Fence permit and height rules, city by city
Every city in this metro writes its own fence rules, and the differences bite: one city needs a permit for anything over 42 inches, another none at all. Here is the whole map in one table, checked against each city's own code.
How fence rules actually work here
Two separate layers of rules apply to your fence, and mixing them up is how projects go sideways.
Building permits. Oregon's residential code exempts fences of wood, wire mesh, or chain link from building permits at 7 feet and under; other materials, like masonry walls, can need permits at lower heights. Washington's residential code similarly exempts fences up to 7 feet, though cities can amend it. So for a normal backyard fence, a building permit is usually not the issue.
Zoning height limits. This is the layer that actually constrains most projects. Cities cap how tall a fence can stand in each part of the yard, with front yards held low so streets stay visible, and some cities add their own fence-permit step on top. Corner lots pick up vision-clearance triangles near intersections and driveways. Historic districts, overlay zones, and HOAs add review layers the code table below can't see.
Height limits and permits by city
Thirty-six cities and counties, verified against each one’s published code in July 2026. Heights are the usual residential maximums; corner-lot vision rules and overlays can lower them on a given lot.
| City | Front yard | Side / rear | Permit picture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | ~3.5 ft | Up to 7 ft (wood) | No building permit for wood fences to 7 ft |
| Gresham, OR | ~3.5 ft in vision areas | 7 ft (chain link 8 ft) | Exempt to those heights |
| Beaverton, OR | Confirm with city | ~6 ft typical | Confirm with planning; official page unavailable at review time |
| Hillsboro, OR | 4 ft 2 in (interior lots) | Per code | City fence permit required for new or relocated fences |
| Tigard, OR | 3 ft local streets / 6 ft collectors | Up to 8 ft | Building permit at 7 ft and above |
| Lake Oswego, OR | 4 ft within 10 ft of a street line | 6 ft standard | Building permit over 7 ft |
| Milwaukie, OR | 42 in | 6 ft | State exemption governs |
| Happy Valley, OR | 4 ft (within 30 ft of front line) | Up to 8 ft | Building permit at 7 ft and taller |
| Clackamas (unincorp.), OR | Varies by zoning district | Varies | County: no building permit to 7 ft |
| Oregon City, OR | 42 in (street to house facade) | 72 in at/behind facade | Mostly none; historic districts need review; chain link restricted |
| Troutdale, OR | 4 ft | 7 ft | None within those heights |
| West Linn, OR | 3 ft (incl. first 20 ft of sides) | 6 ft | No fence permit; finished side must face the neighbor |
| Vancouver, WA | 4 ft | 6 ft | None within those heights |
| Camas, WA | 42 in | 6 ft | Building permit over 6 ft; height measured from finished grade |
| Washougal, WA | 4 ft in front setbacks | 6 ft | None under 6 ft; taller may take structural review |
| Battle Ground, WA | 42 in | 6 ft | Fence permit required over 42 in; good side must face out |
| Tualatin, OR | Varies by zone | Varies by zone | Permit only over 7 ft; vision triangles apply |
| Sherwood, OR | 42 in; no chain link in front yards | 6 ft | No city fence permit; state rule governs |
| Wilsonville, OR | 4 ft | 6 ft rear; 4 ft sides forward of the house | Building permit over 6 ft |
| Gladstone, OR | 3 ft to the front building line | 6 ft | Confirm with city; state exemption typically covers |
| Canby, OR | 3.5 ft | 6 ft | No city fence permit; state rule governs |
| Damascus (unincorp.), OR | County zoning applies | Generous on rural land | County permit only over 8 ft |
| Fairview, OR | 4 ft in front setbacks | 6 ft max | Permit only over 6 ft |
| Ridgefield, WA | 42 in in sight areas | 6 ft | Permit for most fences except single low-density residential lots |
| Salmon Creek (unincorp.), WA | County rules | County rules | County: no permit to 7 ft |
| Hazel Dell (unincorp.), WA | County rules | County rules | County: no permit to 7 ft |
| La Center, WA | 4 ft | 6 ft | Permit step: confirm with city |
| Woodland, WA | 3 ft solid / 4 ft if half-open | 6 ft | Fence permit required over 3 ft |
| Sandy, OR | 4 ft | 6 ft (8 ft between lots) | Building permit over 7 ft |
| Boring (unincorp.), OR | County zoning applies | Up to 8 ft | County: no permit to 8 ft |
| Estacada, OR | Clear-vision rules | 6 ft | Building permit over 6 ft |
| Scappoose, OR | 4 ft | 6 ft | Permit 6–10 ft; Planning review over 8 ft |
| St. Helens, OR | 4 ft (6 ft on arterials) | 6 ft | Confirm trigger with city |
| Newberg, OR | 4 ft | 7 ft | Permit over 7 ft (wood); pool enclosures always |
| Yacolt, WA | 6 ft (all fences) | 6 ft | Permit + survey required for ANY fence |
| Kalama, WA | 3 ft | 6 ft | City permit required |
Seven cities that do it differently
Hillsboro runs its own fence-permit program: new and relocated fences go through the permitting center with a modest flat fee, and front setbacks cap at 4 feet 2 inches rather than the round numbers used elsewhere.
Battle Ground has the strictest trigger in the metro: any fence over 42 inches takes a permit, which surprises people moving out from Vancouver where a 6 foot backyard fence sails through. The code also requires structural posts to face the inside of your own lot.
Ridgefield is the strictest in Washington: by the city’s own guidance, most fences need a fence permit unless they sit on a single low-density residential lot, and the development code holds fence construction to standards most neighboring towns skip.
Woodland sets its permit trigger at 3 feet, the lowest in the region, so even a front picket line goes through the city first.
Yacolt goes further than anyone: the town requires a permit, a survey, and a utility locate before you install any fence, wall, or hedge, and it bans barbed wire, electric fences, and pallet fences inside town limits. On acreage outside the line, Clark County’s looser rules take over.
Kalama caps front-yard fences at 3 feet, tighter than the 4-foot norm most of the metro uses, and requires a city permit, which matters on its steep view lots above I-5.
Oregon City layers history on top of height: designated historic properties need design review before a fence goes up, and the city's residential standards restrict chain link as a fence material entirely.
What we handle for you
All of it. We check your city's current code and your lot's overlays before we quote, design to the numbers so nothing gets built twice, pull the permit where one applies, and fold any fee into the written price. If your project sits in a review zone, a historic district, or an HOA, we prepare the drawings those boards want to see. You pick the fence; the paperwork is our job.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What happens if a fence goes up without a required permit?
Cities can require modification or removal of a non-conforming fence, usually after a neighbor complaint brings an inspector out. Fixing a built fence costs far more than checking first, which is why the code check is built into every quote we write rather than offered as an extra.
Do these rules apply to replacing an existing fence?
Usually yes: a replacement is a new fence in the code's eyes, even on the same line. An old 7 foot fence in a yard now capped at 6 feet generally can't be rebuilt at the old height. We check before we quote so the answer never arrives mid-project.
My property is on a county line or unincorporated land. Whose rules apply?
Whichever government actually has jurisdiction over the parcel, which in unincorporated areas like Clackamas or the Felida and Salmon Creek parts of Clark County means the county, not the nearest city hall. We look up the parcel rather than guessing from the mailing address.
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