feet lands.
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Pasadena?
Usually a zoning permit, and sometimes a building permit. A non-masonry fence up to 6 feet is exempt from a building permit, but the City reviews it through zoning, and fence and retaining wall permits take one week. A block wall over 48 inches of exposed height needs a building permit and inspections.
Are there new fence rules for Pasadena homeowners in 2026?
We did not find a new statewide fence height law for 2026. What we can source: Pasadena's fence code text is current as of October 2026, the Civil Code 841 neighbor notice rules are current as of January 1, 2026, and California's home improvement contract rules were amended that day. The pool handout was revised January 2, 2026.
Does my Pasadena neighbor have to split the cost of a shared fence?
Usually yes. Civil Code 841 presumes adjoining owners share the cost of a dividing fence equally, but you must give each affected neighbor 30 days' written notice before spending money. The notice should state the problem, the solution, the cost, the split and the timeline, and the presumption can be overcome if an equal split would be unjust.
How tall can a front yard fence be in Pasadena?
On an RS or RM-12 lot, a front setback fence is limited to 4 feet and must be at least 50 percent open, according to Municipal Code 17.40.180 as published by Gocodebook. Flag lots enclosed by side or rear yards can have 6 feet. Confirm your lot with Zoning, since corner lots were not covered.
What kind of fence is allowed around a pool in Pasadena?
The City's pool handout requires an enclosure at least 5 feet high measured from outside, no chain link, no more than 2 inches of clearance below and no gaps that pass a 4 inch sphere. Gates must open away from the pool, self-close and self-latch with the latch at least 60 inches up.
Do I need a soils report for a retaining wall in Pasadena?
Sometimes. The City's design parameters require a soils report for hillside retaining walls, but a wall designed to Category 5 soil properties in CBC Table 1806.2 is exempt. A wall that carries a vehicle surcharge or supports a slope steeper than 1:3 needs one. Retaining walls up to 4 feet without surcharge are also permit exempt.
What should I ask a fence company or fence contractor in Pasadena before hiring?
Ask for the CSLB license number and class, a Pasadena business license and workers' compensation. Since the C-13 fencing class excludes masonry, a block wall needs a masonry contractor. Then get a written scope listing footing depth, post spacing, gate hardware, permits and old-fence removal, so quotes compare line for line.
Tell us how long the fence run is and where it goes
Send the address, the length and the yard it runs along. We look up the zone, landmark district and slope for the lot before we give you a number.