Fence Companyin Tustin, CA
A fence company in Tustin works under a City cap of 6 feet 8 inches and a limit of 3 feet in the required front yard setback. Whether a fence from 3 to 6 feet needs a permit depends on which City document you read, so ask the Building Division before you sign a contract.
Fences in Tustin run along very different property lines. Old Town's street grid is oriented to the compass points, unlike the rest of the city, while the postwar tracts, with the 1960s the biggest decade at 23.7 percent of units, were laid out on flat alluvial ground. The Census Bureau's ACS 2024 one-year estimates count 9,657 single-family detached homes and 5,106 attached ones among 30,118 units, and 55.4 percent of occupied units are rented, so many fences are shared or owned by someone other than the occupant.
On a fence project, MDG Builders (CSLB #1040337) measures, takes the permit and zoning questions to the City and manages the schedule, while a licensed C-13 fencing or C-29 masonry subcontractor builds it. Our fencing page holds the sourced prices, and the Tustin overview lists every trade we manage here. The guides for Irvine, Orange and Costa Mesa show how nearby cities handle height and setbacks, and a fence often follows a roof job or fresh paint.
What Tustin's fence guide, FAQs and Ordinance 1569 say about fences
Where fencing permits come from in Tustin: City of Tustin Community Development Department, Building Division.
- The City's fence guide (August 2015) says fences, hedges and walls may not exceed 6 feet 8 inches unless a special zoning district, variance or conditional use permit allows it, and that no fence, hedge or wall over 3 feet may be erected in a required front yard setback. Fences or walls at an intersection of a street, alley or driveway must meet Public Works site distance standards.
- The third-party mirror of Tustin City Code section 9271(i) gives the same limits (6 feet 8 inches on or behind the front setback line, nothing 3 feet or taller in a required front yard setback) and adds that structures up to 20 percent over 6 feet 8 inches on the rear half of a lot can be approved through a minor adjustment. Read it as a pointer to the code, not as the code itself.
- The City's fence guide says a building permit and zoning setback verification are required for any fence or wall over 3 feet above finished grade, and that a permit and zoning verification are also required for maintenance that replaces or establishes new footings or joints for walls and fences over 6 feet high. Walls over 6 feet may need engineering, and walls on a shared property line need the neighboring owner's consent.
- Planning's FAQ says a building permit is required when installing a new fence or removing and replacing an existing fence, naming chain link, wood and wrought iron fences, retaining walls 2 feet or higher and garden walls 3 feet or higher, and says the site plan goes to Planning staff first showing property lines, location, height, materials and construction details before Building issues the permit.
- The City's masonry wall notes in its fence guide require footings at least 12 inches into undisturbed natural soil, 24 inches with two #5 bars top and bottom in a liquefaction zone, fully grouted cells, and inspections at footing steel, pre-grout and final. They also call for type V cement at 4,500 psi for corrosive soil unless testing shows non-corrosive soil, which allows type II at 2,500 psi, and walls that vary from the City's standard wall detail need a California registered civil or structural engineer's calculations.
- The City's retaining wall guide (June 1999) requires a permit when a wall exceeds 2 feet from finish grade to top, supports a surcharge, or contains Class I, II or III-A liquids, requires Planning design review during plan check and HOA approval where applicable, and lists footing, pre-grout, pre-backfill and final inspections.
- Tustin's soils report policy for additions exempts retaining walls up to 6 feet of retention with no surcharge from needing a soils report, and the City's fence guide says homes in an HOA should get the HOA's approval of the design before applying for a permit.
- Under California Civil Code 841, adjoining owners are presumed to share equally in the reasonable cost of building, maintaining or replacing a shared boundary fence unless they agree otherwise in writing, and an owner who plans such work must give each affected neighbor 30 days' prior written notice with the problem, the proposed fix, estimated costs, the cost-sharing proposal and the timeline.
How tall can a fence be in Tustin, and can I build a 7 foot fence?
The cap is 6 feet 8 inches, so a 7 foot fence is too tall unless a special zoning district, variance or conditional use permit allows it. The City's fence guide, dated August 2015, says fences, hedges and walls may not exceed that height, and that nothing over 3 feet may stand in a required front yard setback. Fences or walls at the corner of a street, alley or driveway must also meet Public Works site distance standards.
The official code on Municode was not read, so our text for section 9271(i) comes from a third-party Zoneomics mirror, which gives the same 6 feet 8 inches on or behind the front setback line and nothing 3 feet or taller in the required front yard. It adds that a structure up to 20 percent over the cap on the rear half of a lot can be approved through a minor adjustment. Treat that as a pointer, not as the code. The City's FAQ gives 20 feet from the front property line as the minimum front setback in the E4, R1 and R4 single-family zones, so a picket or privacy fence needs to stay at 3 feet across that strip.
Ask Planning at 714-573-3140 for the setback line on your lot before the fence layout is drawn.
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Tustin when City documents disagree?
Probably yes above 3 feet, but the City says three different things. The fence guide and the Building FAQ require a permit and zoning verification for any fence or wall over 3 feet. Planning's FAQ goes further, requiring a permit when you install a new fence or remove and replace an existing one, and naming chain link, wood and wrought iron, garden walls 3 feet or higher and retaining walls 2 feet or higher. Ordinance 1569, which amends the 2025 building code, exempts fences not over 6 feet high other than swimming pool barriers.
Those positions cannot all be current, so call the Building Division at 714-573-3130 and get the answer in writing. Replacing or creating footings or joints for walls over 6 feet high needs a permit either way, and a pool barrier is outside the exemption. Plan check by appointment, up to one hour, is offered for fences and free-standing block walls: email the plans to planpermitsubmittals@tustinca.org at least 24 hours ahead with the subject line 'Plan Check by Appointment'. Planning verifies property lines, location, height and materials first.
What footings and cement does a block wall need in Tustin's liquefaction zone?
The City's masonry notes in its fence guide are specific. Footings go at least 12 inches into undisturbed natural soil, or 24 inches with two #5 bars top and bottom inside a liquefaction zone, with every cell fully grouted. Inspections happen at footing steel, before grouting and at final. A wall that varies from the City's standard detail needs calculations from a California registered civil or structural engineer.
Soil chemistry adds a second rule. For corrosive soil the notes call for type V cement at 4,500 psi, unless testing shows the soil is not corrosive, in which case type II at 2,500 psi is allowed. Tustin sits on the flat alluvial plain of the Santa Ana River, but we did not open a liquefaction or flood map, so ask the Building Division whether your lot is inside a zone. Masonry is not C-13 fencing work, which excludes masonry walls, so a block wall is built by a licensed C-29 masonry subcontractor.
How do retaining walls, drainage and slopes change a Tustin fence job?
A retaining wall has its own threshold. The City's retaining wall guide, from June 1999, requires a permit when a wall exceeds 2 feet from finish grade to top, supports a surcharge or holds certain flammable liquids. It adds Planning design review during plan check, HOA approval where one applies, and inspections at the footing, before grouting, before backfill and at final. The soils report policy exempts retaining walls up to 6 feet of retained height with no surcharge from needing a soils report, and walls over 6 feet may need engineering.
Drainage is the part fence builders overlook. The City's walkways guide says all lot water must drain to the street and the storm drain system and never onto a neighbor, and tract lots depend on swales and yard drains that a new footing or solid panel can block. Ask the fence company to show those drains and swales on the drawing before digging starts.
Who pays for a shared fence in Tustin, and does an HOA or Old Town review apply?
Adjoining owners are presumed to share the cost equally. California Civil Code 841 sets that presumption for building, maintaining or replacing a boundary fence unless the neighbors agree otherwise in writing, and an owner who plans the work must give each affected neighbor 30 days' written notice with the problem, the proposed fix, estimated costs, a cost-sharing proposal and a timeline. The City adds that a wall on a shared property line needs the neighboring owner's consent.
Two Tustin layers sit on top. The City's handouts ask for the HOA's approval of the design before the permit application where an association exists. In Old Town, the Certificate of Appropriateness is required for exterior improvements that need a building permit, so a permitted fence on a district lot raises that question, and Planning is the office to ask. Also confirm that a North Tustin address is inside city limits, since that community was never annexed.
Put the neighbor's written agreement and the 30 day notice in the project file.
How much does fence installation cost in Tustin, and who should build it?
We found no Tustin fence price survey, so these figures describe Los Angeles. Angi's Los Angeles fencing page, updated August 4, 2026, shows an average near $29 per linear foot inside a $15 to $60 range, and $2,100 to $2,350 for 100 feet. After comparing Angi with HomeGuide, Thumbtack and Fixr, we plan about $25 to $55 a foot for wood or vinyl privacy fencing and $35 to $85 for aluminum or ornamental iron, which puts a 100 foot backyard run at roughly $2,500 to $5,500. We found no independent per-foot source for block walls, so a block wall needs a measured bid.
For a labor check, federal wage data for May 2025 shows fence erectors averaging $28.00 an hour across the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area, which includes Tustin, though that is a wage and not a billing rate. A deposit above the lesser of $1,000 or 10 percent breaks Business and Professions Code 7159.5, so treat it as a warning. Verify the license with our contractor license guide and read how general contractors use subcontractors before you sign.
Fence photos from Tustin and nearby communities
Fence and wall scenes tied to Old Town, Tustin Meadows, Peppertree and nearby places such as North Tustin, Villa Park and Santa Ana, from post footings to block walls and gates.
Where these Tustin fence figures come from
The sources, dates and per-foot ranges for each material are in the table on our fencing price page. A fence often goes in beside other exterior work, and the Tustin rules for that are on the roofing page, the painting page and the kitchen remodeling page. For another city whose own handouts cap fence height, read the fencing guide for Santa Ana.
| 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 |
Tustin fence questions, answered
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Tustin?
Probably, once it is over 3 feet. The City's fence guide and Building FAQ require a permit above 3 feet, Planning says new or replaced fences need one, and Ordinance 1569 exempts most fences not over 6 feet. Because those disagree, ask the Building Division at 714-573-3130 and get the answer in writing.
How tall can a fence be in Tustin?
Up to 6 feet 8 inches, unless a special zoning district, variance or conditional use permit allows more. The City's fence guide sets that cap for fences, hedges and walls. In a required front yard setback nothing over 3 feet is allowed. Confirm your lot's setback line with Planning before the layout is drawn.
Can I put a privacy fence up in my front yard?
Only at 3 feet or lower within the required front yard setback. Tustin's fence guide allows nothing taller there, and fences at street, alley or driveway corners must also meet Public Works site distance standards. A 6 foot privacy fence has to sit behind the setback line, so measure from the property line first.
Can I put up a 7 foot fence?
Not under the standard rule, which caps fences, hedges and walls at 6 feet 8 inches. A special zoning district, variance or conditional use permit could allow more. A third-party code mirror also mentions a minor adjustment of up to 20 percent over the cap on the rear half of a lot, which Planning should confirm.
What happens if I don't have a permit for a fence?
We did not read Tustin's penalty provisions, so we cannot state a fine. Without a permit there is no inspection of footings or steel, which is the step that checks the work, and the City can require you to correct it. Ask the Building Division whether your fence height needs one before you build.
Does my neighbor have to pay for half the fence in California?
Presumably yes. Under Civil Code 841, the law starts from an equal split of the reasonable cost of a shared boundary fence unless the neighbors agree otherwise in writing. Before spending money, give each affected neighbor 30 days' written notice describing the problem, the fix, the estimate, the cost split and the timeline.
How much does it cost to have 100 feet of fence installed?
In Los Angeles, Angi's page shows $2,100 to $2,350 for 100 feet, and our planning range for a wood or vinyl privacy fence is roughly $2,500 to $5,500. We found no Tustin survey. Gates, old fence removal, sloped lots and permits change the total, so a measured written proposal is the price.
Is it cheaper to install a wood or vinyl fence?
Wood is usually cheaper at the low end. Angi's national page runs $10 to $45 a foot for wood and $15 to $40 for vinyl, and Thumbtack runs $15 to $45 against $19 to $35, so the ranges overlap heavily. Compare finished height, post size and warranty in each quote, not only the per-foot price.
What retaining wall height needs a permit in Tustin?
Above 2 feet from finish grade to the top of the wall, or any wall that supports a surcharge. That comes from the City's retaining wall guide, which dates from June 1999. The soils report policy exempts walls up to 6 feet of retained height with no surcharge from a soils report, and Planning reviews design.
Does a fence installation company need a license in California?
Yes. Fencing is CSLB class C-13, which excludes masonry walls, and a permitted fence needs a licensed contractor even when the price is under $1,000. MDG holds the contract and brings in a licensed subcontractor, and you can ask for that license number and certificate of insurance.
Describe your Tustin fence
Tell us your street or neighborhood, the length and height you want, and whether a neighbor shares the line or an HOA reviews it. We plan the first visit around the height and permit questions.