6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Whatcom County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Whatcom County, fences and hedges up to six feet may sit in a front-yard setback and up to seven feet in rear yards of residential, rural, and agricultural districts, subject to corner vision-clearance rules. Bellingham and Lynden set their own limits by zoning.
Whatcom County does not require a building permit for an ordinary residential fence within the zoned height. Permits kick in for taller fences, masonry or engineered walls, and any fence clearing ground inside a regulated critical area, shoreline, or the Lake Whatcom watershed.
Washington has no shared-fence-cost law, so neighbors in Whatcom County split a boundary fence only by voluntary agreement. Each owner is responsible for the fence on their own land. A fence built purely to spite a neighbor can be challenged as a nuisance.
Whatcom County requires a building permit for retaining walls over four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, and for any wall supporting a surcharge like a slope or driveway. Taller walls need engineered plans. Drainage and setbacks matter on the county's bluffs.
Every residential pool, spa, or hot tub in Whatcom County must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high with a self-closing, self-latching gate. The rule comes from the Washington State Building Code and is enforced at permit and inspection.
No Washington statute limits residential fence materials, so cedar, vinyl, chain-link, and wrought iron are all common across Whatcom County. Cedar dominates because it resists rot in the wet marine climate. Barbed wire and electric fencing are typically confined to agricultural land.
1 cities in Whatcom County have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Whatcom County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Whatcom County Ordinance Hub →