Fence Companyin Torrance, CA
A fence company in Torrance builds to a 4 foot limit in the front yard setback, or up to 6 feet only when the fence sits well back and is landscaped, and to 6 feet in side and rear setbacks. Fence installation at exactly 3 feet is written two ways in the code, so confirm the permit with the City.
Torrance has 56,540 housing units, and the Census Bureau's 2024 estimates say 55.6 percent are detached houses, so most fence jobs here are a homeowner's side and rear yards on 1950s and 1960s tract lots. Wilson Development built most of those tracts after Torrance grew from 22,241 people in 1950 to 100,991 in 1960, and 57.0 percent of households own. The older core is different. Jared Sidney Torrance's 1912 company laid out Old Torrance on an Olmsted Brothers plan, and its overlay zone has its own fence line in the code.
On a fence job MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) acts as the general contractor: we draw the layout, handle any permit and set the schedule, a licensed fence subcontractor sets the posts and a masonry specialty builds any block. The sourced price ranges are on our fencing page, the Torrance overview covers the other trades, and neighboring cities have their own guides, including Long Beach and Glendale. A new roof often comes first, so see roof repair in Torrance too.
What Torrance's municipal code says about fences and walls
Where fencing permits come from in Torrance: City of Torrance Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division (Permit Center).
- TMC 92.13.1(a) says no fence or wall three feet or greater in height may be built without a building permit, and the City's exempt-work list says fences not over 3 feet high are exempt. A fence of exactly 3 feet is described differently in the two places, so confirm with Building and Safety.
- In a residential front yard setback area, a fence, wall or hedge may not exceed 4 feet and must be decorative material compatible with the house and neighborhood, explicitly excluding chain link, chicken wire, hog wire and fiberglass. A front-setback fence up to 6 feet is allowed only if no part is closer than 10 feet to the front property line (5 feet where the block's average front setback is under 20 feet), it stays out of a triangle at the driveway, and permanent landscaping with permanent irrigation is provided between the fence and the front property line (TMC 92.13.1(e)).
- Fences or walls within the required side or rear yard setback may not exceed 6 feet. The Planning Director may allow up to 8 feet (on the side, only behind the front 40 feet) to enclose a pool or recreation area, where the yard abuts commercial or multiple-residential use, for a 6-foot fence capped with less than an 8-inch cap or decoration, or on terrain falling 1 foot in 5 (TMC 92.13.1(e)).
- For a taller-fence exception, the Planning Director mails notice to abutting owners, who have 10 days to protest in writing or in person. Any protester or denied applicant has 21 days from mailing of the decision to appeal to the Planning Commission with a fee of one-half the application fee, and the Commission's decision can be appealed to the City Council (TMC 92.13.1(e)(4)).
- Torrance allows metal fences only in chain link, open smooth wire, ornamental wrought iron, decorative metal beams or decorative panels. Barbed wire and electrically charged fences are not permitted on residential land (TMC 92.13.1(b) to (d)).
- A pool enclosure fence or wall must be at least 5 feet above adjacent grade, completely enclose any water 12 inches or deeper, have no openings wider than 4 inches or ladder-like design, and use a self-closing, self-latching gate with the latch at least 4 feet 6 inches above the bottom of the gate (TMC 92.13.1(f)). The pool itself must stay 5 feet from interior side and rear property lines and keep a 3-foot clear passage from any fence or wall (TMC 92.5.10).
- Retaining walls are exempt from a building permit up to 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing unless they support a surcharge. For zoning, the Planning FAQ says a single retaining wall may be at most 5 feet, taller retained heights must be terraced with at least 2 feet between walls for landscaping, and each stepped wall is also limited to 5 feet.
- TMC 92.13.1(g) says a retaining wall that retains an earth bank in a rear or interior side yard setback does not count toward the fence height, and any retaining wall taller than 3 feet must be topped by a wall or fence of at least 3 feet unless it is one of the lower walls in a terraced series.
Sources for these rules
Do you need a permit to build a fence in Torrance, and what happens at exactly 3 feet?
Confirm at the counter if your fence is exactly 3 feet. Section 92.13.1(a) of the Torrance Municipal Code says no fence or wall three feet or greater in height may be built without a building permit, while the City's exempt-work list, adopted in TMC 81.2.2, says fences not over 3 feet high are exempt. The two texts disagree at exactly 3 feet and we could not tell which controls, so call the Permit Center at 310-618-5910 with the height, the material and the yard. Treat anything taller as permit work.
Some rules reduce the paperwork. TMC 91.2.64 leaves fences and walls under 6 feet out of the definition of a structure, and in the Hillside and Local Coastal Overlay Zone fences of 6 feet or less skip the development review in 91.41.14. In the Olmsted Tract, fences and walls need no Planning Commission review before the building permit, and fence work on a historic resource is a minor project decided by the Community Development Director (TMC 91.50.170).
Where a permit applies, applications are electronic only, the City asks for zoning clearance first and a contractor needs a Torrance business license to pull it. The City values a chain link or wood fence at $13.87 per linear foot to compute permit fees, which is a valuation rate and not a contractor price. Outside work runs 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, so post-hole drilling waits until after 7:30.
Write the finished height and the material on the proposal so the permit question is answered before the crew arrives.
How tall can a fence be in a Torrance front yard, side yard or back yard?
Torrance sorts fence height by yard, and the front yard is the strict one. In a residential front yard setback a fence, wall or hedge may not exceed 4 feet and must be decorative material compatible with the house and neighborhood, which explicitly excludes chain link, chicken wire, hog wire and fiberglass (TMC 92.13.1(e)).
Fences or walls inside the required side or rear yard setback may not exceed 6 feet. The Planning Director may allow up to 8 feet to enclose a pool or recreation area, where the yard abuts commercial or multiple-residential use, for a 6 foot fence with a cap under 8 inches, or on ground that falls 1 foot in 5, and on the side that is allowed only behind the front 40 feet. Abutting owners get mailed notice and 10 days to protest, and a protester or a denied applicant has 21 days to appeal to the Planning Commission. A front setback fence up to 6 feet is allowed only when all three of these hold:
- No part is closer than 10 feet to the front property line, or 5 feet where the block's average front setback is under 20 feet
- It stays out of the sight triangle at the driveway
- Permanent landscaping with permanent irrigation sits between the fence and the front property line
A solid 7 foot fence is not an ordinary side or rear option here, so ask Planning about the exception route before you order panels.
What fence and gate does a Torrance pool need?
A pool enclosure fence or wall must be at least 5 feet above adjacent grade and enclose any water 12 inches or deeper. It may have no openings wider than 4 inches or ladder-like design, and the gate must be self-closing and self-latching with the latch at least 4 feet 6 inches above the bottom of the gate (TMC 92.13.1(f)).
The pool itself must stay 5 feet from interior side and rear property lines and keep a 3 foot clear passage from any fence or wall (TMC 92.5.10), which matters when a new barrier goes into an old yard. California adds a drowning-prevention rule: Health and Safety Code 115922 asks for at least two of seven safety features when a permit issues for a new or remodeled pool, and an enclosure meeting section 115923 is one of them. We did not read the barrier height in 115923, so design to the 5 foot Torrance figure.
Metal is allowed only in chain link, open smooth wire, ornamental wrought iron, decorative metal beams or decorative panels, and barbed wire and electrically charged fences are barred on residential land (TMC 92.13.1(b) to (d)). Ask the fence company to show the gate hardware and the 4 inch gap on the drawing, since those two dimensions are written into the code.
Block walls and retaining walls in Torrance: limits, combined height and license class
Retaining walls are exempt from a building permit up to 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing, unless they hold a surcharge such as a driveway or a building. For zoning, the Planning FAQ says a single retaining wall may be at most 5 feet, taller retained heights must be terraced with at least 2 feet between walls for landscaping, and each stepped wall is also limited to 5 feet.
Combined height is where owners get caught. Under TMC 92.13.1(g), a retaining wall taller than 3 feet must be topped by a wall or fence of at least 3 feet unless it is one of the lower walls in a terraced series, and a wall holding an earth bank in a rear or side setback does not count toward the fence height. The City's valuation sheet lists block wall from $7.02 per linear foot at 1 foot to $43.03 at 8 feet, and $34.96 at 6 feet. Those are fee valuation rates, not what a mason charges.
License class matters. CSLB C-13 fencing excludes masonry walls, and block belongs to C-29 masonry, so a block wall goes to a masonry specialty even when a fence company wins the job. The City posts a Block Wall detail on its standard details page, but we could not read its contents, so ask the Permit Center which detail applies. Our Pasadena fencing page shows how another city treats the same walls.
How do fence posts hold up in the clay soil of North Torrance and Walteria?
The City says expansive clay lies under most of North Torrance and the Walteria Lake area of the southwest, generally where a flood plain or lake once sat. Its Expansive Soil Guidelines tell owners to drain water off the lot quickly, to let downspouts discharge onto paved areas away from the building, to water lawns lightly two or three times a week in summer and to keep trees about 10 feet from the house. A fence line that crosses a ponding corner deserves a second look.
The building code sets deeper footings where clay is present: TMC 81.2.30 asks for 18 inches at interior bearing walls and 24 inches at exterior ones. That is a standard for buildings. The sections we read give no post depth for fences, so ask the Permit Center, or the engineer on a tall wall, what applies. Rain adds to it, since NOAA normals put 82 percent of the year's 13.64 inches between December and March, when clay is wettest.
Where wood meets soil, termites join the list. UC Integrated Pest Management says drywood termites are most prevalent in southern California and infest decks and fences, and it recommends termite-resistant wood or concrete footers at the soil line. Ask which wood species and footing the crew will use, and who answers if posts heave in the first wet winter.
Who pays for a shared fence in Torrance, and where is the property line?
California Civil Code 841 presumes that neighbors share the cost of a boundary fence equally, and an owner who plans to spend money on it must give the neighbor 30 days' written notice first. The presumption can be rebutted, and a fence set fully on one lot is a different question. Nothing in the Torrance sections we read changes this.
Know where the line is before the post holes. A recorded survey is what holds up if a neighbor disagrees, and the City posts a Plot Plan form on its standard details page, so ask whether a fence permit needs one. Torrance also treats a failing fence as a code matter: TMC 92.32.3(f) lists broken, rotted or defective posts and leaning block walls whose center of gravity falls outside the wall face as a building maintenance violation.
The Olmsted plan put utilities in alleys, so a fence in the original tract may sit beside an alley and not a neighbor's yard. Check the recorded lot lines before you choose where a gate swings.
Fence installation cost in Torrance, and how to choose a fence company
We found no Torrance fence price survey, so we print no Torrance figure. Pulling from Angi's Los Angeles page (August 2026), HomeGuide, Thumbtack and Fixr, we plan around $25 to $55 per linear foot installed for a 6 foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, $12 to $30 for chain link and $35 to $85 for aluminum or ornamental iron, so a 100 foot backyard run lands near $2,500 to $5,500. Angi shows Los Angeles wood projects at $1,600 to $2,500 and vinyl at $1,850 to $3,400. Block walls have no independent per-foot source, so get a written block quote.
Fences fall under CSLB class C-13. Read our guide to checking a contractor license before you compare bids, and see Los Angeles fencing for a larger city's rules. Put these to each bidder:
- Who pulls the permit if the fence is 3 feet or taller, and who confirms the height with the City?
- Which licensed masonry subcontractor builds any block, and what is its license number?
- How deep are the posts in clay, and what lands on the warranty if they move?
- Where does the gate swing, and which latch height meets the pool rule?
- How much is the deposit? Section 7159.5 of the Business and Professions Code limits it to $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract, whichever is less.
Fence photos from Torrance and nearby communities
Six fence and wall scenes tied to Torrance neighborhoods such as Walteria and Southwood and to nearby communities like Lawndale and Gardena, from posts and footings to gates and pool barriers.
Where the Torrance fence numbers come from
Every dollar figure on this page comes from Los Angeles or national sources, and the table on our fencing price page names each source and its date. Painting a new fence is covered on the Torrance painting page, and kitchen work is on the kitchen remodeling page.
| 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 |
Torrance fence questions, answered
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Torrance?
It depends on height. The City's code says a fence of three feet or greater needs a building permit, while its exempt list says fences not over 3 feet are exempt, so exactly 3 feet is unclear. Anything taller than 3 feet should be treated as permit work. Call the Permit Center at 310-618-5910 before you build.
How tall can my front fence be in Torrance?
Four feet in the front yard setback, in decorative material compatible with the house. Chain link, chicken wire, hog wire and fiberglass are excluded. A fence up to 6 feet is allowed there only if it sits at least 10 feet from the front line, or 5 feet where the block averages under 20, with landscaping and irrigation in front.
What is the maximum height for a backyard fence in Torrance?
Six feet inside the side or rear setback. The Planning Director may allow up to 8 feet in listed cases, such as enclosing a pool, a yard abutting commercial or multiple-residential use, or ground that falls 1 foot in 5. Neighbors get mailed notice and 10 days to protest, so the exception takes time.
Can I put up a 7ft fence?
Not as of right. The 6 foot limit applies in side and rear setbacks, and a taller fence needs the Planning Director's exception for one of the listed situations, with notice to abutting owners. Check the Torrance Parcels Information map and call Planning at 310-618-5990 first, because a protest can send it to the Planning Commission.
How much does it cost to have 100 feet of fence installed?
Roughly $2,500 to $5,500 for a 6 foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, based on Los Angeles sources, with chain link lower and iron or aluminum higher. Torrance has no published survey, so we print no Torrance number. Gates, old fence removal, slopes and clay soil footings move the price.
Does your neighbor have to pay for half the fence in California?
Usually the law presumes they share a boundary fence cost equally, but it can be rebutted. Civil Code 841 asks the owner to give 30 days' written notice before spending money on it. A fence built entirely on your own lot is a different case, so get the line surveyed first and the plan in writing.
What are the pool fence requirements in Torrance?
At least 5 feet above adjacent grade, enclosing any water 12 inches or deeper, with no openings wider than 4 inches. The gate must be self-closing and self-latching with the latch at least 4 feet 6 inches above its bottom. The pool must also stay 5 feet from interior side and rear lines with a 3 foot clear passage.
Can I install my own backyard fence?
Yes, in many cases. The City lets an owner pull an owner-builder permit for a primary residence, and fences of 3 feet or less may be exempt. The yard rules still apply, and a block wall or a retaining wall over 4 feet brings engineering and permit questions. Ask the Permit Center before buying materials.
What happens if I don't have a permit for a fence?
We found no Torrance penalty schedule or after-the-fact permit page, so we will not state one. Call the Permit Center and ask what it takes to legalize an unpermitted fence. The cheaper path is to confirm the permit question in writing before posts go in.
Is wood or vinyl cheaper for fence installation in Torrance?
Wood is usually cheaper up front. Angi's Los Angeles page shows wood projects at $1,600 to $2,500 and vinyl at $1,850 to $3,400, and our planning range is $25 to $55 per foot for either. Wood needs staining and watching for termites, while vinyl costs more at the start. Torrance has no separate survey.
Describe your Torrance fence
Send the address, the yard the fence is in, the height you want and whether a pool or retaining wall is involved. We check the height rules and the permit question before we call back.