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Series 300 — ADDITIONAL USE AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS›Article 300 — GENERAL SITE REGULATIONS

300.03: FENCES AND FREESTANDING WALLS:

Porterville Zoning Code · 2026-07 edition · updated 2026-07-09 · Porterville

A. Maximum Height:

  1. Front Yards. No solid fence or freestanding wall within or along the exterior boundary of the required front yard shall exceed a height of three and one-half (3.5) feet. Open or lattice type fences that are at least fifty percent (50%) open, or hedges, shall not exceed a height of four (4) feet.

  2. Side and Rear Yards. No fence or freestanding wall within or along the exterior boundary of the required side or rear yards shall exceed a height of seven (7) feet. The Zoning Administrator may allow a fence or wall up to eight (8) feet in height to be located along the exterior boundary of the required side or rear yard subject to the issuance of a building permit.

  3. Decorative Features. One (1) entry gateway, trellis, or other entry structure is permitted in the required front or streetfacing side yard of each lot, provided that the maximum height or width of the structure does not exceed ten (10) feet. Such decorative feature shall not have any solid obstruction that exceeds two (2) feet in diameter between the height of three (3) and ten (10) feet.

FIGURE 300.03: FENCES AND FREESTANDING WALLS

B. Design and Materials. Fencing visible from a street shall be treated as an integral part of the architecture, with materials, colors, and detailing drawn from the building they surround or adjoin.

  1. Prohibition on Hazardous Fencing Materials. The use of barbed wire, razor wire, ultra barrier, electrified, and other hazardous fencing is not permitted. An exception to this standard may be approved for sites in the AC District where needed for livestock or ranch operations.

  2. Limitation on Chain Link Fencing. Use of chain-link fencing is not permitted in front or street-facing side yards, and is permitted only in rear and interior side yards that do not abut public and quasi-public land uses. This standard does not apply to sites in the Residential, IA or IG districts.

C. Landscaping. Landscaping shall be provided between the back of sidewalk and the wall/fence line to include trees, shrubs, groundcover and vines in order to improve the aesthetics of the wall/fence. There shall be a minimum of five (5) feet adjacent to local roads and ten (10) feet adjacent to collectors and arterials. Maintenance of the landscaping shall be provided by the property owner, or by an assessment district established for such maintenance in perpetuity.

D. Visibility At Intersections: Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, fences and walls shall comply with the visibility standards contained in section 300.16, “Visibility At Driveways And Intersections (Sight Distance)”, of this article. (1866, 11-19-2019; amd. Ord. 1871, 6-2-2020)

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▸ Contents — Porterville Zoning Code
Porterville Zoning Code
  1. Series 100 — INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS
  2. Series 200 — BASE DISTRICTS
  3. ▸ Series 300 — ADDITIONAL USE AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
    Overview
    1. ▸ Article 300 — GENERAL SITE REGULATIONS
      Overview
      1. 300.01: BUILDING PROJECTIONS INTO YARDS:
      2. 300.02: DEVELOPMENT ON SUBSTANDARD LOTS:
      3. 300.03: FENCES AND FREESTANDING WALLS:
      4. 300.04: REPLACEMENT HOUSING ON NONVACANT SITES:
      5. 300.05: HABITAT CONSERVATION:
      6. 300.06: HEIGHTS AND HEIGHT EXCEPTIONS:
      7. 300.07: LIGHTING AND ILLUMINATION:
      8. 300.08: OUTDOOR SEATING:
      9. 300.09: OUTDOOR STORAGE:
      10. 300.10: SCREENING:
      11. 300.11: STREET DEDICATION, CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS…
      12. 300.12: SWIMMING POOLS:
      13. 300.13: TRASH AND REFUSE COLLECTION AREAS:
      14. 300.14: TRUCK DOCKS, LOADING, AND SERVICE AREAS:
      15. 300.15: UNDERGROUND UTILITIES:
      16. 300.16: VISIBILITY AT DRIVEWAYS AND INTERSECTIONS (SIGHT DISTA…
    2. Article 301 — STANDARDS FOR SPECIFIC USES AND ACTIVITIES
    3. Article 302 — AFFORDABLE HOUSING DENSITY BONUS AND OTHER INCEN…
    4. Article 303 — LANDSCAPING
    5. Article 304 — ON SITE PARKING AND LOADING
    6. Article 305 — SIGNS
    7. Article 306 — PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
    8. Article 307 — NONCONFORMING USES, STRUCTURES, AND LOTS
  4. Series 400 — LAND DIVISIONS
  5. Series 500 — OVERLAY DISTRICTS
  6. Series 600 — ADMINISTRATION AND PERMITS
  7. Series 700 — GENERAL TERMS

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