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Fences and walls in Morro Bay

Morro Bay limits solid fences in most front and corner side setbacks to 3 ft; outside those setbacks, 6 ft 6 inches.

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Key points

Fence height: Morro Bay limits solid fences in most front and corner side setbacks to 3 ft; outside those setbacks, 6 ft 6 inches.

Each rule below links to the section of the Morro Bay Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Morro Bay's code says

Morro Bay code What Morro Bay's code adds
Height anywhere on the lot	Up to 6 feet 6 inches. Applies: Fences, walls, dense hedges and similar structures outside the required front and corner side setbacks. § 17.23.060 · code text Fences, walls, dense hedges, and similar structures located outside the required front and corner side setback areas may be a maximum of six feet, six inches high.
Front yard height	Up to 3 feet. Applies: Solid fences, walls, dense hedges and similar in front and corner side setbacks, except parcels north of Alva Paul Creek and east of Highway One. § 17.23.060 · code text Solid fences, walls, dense hedges, and similar structures may be a maximum of three feet high within the required front and corner side setback except on parcels north of Alva Paul Creek and east of Highway One where solid fences, walls, dense hedges, and similar structures may be a maximum of four feet. Up to 4 feet. Applies: Solid fences, walls and dense hedges in front and corner side setbacks, only on parcels north of Alva Paul Creek and east of Highway One. § 17.23.060 · code text Solid fences, walls, dense hedges, and similar structures may be a maximum of three feet high within the required front and corner side setback except on parcels north of Alva Paul Creek and east of Highway One where solid fences, walls, dense hedges, and similar structures may be a maximum of four feet. Up to 4 feet. Applies: Fences at least 50% open, in the front and corner side setback, except parcels north of Alva Paul Creek and east of Highway One. § 17.23.060 · code text Fences, walls, hedges, and similar structures with fifty percent or more of the surface open to the passage of air and light may be a maximum of four feet high within the required front and corner side setback except on parcels north of Alva Paul Creek and east of Highway One where such open fences, walls, dense hedges, and similar structures may be a maximum of five feet. Up to 5 feet. Applies: Open fences, walls, hedges and similar in the front and corner side setback, on parcels north of Alva Paul Creek and east of Highway One. § 17.23.060 · code text Fences, walls, hedges, and similar structures with fifty percent or more of the surface open to the passage of air and light may be a maximum of four feet high within the required front and corner side setback except on parcels north of Alva Paul Creek and east of Highway One where such open fences, walls, dense hedges, and similar structures may be a maximum of five feet. Up to 6.5 feet. Applies: Only front and corner side setback fences that existed when this fence rule was adopted; they may remain as legal non-conforming. § 17.23.060 · code text Fence heights in existence as of date of adoption of Ordinance 662 shall be considered legal, non-conforming and allowed to remain to the maximum height of six and one-half feet.
Permit	The director may allow up to 2 more feet of height with zoning clearance approval. Applies: Where the site's location or features call for more height for safety or security. § 17.23.060 · code text The director may allow additional height, up to two feet with zoning clearance approval, where the location or characteristics of the site warrant additional height for safety or security purposes.

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Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Morro Bay?

Morro Bay limits solid fences in most front and corner side setbacks to 3 ft; outside those setbacks, 6 ft 6 inches.

General information, not legal advice.

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Morro Bay Municipal Code — full text