Fence Regulations in Lynnwood, WA (2026)
4 verified fence regulations for Lynnwood, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Lynnwood caps vision-obscuring fences, hedges and walls at six feet in residential zones (eight feet with a decorative arbor or trellis on top) and at eight feet in commercial or industrial zones, while barring any vision-obscuring fence within 15 feet of a street lot line or inside an intersection or driveway sight-distance triangle.
Lynnwood Fence Height, Sight Triangles
Some RestrictionsLynnwood Municipal Code § 8.40.0330(A)-(B)
A. Height and Composition Standards. 1. Vision-obscuring fences and hedges are solid or partially open fences and hedges more than four feet in height, but not exceeding six feet in height or eight feet in height with an attached adornment (i.e., arbor, trellis, or other decorative features attached on the top of a fence) in residential-zoned areas and not exceeding eight feet in height in comm...
Fence Permit Requirements
Lynnwood's code sets no separate standalone permit for a fence that already meets its height and location standards, but nonconforming fences for parks or to stop illegal dumping, appeals of a staff fence determination, and hardship variances all go through fence permit review, decided by the administrator or, on appeal, the hearing examiner.
Lynnwood Fence Exception, Permit Review
Light RestrictionsLynnwood Municipal Code § 8.40.0310(D)-(E)
D. Exceptions. 1. The administrator may allow fences that do not conform to the regulations of this title at the following situations if the administrator finds that such fences are needed to protect the public health and safety: a. Outdoor recreation establishments or park and recreation facilities. b. To prohibit illegal dumping. ... E. The hearing examiner may review applications for fence p...
Retaining Walls
Where a rockery or retaining wall under six feet high sits in the planting strip between the sidewalk and the street, Lynnwood makes the abutting property owner responsible for maintaining, repairing, and reconstructing it, not the city.
Lynnwood Rockery and Retaining Wall Upkeep
Some RestrictionsLynnwood Municipal Code § 12.12.050
Whenever a portion of a transition strip is occupied by a rockery, the abutting property owner shall maintain, repair and reconstruct all rockeries and retaining walls which have a height of less than six feet as measured from the base of the retaining wall averaged from property line to property line.
Material Restrictions
Lynnwood prohibits electric fences citywide except in the LI and P-I zones with administrator approval, and bans barbed wire fencing entirely unless it tops a six-foot solid or chain-link fence around a public utility, industrial plant site or similar use the administrator has approved.
Lynnwood Bans Electric, Most Barbed Fences
Heavy RestrictionsLynnwood Municipal Code §§ 8.40.0340, 8.40.0350
A. An electric fence encompasses any fencing material with any amount of electrical current used for deterrence. B. Electric fences are prohibited throughout the city of Lynnwood, except in the LI and P-I zones and may be allowed only by the administrator through the application for a miscellaneous permit or as part of an essential public facility permit. ... No fences incorporating barbed wire...
Looking for Snohomish County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Lynnwood city rules.
Fence Regulations in Snohomish County →