What's Required in San Francisco
- No building permit is needed for a fence of 6 feet or less at the side or rear lot lines or 3 feet or less at the front.
- In the required front setback, a fence may be 3 feet if solid or 6 feet if 75 percent open; open fencing may not be stacked on a solid 3-foot base.
- In required rear and side yards, fences are limited to 10 feet above grade; exceeding that requires a variance.
- Fences over 6 feet in side or rear yards or over 3 feet in front need an over-the-counter building permit with plans showing location, setbacks and height.
- Fences of 10 feet or less need no neighborhood notification; taller fences in the buildable area do, and may get design review.
- Permitted fences pay DBI plan review plus issuance on valuation, plus Planning's building-permit application fee.
- Retaining walls up to 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing are exempt unless they support a surcharge.
- Lighting or a powered gate on the fence needs a separate electrical permit.
How Tall Can a Fence Be Without a Permit in San Francisco?
Six feet at the side and rear lot lines, three feet at the front. The Planning Department's fence handout, updated May 2026, states that a building permit is not required for a fence that is three feet or less in height at the front of a property or six feet or less at the side or rear property lines, and the Building Code's exemption list matches: fences not over 6 feet at the rear and side lot lines at the rear of the property, and all fences not over 3 feet. Above those heights you need a building permit from the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) with plans, but the review is simple: fences of ten feet or less that meet the Planning Code are usually approved over the counter with no neighborhood notification.
San Francisco Fence Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Side or rear fence up to 6 feet | None | SF Building Code 106A.2 and Planning fence handout |
| Front fence up to 3 feet, or 6 feet if 75 percent open | None up to 3 feet; permit above | Planning Code front setback limit: 3 ft solid, 6 ft open |
| Side or rear yard fence over 6 feet, up to 10 feet | OTC building permit with plans | Planning reviews over the counter; no notification up to 10 feet |
| Fence over 10 feet in the buildable area | Building permit + neighborhood notification | Notice fee $121 plus $4.25 per envelope; design review possible |
| Fence over 10 feet in a required rear or side yard | Variance application | Planning Code yard limits cannot be exceeded over the counter |
| Retaining wall up to 4 feet, no surcharge | None | Building Code 106A.2 retaining wall exemption |
| Fence with lights or a powered gate | Electrical permit | $305 for up to 10 outlets or devices |
How Much Does a Fence Permit Cost in San Francisco?
A fence within the exempt heights costs nothing. A taller fence pays DBI's valuation-based fee under Table 1A-A, effective July 12, 2026, and because plans are required both halves apply: plan review of $310 for the first $2,000 plus $28.35 per additional $1,000 or fraction, and issuance of $266 plus $8.56 per $1,000. DBI's cost schedule values a 6-foot wood fence at $49 per linear foot and tells you to interpolate above that, so 60 feet of 8-foot fence comes in near $4,000 and pays about $310 + 2 × $28.35 = $366.70 plus $266 + 2 × $8.56 = $283.12, roughly $650. Planning charges its own building-permit application fee when it signs off: $504 for work under $10,000, or $516 plus 5.274 percent of the cost above $10,000 up to $49,999. That puts a typical 8-foot backyard fence near $1,150 in city fees, and a 10-foot fence valued around $8,000 near $1,300 ($480 plan review, $317 issuance, $504 Planning). Add the state's $1 minimum building-standards fee and a strong-motion fee of 0.00013 times valuation. A fence over 10 feet adds the $121 plus $4.25-per-envelope notification cost and a much longer wait.
Which Yard Is Your Fence In?
The Planning Code sets fence heights by location. In the required front setback, which usually averages the neighbors' setbacks up to 15 percent of lot depth or 15 feet, a fence is limited to 3 feet if solid or 6 feet if 75 percent open, like wrought iron; you cannot stack open fencing on top of a 3-foot solid base. In the required rear yard, generally 25 or 45 percent of lot depth, and in required side yards, which lots 28 feet or wider must provide up to 5 feet per side, the maximum is 10 feet above grade, and the Zoning Administrator can allow up to six feet above a retaining wall where grades differ. Inside the buildable area there is no fence-specific cap, but anything over 10 feet triggers neighborhood notification and possibly Residential Design Guidelines review. Exceeding the yard limits needs a variance, and legislated setbacks cannot be varied at all.
How the Process Works
A fence over 6 feet in a side or rear yard, or over 3 feet in front, is on DBI's over-the-counter exterior list. Bring two sets of plans showing the fence's exact location, the required setbacks and its height, plus a diagram of the openness if you are relying on the 75-percent rule in front. Add the owner package or contractor statement and the Green Building form, submit at the Permit Center, get both stamps, pay, and take the job card. Owners may pull the permit and build it themselves or hire a licensed contractor; an unlicensed installer may only take a job under $1,000 that needs no permit. Request the final inspection through PermitSF when the fence is up.
How to Get a Fence Permit in San Francisco
Locate the fence on the lot
Use the Property Information Map to find the required front setback, rear yard and any side yard; the height limit depends on which one the fence sits in.
Check the height against the exemption
Up to 6 feet at the side and rear lines or 3 feet in front needs no permit; up to 10 feet in a yard is an over-the-counter permit; above that means notification or a variance.
Draw the plans
Two sets showing the exact fence location, setbacks and height, with an openness diagram if a front fence relies on the 75-percent rule.
Submit at the Permit Center
Bring the plans, owner package or contractor statement and Green Building form; Planning and DBI review over the counter and you pay plan review, issuance and Planning's fee before the job card issues.
Build and call for final
Owners may build it themselves or use a licensed contractor; request the final inspection through PermitSF when the fence is complete.