Goodyear's Fence Regulations: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles fence regulations a little differently. In Goodyear, Arizona, there are 5 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Material Restrictions

Goodyear bans barbed wire and electric fences everywhere in the city unless zoning specifically allows them, under City Code § 11-1-6. Any fence that does not fit the narrow zoning exception is declared a public nuisance the City court can order removed. The Zoning Ordinance's only carve-out lets industrial-district storage yards use three-strand barbed wire or barbed tape up to eight feet high, never rolled barbed wire or razor wire.

Key details: Ban: Electric fences and barbed wire citywide. Zoning exception: Industrial storage yards only. Exception limit: 3-strand barbed wire/tape, 8 ft max. Always prohibited: Rolled barbed wire or razor wire. Remedy: City court abatement order.

A prohibited fence is declared a public nuisance under § 11-1-6, letting the City seek an abatement order directly from the Goodyear Municipal Court rather than only citing the owner. Because the section carries no separate penalty clause, a general code violation defaults to the citywide penalty in Article 1-8: a misdemeanor conviction punishable by a fine up to $2,500 for an individual or $20,000 for a business, up to six months in jail, with each day the fence stays up counted as a new offense.

Compared to other cities, Goodyear takes a harder line on material restrictions. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Height Limits

Goodyear caps residential fences and walls at three feet in the required front yard and six feet in side and rear yards, measured from the interior finished grade. Corner lots must additionally keep anything over three feet out of a sight-visibility triangle formed by lines drawn thirty-three feet back from the intersecting street right-of-way lines.

Key details: Front yard height cap: 3 feet, Zoning Ordinance § 4.3.3(A)(3). Rear/side yard height cap: 6 feet, measured from interior grade. Corner visibility triangle: No obstruction over 3 ft within 33-ft triangle. Differing-grade lots: 6 ft high side, 8 ft low side. Engineering trigger: Structural calculations required over 6 feet.

A fence or wall built taller than the yard-specific cap, three feet in the front yard, six feet in side or rear yards, is a Zoning Ordinance violation Development Services can require the owner to cut down or remove. Anything blocking the corner sight-visibility triangle over three feet is treated the same way, and a wall over six feet built without the required structural calculations or building permit is a separate build violation.

Retaining Walls

Every retaining wall in Goodyear needs a building permit, regardless of height. The city deleted the International Building Code's standard exemption for walls under four feet, so even a low garden retaining wall triggers plan review under City Code § 9-1-1.

Key details: Permit exemption: None; every retaining wall needs a building permit. Governing code: 2024 International Building Code as amended by Goodyear. Deleted exemption: IBC § 105.2 item 4 (walls under 4 feet). Enforcing office: Building Official, Development Services Department. Misdemeanor fine: $50-$2,500 individual; $400-$20,000 enterprise.

Building without a required permit is enforced under Goodyear City Code § 9-1-3, which classifies violations of Article 9-1 (the Technical Codes) as a misdemeanor: a fine of $50 to $2,500 for an individual, or $400 to $20,000 for an "Enterprise," plus up to six months in jail. The city may instead pursue the same unpermitted wall as a civil code violation in City Court at the enforcing official's discretion, carrying the same dollar range as a civil sanction, and each day the unpermitted wall stands is a separate offense under § 9-1-4.

Fence Permit Requirements

Goodyear requires a building permit before installing any fence or freestanding wall over six feet tall. Fences and walls at or under six feet are exempt from that Zoning Ordinance permit trigger, though they still have to meet the yard height caps, setback, and material rules in Section 4.3.

Key details: Permit trigger height: Over 6 feet for fences and walls. No-permit threshold: 6 feet and under needs no permit. Engineering requirement: Structural calcs required over 6 ft, non-retaining. Governing section: Zoning Ordinance § 4.3.3(A)(7)-(8).

Installing a wall or fence over six feet without first pulling a building permit is a Zoning Ordinance violation Development Services can order stopped or removed under Section 4.3.3(A)(7)-(8). Building a non-retaining wall over six feet without the licensed engineer's structural calculations required by Section 4.3.2(A)(6) is a separate violation even if a permit was issued, since the plans on file would not meet code.

Neighbor Fence Rules

Goodyear's Zoning Ordinance keeps fences on the builder's own property unless the adjoining owner agrees in writing to a fence on the shared line. If a taller wall is set back within fifty feet of that line instead, the builder needs Development Services approval and may have to record an easement letting the neighbor tie in.

Key details: Default fence location: Entirely on builder's own property. Shared property-line fence: Requires adjoining owner's written agreement. Setback wall approval: Required if over 4 ft within 50 ft of line. Neighbor tie-in: City may require recorded easement for access. Finished side rule: Finished face must point toward the neighbor.

Building a fence over the property line without the adjoining owner's written consent, or erecting a setback wall over four feet within fifty feet of the shared line without Development Services approval, is a Zoning Ordinance violation the city can require corrected. Turning the unfinished, post-and-rail side of a one-sided fence toward the neighbor instead of the required finished side is also a code violation under Section 4.3.2(A)(2).

The Bottom Line

Goodyear's fence regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Goodyear is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Goodyear can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.