Fence Regulations in Shoreline, WA (2026)
4 verified fence regulations for Shoreline, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 20.50.110(A) caps fences along a property line at six feet, subject to sight clearance rules in the Engineering Development Manual, and recommends a three-foot-six-inch maximum in the strip between the front yard setback line and the front property line. A fence built atop a retaining wall is measured from the wall's top grade and still capped at six feet.
Shoreline Fence Height Limit: Six Feet
Some RestrictionsShoreline Municipal Code § 20.50.110(A), (C)
A. The maximum height of fences located along a property line shall be six feet, subject to the sight clearance provisions in the Engineering Development Manual. (Note: The recommended maximum height of fences and walls located between the front yard building setback line and the front property line is three feet, six inches high.) ... ... C. The height of a fence located on a retaining wall sh...
Fence Permit Requirements
In the City of Shoreline, fences that meet the height and material standards of SMC § 20.50.110 (or § 20.50.190 in commercial and multifamily zones) install without a City building permit, per SMC § 20.80.230(B)(1). Property-line fences top out at six feet, front-yard fences at three feet six inches, and electric, razor wire, and barbed wire fences are banned citywide.
Shoreline Fence Height and No-Permit Rule
Light RestrictionsShoreline Municipal Code §§ 20.50.110, 20.80.230(B)(1)
§ 20.50.110. Fences and walls – Standards. A. The maximum height of fences located along a property line shall be six feet, subject to the sight clearance provisions in the Engineering Development Manual. (Note: The recommended maximum height of fences and walls located between the front yard building setback line and the front property line is three feet, six inches high.) B. All electric, raz...
Retaining Walls
In the City of Shoreline, a previously permitted rockery or retaining wall built to its engineered design is exempt from further geologic hazard review under SMC § 20.80.215(E). Once a qualified professional finds the wall inadequate, a permit for a new or rebuilt wall must go to the Department for code compliance review.
Shoreline Retaining Wall Permit and Engineering Rule
Some RestrictionsShoreline Municipal Code §§ 20.80.215(E), 20.80.230(E)(6)
§ 20.80.215. Geologic hazards – Classification. ... ... E. Slope Modified by Stabilization Measures. Previously permitted slopes modified by stabilization measures, such as rockeries and retaining walls, that have been engineered and approved by the engineer as having been built according to the engineered design shall be exempt from the provisions of this subchapter based on the opinion of a q...
Material Restrictions
In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 20.50.110(B) flatly prohibits electric, razor wire and barbed wire fences citywide. The ban applies regardless of zone or property line, in contrast to the six-foot height limit that governs ordinary fence materials under the same section.
Shoreline Bans Electric, Razor and Barbed Wire Fences
Heavy RestrictionsShoreline Municipal Code § 20.50.110(B)
All electric, razor wire, and barbed wire fences are prohibited.
Looking for King County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Shoreline city rules.
Fence Regulations in King County →