Beaumont fence rules and permits

A plain-English guide for Beaumont, California homeowners. Always confirm with the city before work starts. Rules change.

Do you need a permit?

Depends. Beaumont charges a building permit fee for block walls. For wood and similar fences, the permit rule depends on the job, so call the city before you build. A fence can skip development review and still need a building permit. The fee for a standard-plan block wall of 6 feet or less and up to 50 feet is $178 for inspection.

Who to ask: City of Beaumont Building & Safety, 550 E. 6th Street, Beaumont, CA 92223, 951-769-8520 (website)

Fee: Block wall, 6 ft or less, up to 50 ft, city standard plan: $178 inspection. Non-standard plan: $189 plan review plus $268 inspection. Over 6 ft, up to 50 ft: $252 plan review plus $447 inspection. (Fee schedule effective July 1, 2023, updated 7/1/2026.)

The rules

• Front yard fences are limited to 42 inches (3.5 feet). This counts the required front yard or the area in front of the house, whichever is bigger.
• Fences and walls on side and rear property lines can be up to 6 feet, measured from the ground next to the fence at its highest point.
• On a corner lot, fences and structures cannot be taller than 42 inches inside a 45-degree sight area at the corner of the building nearest the intersection.
• Hedges at street corners must stay at or under 3 feet above the curb, measured 30 feet each way from where the property lines meet.
• Barbed or similar wire is generally not allowed. The Community Development Director may approve it only in agricultural or manufacturing zones, and it cannot be seen from a public street.
• Fence materials on single-family lots need the Community Development Director's approval.
• The city offers a standard block wall plan, a pilaster plan and retaining wall plans that cut plan review for simple jobs.

HOAs

Most of Beaumont's master-planned communities, such as Sundance, Tournament Hills, Four Seasons, Solera, Olivewood and Fairway Canyon, are run by HOAs. Oak Valley Greens and Three Rings Ranch are not. Check your HOA rules first, since they can be stricter than the city.

Call before you dig

DigAlert (Southern California 811): dial 811. call at least 2 working days before digging, and no more than 14 calendar days ahead

Local conditions

Beaumont is high and windy. Summer highs average about 95 degrees and winter lows about 38. It gets about 19 inches of rain a year.

• Beaumont is one of the windiest cities in Southern California, so solid privacy panels catch a lot of wind. Posts, footings and bracing matter here.
• At about 2,600 feet it runs 5 to 10 degrees colder than nearby valley cities. Snow falls now and then but rarely stays more than a couple of hours.
• Hot, dry summers are hard on wood stain and finish. Plan to re-seal wood fences on a schedule.
• Post hole depth and soil: not confirmed. Ask your contractor and the building office.

Good to know

• Beaumont incorporated on November 18, 1912. The 2020 census counted 53,036 people, up from 36,877 in 2010.
• Beaumont's elevation is about 2,612 feet.
• Beaumont gets about 19 inches of rain a year and is listed as one of the windiest cities in Southern California.
• Sundance and Tournament Hills were built by Pardee Homes. Four Seasons was built by K. Hovnanian. All master-planned areas except Oak Valley Greens and Three Rings Ranch have HOAs.
• The city's Building & Safety counter hours are Monday to Thursday 8 am to 5 pm and Friday 8 am to noon.
• Beaumont's code limits hedges at corners to 3 feet above the curb, so a tall hedge can break the rules the same way a tall fence can.