Fence & Deck Repair in Redwood City

• Interior side and rear yards: 7 feet. Up to 10 feet is possible with an Architectural Permit — but not in Residential districts, so on a house lot 7 feet is the ceiling.
• Front yard: solid fences up to 3 feet, combination solid and open fences up to 5.
• Corner lots: street-side fences to 7 feet, set back 18 inches from the sidewalk; the strip between the fence and the sidewalk must be landscaped.
• Vision triangles: nothing solid over 3 feet within 10 feet of a residential driveway or within 15 feet of a street corner.
• Electric fences, barbed wire, and razor wire are prohibited in residential zones.

Fence height is measured from the lowest adjoining grade, and lattice or other decorative elements count toward it. Chain link above 3 feet is prohibited in the front yard and in side yards adjacent to the street in residential districts. Privately constructed fences are prohibited in the public right-of-way.

What decides whether a front fence is 3 feet or 5, where the vision triangle falls and which permits apply are worked through on fence rules and permits in Redwood City. A gate in that fence line that sags, drags or misses its latch is a repair of its own: see gate repair.

A rebuilt or relocated fence has to meet the current standards above.

• Photograph each leaning post at ground level from two sides.
• Look at where downspouts, sprinklers and slopes send water. A post that keeps failing in the same spot can be sitting where water collects, and replacing it without fixing the drainage repeats the problem.
• If the lot is on a corner, note the distance from the fence to the sidewalk; the street-side fence has to sit at least 18 inches back.
• If the fence is chain link and in the front yard or along a street, mention it; the city limits chain link there.

How tall can a fence be on the street side of a corner lot in Redwood City?
Seven feet, set at least 18 inches back from the sidewalk (Zoning Code § 36.3(C)(3)).

Can a front-yard fence be 5 feet?
Only as a combination solid and open fence. A solid front fence is limited to 3 feet.

Can I build a fence taller than 7 feet in my backyard?
Not in residential districts. Redwood City's code stops residential fences at 7 feet.