Fence Repair in Menlo Park

Seven feet, and no building permit for wood up to seven. In all residential zoning districts, fences and walls can be up to 7 feet tall. The city states that wood fences not over 7 feet are exempt from building permits. The front setback is limited to 4 feet (Menlo Park Zoning Ordinance ch. 16.64).

Corner lots. On a corner lot, fences are limited to 3 feet in a triangle measured 35 feet from the point where the two streets intersect, along both street lines. For a corner lot, the city treats the shorter street frontage as the front lot line (§ 16.04.400). That decides where the 4-foot front-setback limit applies.

Santa Cruz Avenue. Properties fronting Santa Cruz Avenue can qualify for a taller front-setback fence through a separate procedure (§§ 16.64.030, 16.64.035).

Property line. The city states that in most residential areas of Menlo Park the right of way extends past the curb or sidewalk line into the landscaped area, and that front and corner side fences on neighboring properties should not be used as a guide to the line. See finding the property line before a fence project.

Heritage trees on the fence line. A native California oak is a heritage tree at 10 inches in trunk diameter; most other species at 15 inches, measured 54 inches above grade. The tree protection zone is 10 times the trunk diameter, and grading or construction in it requires a tree protection plan approved by the city. Fines under chapter 13.24 run up to $5,000 per violation, or the appraised value of the tree if higher. Heritage trees growing at or near fence lines appear in arborist reports filed with the city, so a post hole near a large tree is worth checking first.

Full height and setback details are on the Menlo Park fence rules page. A gate in that fence line that sags, drags or misses its latch is a repair of its own: see gate repair.

• If the lot is on a corner, note which street frontage is shorter.
• Photograph trees near the fence line and estimate trunk size at chest height.
• For a shared fence, read who pays for a shared fence in California; the 30-day written notice comes before any cost is incurred.

How tall can a backyard fence be in Menlo Park?
Up to 7 feet in residential districts, outside the front setback and the corner visibility triangle.

My house is on a corner. Where does the 4-foot limit apply?
The front setback is measured from the front lot line, which on a corner lot is the shorter street frontage. Separately, nothing over 3 feet is allowed in the 35-foot triangle at the intersection.

Do I need a permit to replace a wood fence?
The city states wood fences not over 7 feet are exempt from building permits. Zoning limits on height and location still apply.

• City of Menlo Park, Fences and walls in residential areas.
• City of Menlo Park, Fences, walls and hedges handout, CD rev. 2018-04-02.
• City of Menlo Park, Heritage tree definition and ordinance (ch. 13.24, eff. July 14, 2020).
• City of Menlo Park, Environmental Quality Commission agenda, March 20, 2024 (heritage trees at fence lines).