Fence or deck costs in Fresno

Fresno's summers are rough on anything you build outside. The National Weather Service's Fresno records show 69 days at 100 degrees or hotter in 2021, the most on the books. The fewest 90-degree days the city has ever logged in a year is 73, back in 1976. Pick decking, stain and fasteners with that sun in mind, and aim for spring or fall to do the work.

The city's development code is firm on height. For a single-unit home, a fence tops out at six feet no matter where it sits on the lot. In the required front yard, most fences stop at three feet. In the Pinedale Neighborhood Plan area, front fences can go to four feet in any material, as long as they keep clear of the intersection visibility rules.

Placement has its own rule. Unless another section asks for more, a fence has to sit 12 inches back from the back of the sidewalk, or from the curb or shoulder if there's no sidewalk. Along interior side and rear property lines, you can build right on the line. Nothing goes in the public right-of-way.

Decks are covered too. Fresno's accessory-structure rules apply to decks and patios 30 inches above the ground, not just sheds and garages. A raised deck off a back door falls under the same accessory-structure rules as a shed.