# Fences and Gates in Ojai, CA > Fences and gates in Ojai, built around the city's zoning clearance for new and replacement fences, oak and sycamore root zones, and Very High fire zones. URL: https://ranchooxnardfence.com/service-areas/ojai/ ## Sound like your yard? ### A new fence that needs the city's clearance Ojai requires a zoning clearance for new and replacement fences and walls, with a site plan, elevations and materials. The paperwork comes before the posts. ### An oak or sycamore near the line Where a fence would cross a protected oak's or sycamore's dripline, a tree permit can be needed as well. ### A fence near the house on a fire-mapped lot Much of Ojai is mapped Very High fire hazard. The fence's last few feet before the house should not burn. ### Replacing an old ranch-style fence Older Ojai properties often have rail or wire fences that have given out. Replacement can keep the open, rural look. ## What we do in Ojai Fence installation New fences laid out from verified corners and set on footings sized for sandy ground, a high winter water table and wind. Fence replacement Tear-out, a line check and a new fence, usually in one visit, often in a material that suits the lot better than the old one. Wood fences Redwood and cedar privacy, board-on-board and horizontal fences, on posts built for damp sand and termites. Aluminum and iron fences Open picket fences in powder-coated aluminum, tubular steel and wrought iron for front yards, views and pool areas. Gate installation and repair Walk, double and side-yard gates on posts sized to carry them, and repairs for gates that sag, drag or will not latch. Driveway gates Swing and rolling driveway gates chosen for the driveway's length, slope and width, built for wind and daily use. Planning a new or replacement fence in Ojai, from the streets around the Arcade and Libbey Park to properties out toward the Upper Ojai? [Rancho Oxnard Fence](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/) plans and builds fences and gates here. Ojai sits about 17 miles north of Oxnard in a valley under the Topatopa Mountains, and it’s one of the few cities we serve with a clearly published fence rule: almost every new or replacement fence needs the city’s zoning clearance first. ## Do you need the city’s clearance? Almost certainly. Under Ojai Municipal Code 10-2.805, adopted in November 2020 and effective that December, new or replacement fences, walls and screening need a zoning clearance from the City of Ojai. The filing fee is $50, and the application includes a site plan, elevations and the materials. If the work touches the dripline of a protected oak or sycamore, you may need a tree permit too. The city’s Community Development department handles the clearance, so we draw up the plan and submit it before we build. That changes the order of your job. We settle the line, height and materials at the site visit, prepare a simple site plan and elevation for the application, and schedule the work once the clearance is in hand. DigAlert still needs at least two working days’ notice before we dig. ## Building around your oaks Ojai is heavily wooded with oaks, and the city has its own historic district in Taormina and a long record of protecting its character, including a slow-growth ordinance. If your fence line runs near an oak or sycamore, we plan around the tree: posts go between major roots, and the line can bend or stop short of the trunk. On older properties, a fence that works around trees often looks better low and open than as a solid wall. ## Is your lot on the fire map? CAL FIRE maps about 1,675 acres of the land Ojai is responsible for as Very High fire hazard, out of roughly 2,800 acres in the city. State law already requires defensible space in those zones, and draft Board of Forestry rules would bar new combustible fencing within 5 ft of a house and call for a noncombustible piece where a fence attaches. On a mapped Ojai lot, we make that attachment piece metal, and you keep brush clear along the line. Planning a fence in Ojai? Send the address and a photo. Your estimate includes what the city's clearance application will need. (805) 909-4556 ## Stony ground and the right materials A USDA sample in the city shows Ojai stony fine sandy loam on slopes from 2 to 15 percent, well drained, rated high for steel corrosion. Stones slow the digging and can nudge a post a few inches off its mark, and we use coated steel posts for this soil. Ojai lies outside the coastal zone. Wood is still common for back-yard privacy away from the house. Low split-rail and open wire fences suit larger rural lots and keep your mountain views. Powder-coated aluminum and steel work near the house and in front yards. See [wood fences](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/wood-fence-installation/) and [aluminum fences](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/aluminum-fence-installation/). ## Gates for a long drive Many Ojai lots have long driveways and need a vehicle gate as well as walk gates. Swing gates suit level drives with room to open; rolling gates suit slopes and short approaches. If you want an opener, we plan conduit at the start. See [driveway gates](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/driveway-gate-installation/) and [gate installation](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/gate-installation/). ## Is your old fence on the true line? Older valley properties sometimes have fences that wander off the true line, especially along creeks and orchards. We confirm corners before applying for the clearance so the site plan is accurate. See [fences, surveys and property lines](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/guide/fence-property-line-survey/). ## Taormina and the older streets Taormina became a historic district in 2016, and the streets around downtown carry older homes whose character the city works to protect. Fences there tend to be low and open, in wood or simple metal, so the house and garden stay in view. Because the clearance application already shows elevations and materials, a style that suits the street moves through more easily than a tall solid wall. ## Bigger parcels in the Upper Ojai Out toward the Upper Ojai and along Highway 150, parcels are bigger and fences are mostly wire, rail and wide gates for vehicles or equipment. Those lines often run past oaks and across slopes, so we place posts between roots and step or rack the run to the ground. Long runs of wire cost far less per foot than privacy panels, which leaves room in your budget for metal where the fence meets the house and a sturdy vehicle gate on heavy posts. See [fence installation](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/fence-installation/). ## Repair or replace? Ojai’s oldest fences are often wood posts gone soft at the ground or wire pulled loose from rotted rails. We can reset a few bad posts in new footings. When the whole line is soft, replacing it is better value, and it still needs the city’s clearance, which we file before the old fence comes down. Leaving the old line up until the clearance arrives keeps your dog or livestock contained meanwhile. See [fence repair](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/fence-repair/) and [replacement](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/fence-replacement/). ## What does an Ojai fence cost? Our typical ranges apply: about $30 to $70 per foot for 6 ft redwood or cedar privacy and $35 to $100 for ornamental metal, installed. The city’s $50 filing fee, stony digging, tree-sensitive post placement and metal sections near the house are the local additions. See the [cost guide](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/guide/fence-cost-oxnard/) and the [rules guide](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/guide/oxnard-fence-rules-permits/). ## Where we work in Ojai - Downtown and the Arcade - Taormina - Upper Ojai - Lower Ojai Valley - Foothills tract ### Landmarks - Libbey Park - Ojai Arcade - Ojai Valley Trail - Topatopa Mountains - Matilija Canyon ### Routes - SR 33 - SR 150 - Ojai Avenue 1. 1. Camarillo 2. 2. El Rio 3. 3. Port Hueneme 4. 4. Simi Valley 5. 5. Thousand Oaks 6. 6. Ventura 7. 7. Agoura Hills 8. 8. Carpinteria 9. 9. Fillmore 10. 10. Malibu 11. 11. Mira Monte 12. 12. Moorpark 13. 13. Oak Park 14. 14. Oak View 15. 15. Ojai 16. 16. Santa Paula 17. 17. Westlake Village Schematic, not to scale: close-together neighborhoods are spread out so each number reads. Planning a fence in Ojai? Send the address and a photo. We check the rule and the ground, then send you a written price. (805) 909-4556 ## Ojai fence questions ### Do I need a permit to replace a fence in Ojai? Ojai requires a zoning clearance for new or replacement fences, walls or screening under OMC 10-2.805, with a $50 filing fee and a site plan, elevations and materials. A tree permit may also be needed near protected oaks or sycamores. ### What does a fence cost in Ojai? Our typical ranges are about $30 to $70 per linear foot installed for 6 ft redwood or cedar privacy and $35 to $100 for ornamental metal. The clearance fee, stony digging, tree-sensitive post placement and metal sections near the house add to an Ojai job. Your written estimate after the site visit sets the price. ### Can a fence go under an oak tree in Ojai? Where a fence affects the dripline of a protected oak or sycamore, Ojai can require a tree permit. Posts are placed to avoid large roots, and the clearance application shows where the tree and the fence sit. ### Should an Ojai fence be noncombustible? Much of the city is mapped Very High fire hazard. Draft state rules would keep new combustible fencing out of the 5 ft next to a house, so that section is best in metal; farther out, other materials can work. ### Is Ojai soil hard to dig for fence posts? A USDA sample in the city shows stony fine sandy loam on slopes up to 15 percent. Stones slow digging and can shift a post position by a few inches, which the site walk accounts for. ## Related guides Learn What are the fence rules and permits in Oxnard? Building permits, height limits, county areas, the coastal zone, fire zones, utility marks and shared fences, in the order a fence plan meets them. Learn How much wind can a fence withstand? Santa Ana gusts reach the beaches at Oxnard. Here is how wind loads a fence, where fences fail, and what design choices keep one standing. Cost Guide How much does a fence cost in Oxnard? Our typical ranges per linear foot, what each part of the price pays for, and the Oxnard conditions that move your number. Learn How do I know where my property line is before building a fence? An old fence is not proof of the line. Here is where the real line comes from, when to call a surveyor, and how to avoid building on the wrong side. ## Nearby service areas County of Ventura Mira Monte County rules (Ojai Valley Area Plan): 3 ft solid or 5 ft see-through in the front setback, 7 ft elsewhere County of Ventura Oak View County rules (Ojai Valley Area Plan): 3 ft solid or 5 ft see-through in the front setback, 7 ft elsewhere City of Santa Paula Santa Paula Fence heights and permits are set by the City of Santa Paula and confirmed per address