Fence height rules in Palo Alto
- Front strip (between the street setback line and your lot line): 4 feet maximum. Support posts may rise to 5 feet, and an entry gate or trellis up to 8 feet is allowed if it stays within 3 feet deep and 5 feet wide.
- Front and street-side yards beyond the setback line: 6 feet.
- Interior side and rear yards: 6 feet — rising to 8 feet of solid board where a lot backs onto a frontage road, railroad, or commercial property.
- Driveway sight triangles: nothing over 4 feet. Corner lots have their own geometry — 6 feet is allowed on the street-side line starting 50 feet from the corner, with a 12-foot clear zone at driveway intersections.
One rule that surprises even longtime owners: a fence running through a public utility easement needs an encroachment permit from Public Works — separate from the eliminated fence permit, and easy to miss.
What this means for repairs
Replacing rotted posts, broken boards, or a failed gate on an existing legal fence is the simplest case in the city: no paperwork, no waiting. If your current fence already exceeds today's height limits, a repair generally preserves it, while a full rebuild has to meet current code — one more reason repair-first is usually the right call here.
Why Palo Alto fences fail
Most of the city's residential fences are redwood on irrigated lots. Irrigation is the killer: a sprinkler head soaking a post twice a day rots it at the soil line years ahead of schedule, while the boards above stay looking healthy. If your fence leans after a storm, the posts were already gone — the wind just announced it.
Deck repairs in Palo Alto
Like-for-like deck repairs — replacing boards, fixing a loose railing, sistering a joist — don't normally trigger a permit. New construction is different: under the California Residential Code, a deck needs a building permit unless it's under 200 square feet, under 30 inches above grade, detached from the house, and not serving the required exit door.
Send photos of the damage through the form — post bases, the full run of the fence, any lean — and get a repair estimate range before anyone visits.
Sources: Palo Alto Municipal Code Ch. 16.24; city fence code handout. Rules change — verify with Palo Alto Planning before major work.