Portola · Building on your lot

Fences and walls in Portola

Fences: at most 6 feet; 4 feet in front setbacks and near corner-lot street sides; 36 inches in corner clear vision triangles.

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Key points

Fence heights: Fences: at most 6 feet; 4 feet in front setbacks and near corner-lot street sides; 36 inches in corner clear vision triangles.

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

What Portola's code says

Portola code What Portola's code adds
Corner visibility	No fence, wall, hedge, sign, shrub, earth mound or other obstruction over 36 inches above the roadway. Applies: Corner parcels, within the residential clear vision triangle. § 17.16.030 · code text On a corner parcel, no fence, wall, hedge, sign or other structure, shrubbery, mounds of earth, or other visual obstruction over thirty-six inches in height above the top of the existing roadway shall be erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow within a residential clear vision triangle (see definition).
Side and rear yard height	Fences may be no more than 4 feet tall. Applies: Corner lot: street side within 5 feet of the back of the sidewalk (or street or right-of-way if none); outside clear vision triangle. § 17.34.030 · code text Within five feet of the back of the publicly or privately maintained sidewalk or in the absence of a sidewalk the back of the street or right-of-way of a street-side for a corner lot or within ten feet of the back of the publicly or privately maintained sidewalk, street, or right-of-way of a street-side for a corner lot adjacent to a key lot, the maximum height shall be reduced to four feet in height outside the clear vision triangle. Fences may be no more than 4 feet tall. Applies: Corner lot next to a key lot: street side within 10 feet of the back of the sidewalk, street or right-of-way; outside clear vision triangle. § 17.34.030 · code text Within five feet of the back of the publicly or privately maintained sidewalk or in the absence of a sidewalk the back of the street or right-of-way of a street-side for a corner lot or within ten feet of the back of the publicly or privately maintained sidewalk, street, or right-of-way of a street-side for a corner lot adjacent to a key lot, the maximum height shall be reduced to four feet in height outside the clear vision triangle.
Height anywhere on the lot	Fences or walls, including lattice, may be up to 6 feet tall anywhere on the lot. Applies: Single-family or two-family lots. Lower limits apply in the clear vision triangle, the front setback and near a corner lot's street side. § 17.34.030 · code text A maximum six-foot high fence (including lattice and similar attachments) or wall, may be located anywhere on a parcel consistent with the following requirements: Fences or walls may be raised by up to 2 feet, to at most 8 feet. Applies: For noise reduction or buffering from neighboring land uses, with an approved administrative permit. § 17.34.030 · code text The height of a fence or wall may be increased a maximum of two feet to provide for noise attenuation or buffering of adjacent land uses, subject to approval of an administrative permit pursuant to Section 17.82.010.A.
Front yard height	Fences may be no more than 4 feet tall. Applies: Within a required front setback, outside the clear vision triangle. § 17.34.030 · code text Within a required front setback, the maximum height shall be reduced to four feet in height outside the clear vision triangle;
Permit	An administrative permit to add up to 2 feet; a conditional use permit for fences or walls over 8 feet. Applies: Fences or walls taller than 6 feet. The extra 2 feet is for noise reduction or buffering of neighboring land uses. § 17.34.030 · code text The height of a fence or wall may be increased a maximum of two feet to provide for noise attenuation or buffering of adjacent land uses, subject to approval of an administrative permit pursuant to Section 17.82.010.A. Fences and walls in excess of eight feet may be permitted subject to the approval of a conditional use permit.

Who this affects

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Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Portola?

Fences: at most 6 feet; 4 feet in front setbacks and near corner-lot street sides; 36 inches in corner clear vision triangles.

General information, not legal advice.

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Portola Municipal Code — full text