Fence or deck costs in Vallejo

Vallejo is picky about what a fence is made of. Outside the RR zoning district, the city's fence chapter bars chicken wire, hog wire, welded wire mesh, rope, cable, railroad ties, landscape timbers, utility poles and unfinished plywood. Chain link is out too, except where the chapter allows it, and then it has to be vinyl-clad or vinyl-coated. That rustic hog-wire garden fence look won't pass here.

Height is more relaxed. On an interior lot, side and rear fences can stand six feet, with a one-foot extension to seven if the top foot has a decorative finish such as lattice. Front yards stay at three feet, or four if the traffic engineer signs off. A fence over seven feet needs a building permit plus an exception permit.

The older parts of town add a layer. On a designated city landmark, or anywhere in a heritage or historic district, front and street-side fences top out at three feet six inches. A new fence in a required yard that faces a street needs a certificate of appropriateness. A deck taller than 30 inches that can be seen from the street goes before the Architectural Heritage and Landmarks Commission, with 14 days' public notice. Fences and decks that aren't on the city's review table need no certificate, so a backyard deck hidden behind the house usually stays simple.