Rio Rancho, NM Fence Regulations: Fence Requirements (2026)

Rio Rancho Municipal Code Section 154.77(F) sets specific fencing requirements. For swimming pools, a fence is required around any pool greater than three feet deep or exceeding 5,000 gallons; the pool must be enclosed on all sides by a barrier providing an impediment of at least six feet, with grade separations or above-ground pools measured from outside the fence. Pool gates must be six feet high with a self-closing latch at least 54 inches (four and one-half feet) off the ground; where a common fence cannot serve as the pool fence, the pool fence must be at least four feet high with a hard cover complying with the International Building Code. For buffering, fences required with multi-family or nonresidential development must be erected and continuously maintained as a six-foot opaque fence along property lines that abut residentially zoned property (Section 154.77(F)(4)). Residential lots abutting an arterial or collector street, or multi-family or nonresidential property, may have an eight-foot fence along the abutting side or rear line behind the front house line (Section 154.77(F)(3)). All fences require a zoning plan review (Section 154.77(G)). Pre-existing fences are exempt unless declared a nuisance or hazard, in which case they must conform or be removed within 30 days (Section 154.77(H)). NM's 2018 IRC governs pool-barrier construction details statewide.