How Tigard Handles Fence Regulations: A Practical Guide

Tigard maintains 50 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with fence regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Tigard falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Height Limits

Under Tigard Community Development Code Chapter 18.210 (Residential General Provisions), fences and walls in a required front setback may be a maximum of 3 feet where abutting a local or neighborhood street and 6 feet where abutting a collector or arterial street, and fences in a required side, street side, or rear setback may be a maximum of 8 feet. Vision clearance area limits in CDC Chapter 18.930 apply at intersections and driveways, and barbed or razor wire is prohibited.

Key details: Front Yard - Local Street: 3 ft max. Front Yard - Arterial/Collector: 6 ft max. Side/Rear/Street Side: 8 ft max. Vision Triangle: 30 ft (CDC 18.930). Barbed/Razor Wire: Prohibited residential.

Building a fence or wall higher than the CDC Chapter 18.210 limits (3 feet in the local-street front setback, 6 feet in an arterial/collector front setback, or 8 feet in a side/street side/rear setback), or placing any fence over 3 feet within a CDC Chapter 18.930 vision clearance triangle, is enforceable by Tigard Code Compliance through warning notices, civil penalties, and orders to remove or lower the fence. Barbed or razor wire residential fences violate CDC Chapter 18.210 and must be removed.

Permit Requirements

Tigard requires a building permit only for fences and walls 7 feet or more in height under the Tigard Community Development Code, consistent with the Oregon Residential Specialty Code adopted under ORS 455.020. Fences under 7 feet do not require a building permit but must still comply with CDC Chapter 18.210 (Residential General Provisions) fence-height standards and CDC Chapter 18.930 (Vision Clearance Areas) sight-distance standards.

Key details: Permit Threshold: Fences 7 ft or taller. Authority: Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORS 455.020). Retaining Wall Permit: >4 ft generally requires permit. Right-of-Way Fence: Public works permit required. Planning Contact: 503-718-2421.

Installing a fence or wall 7 feet or more in height without a Tigard Building Division permit is a violation of TMC Title 14 (Buildings and Construction) and the Oregon Residential Specialty Code, enforceable by stop-work order, after-the-fact permitting, and civil penalties. Installing a fence in excess of CDC Chapter 18.210 height limits, or within a CDC Chapter 18.930 vision clearance triangle, is enforceable by Tigard Code Compliance and may require lowering or removal of the fence.

Tigard is more permissive than most cities when it comes to permit requirements. That said, there are still limits.

Neighbor Fence Rules

Oregon does not have a shared fence cost statute. Each property owner is responsible for their own fence. Fences may be placed within required setbacks subject to height and material standards. Spite fences may be actionable as a nuisance under common law.

Key details: Shared Cost: No state requirement. In Setbacks: Allowed with standards. Rural Fences: ORS 105.175–105.190. Spite Fences: Nuisance under common law.

Civil remedy for property line disputes. Small claims court for disputes under $10,000. Nuisance action for spite fences.

Tigard is more permissive than most cities when it comes to neighbor fence rules. That said, there are still limits.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Tigard gives residents more room on fence regulations. 2 of the 3 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

These rules come from Tigard's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.