Fencing a lot in Mira Monte, between Oak View and Meiners Oaks where Highways 33 and 150 cross? Rancho Oxnard Fence works on fences and gates in this unincorporated community. Mira Monte sits southwest of the City of Ojai, about 17 miles from Oxnard, with the Ventura River on its western edge and the base of Sulphur Mountain to the east.
You follow county rules, not Ojai’s
Mira Monte shares Ojai’s ZIP code, but it isn’t part of the City of Ojai, so the city’s fence clearance doesn’t reach you. Ventura County Planning and County Building and Safety handle fences here, under the Ojai Valley Area Plan.
In a residential front setback the county caps a solid fence at 3 ft and an open, see-through design at 5 ft; side and rear lines can reach 7 ft. Anything over 7 ft, any electrified or powered fence or gate, and a retaining wall over 3 ft needs a county planning permit first.
On a corner lot, the county keeps a sight triangle with 40 ft legs where nothing can stand taller than 3 ft, so a driver pulling out can see along both roads. That rule often decides where your corner fence turns and how tall it can be near the intersection.
Does your lot front the highway?
Many Mira Monte properties front Highway 33, the Maricopa Highway, or Highway 150. County rules put vehicle access gates at least 20 ft behind the front or street-side setback, at least 15 ft wide, with swing gates not opening into that 20 ft.
That keeps your car off the highway while the gate opens, and it often makes a rolling gate the practical choice. A fence in the public right-of-way would need an encroachment permit, so we keep frontage fences on your land. See driveway gates and swing vs sliding gates.
Fire risk and the ground
The state fire map splits Mira Monte several ways. Inside its boundary, CAL FIRE shows moderate and Very High ground on the county-managed side and moderate, high and Very High on the state-managed side.
Proposed Zone 0 rules from the Board of Forestry target the strip within 5 ft of a home: new fencing there would have to be noncombustible, including the piece that ties into the wall. On your lot we plan a steel or aluminum panel or gate at the house, and you keep brush and dry grass off the fence line all the way out.
A USDA sample shows Ojai very fine sandy loam on 2 to 9 percent slopes, eroded in places, well drained and highly corrosive to steel. Gentle slopes mean racked or lightly stepped panels, and we use properly coated steel posts. The community sits inland of the coastal zone, so no coastal review applies.
Gate or fence on a Mira Monte lot?
Send the address and a photo from the road. We place the gate and fence to county rules.
Which fence suits a semi-rural lot?
- Wire on wood or steel posts keeps your view of Sulphur Mountain open and is the cheapest way to enclose a big parcel.
- Chain link suits a dog run, a garden or a work yard behind the house. See chain link.
- Powder-coated aluminum or steel fits the road frontage, the driveway gate and the panel that meets the house. See aluminum fences.
- Wood privacy screens a patio or pool, kept a few feet off the house wherever the lot is fire-mapped.
Next to open fields
Mira Monte has notable open fields along Highway 33, held by the Krotona Institute and the Krishnamurti Foundation. If your lot sits beside open land, that edge takes more wind and more fire exposure, so we plan the fence there for both. See wind and fences.
Is your old wire fence sagging?
Older wire and wood fences on Mira Monte lots often sag between widely spaced posts. When we replace one, we reset the line, add posts where the run needs them and switch the section by the house to metal. See fence replacement.
How your Mira Monte job runs
On the first visit we walk the frontage and the line back to the house, measuring how far the gate has to sit from the highway and where the ground falls away toward the river. Your written estimate lists each section, the gate and any removal on separate lines.
DigAlert marks go down at least two working days before we dig. In the wet months, we dig and pour holes the same day so rain doesn’t soften the sides. Fence posts go in first, the line follows, and we hang the driveway gate last on its own heavy posts, setting latches once the concrete has cured.
Want an opener on your gate?
If you have a long drive, you probably want an opener on the gate. The county treats any powered gate as needing a planning permit, so we build that step into your schedule from the start and run conduit before the driveway is finished. A manual gate can take an opener later if we size the posts and footings for it now. See gate installation.
Keeping steel posts alive near the river
The Ojai very fine sandy loam at the USDA sample point rates high for steel corrosion, while concrete holds up well. For your Mira Monte fence that means galvanized or coated steel posts, a concrete collar that sheds water away from the post, and no bare steel sitting in damp soil on the Ventura River side. Wood posts get a gravel base so they drain. These choices cost little at install and add years.
What does a Mira Monte fence cost?
We price Mira Monte jobs against our typical ranges. Installed chain link runs about $18 to $38 per foot, ornamental metal about $35 to $100, and 6 ft wood privacy about $30 to $70. The length of your frontage, the size of the driveway gate and how much of the line ends up in metal decide where your job lands. See the cost guide and the rules guide for county limits.