Fence rules in Portola Valley
- Fence permit (planning) required for fences within setbacks, on property lines, or adjacent to trail easements (§18.43.080) — regardless of height. The review covers location, height, opacity, color reflectivity, and materials.
- In districts with 2+ acre minimum lots, only open "horse fences" are allowed in required yards. On 1+ acre districts, fences in required yards only where slopes are 20% or less.
- Riparian setback: 20 feet from the top of a creek bank — no fencing inside it.
- Double fencing (deer exclusion) only within the building envelope, not around the perimeter.
- The design principles behind all of it: sparing use of fencing, wildlife movement, rural character.
What this means for repairs
Repairing an existing legal fence in kind — same posts, same line, same height — is the case that doesn't reopen review, which in Portola Valley is worth more than in most towns given how much of the lot the permit rules cover. Open rail and wire fences, the town's preferred types, also fail in the most repairable way: post by post, with rails and mesh that re-hang cleanly on new posts.
Send photos through the form — failed posts at the base, the run, any slope or creek context — and get a repair estimate range before anyone comes out.
Sources: Portola Valley Municipal Code Ch. 18.43; town Planning FAQs and fence permit application. Rules change — verify with Portola Valley Planning before major work.