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Fencing

Fence height and permit rules

How tall can a fence be, and do I need a permit?

There's no single statewide answer. Height limits and permit requirements are set by your city, differ again outside city limits, and an HOA can restrict you further than either.

Three separate rulebooks

People look for one number and there isn't one. What applies to your fence comes from up to three places at once: the city ordinance, the county if you're outside city limits, and the HOA if you have one.

They don't override each other in a tidy way. The HOA can be stricter than the city, and often is. Meeting one is not evidence of meeting the others.

Front yards are usually different from back

Most residential ordinances treat the front differently — lower limits, sometimes restrictions on solid fencing, sometimes setback rules about how close to the street it can sit.

Corner lots get their own treatment again, usually because of sight lines at the intersection. If you're on a corner, assume there are rules and check.

Easements will surprise you

A utility easement running along the back of a property doesn't stop you fencing, but it can mean the utility has the right to remove a section to get at what's underneath — at your cost to reinstate.

Worth knowing before the fence goes in rather than the first time somebody needs access.

Why we don't publish the numbers

Because they vary by jurisdiction and they change. A specific height printed on a website is wrong somewhere the day it's published and wrong everywhere eventually.

We confirm what applies to your address during the scope and pull what's required. That's a slower answer than a number on a page and it's the only one that's reliably correct.

One number can't be right for every address. Yours can.

Questions

Can I build a taller fence if my neighbour agrees?
Neighbour agreement doesn't change a city ordinance or an HOA covenant. It's a separate question from whether it's allowed.
What happens if a fence is built over the limit?
Typically a correction notice, and the correction is on you. It also tends to surface at resale, which is the expensive time to find out.
Do pool fences have different rules?
Yes, and they're stricter. Barrier height, gap spacing and self-closing latching gates are specified for safety rather than appearance.

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