Edmonds, WA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard limit near streets/corners
- 3 feet
- Corner zone
- 30 feet from any corner
- Right-of-way zone
- 10 feet from ROW/easement
- Exception ceiling
- 6 feet, city engineer approval
- Hazard fences barred
- regardless of height (ECDC 18.85.060)
Summary
Edmonds limits fences to three feet within 10 feet of a street right-of-way or access easement, or within 30 feet of a corner, unless the city engineer approves an exception allowing up to six feet where no visibility hazard results.
A. Streets and Corners. Height shall normally be limited to three feet within 10 feet of any street right-of-way or access easement or 30 feet of any corner, unless an exception is approved. B. Exception. If the city engineer finds that no hazard to users of the street or to nearby property will be created, the city engineer may approve a fence of up to six feet in height. C. Hazard. No fence or other obstruction may be constructed or maintained if it creates a hazard to users of the street or nearby property (ECDC 18.85.060).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
000. 000(A). Subsection (B) lets the city engineer approve an exception allowing a fence up to the citywide six-foot maximum in these locations, but only after finding that the taller fence will not create a hazard to people using the street or to nearby property. 060, the public works chapter governing sight-distance requirements at intersections and driveways. 000, a property owner near a corner who wants a taller fence must apply for both the underlying fence permit and the height exception in the same review, with the city engineer, not the planning and development director, deciding whether the extra height is safe.
Violations & Fines
A fence exceeding the three-foot corner or right-of-way limit without an approved city engineer exception is subject to code enforcement, and ECDC 17.30.010(C) independently prohibits constructing or maintaining any fence or obstruction that creates a hazard to street users or nearby property, giving the city authority to order removal or modification even where the six-foot citywide maximum has not been exceeded.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my fence be near a street corner in Edmonds?
Who approves a taller fence near a corner in Edmonds?
What if my fence blocks visibility at an intersection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
How Edmonds compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Edmonds to another location·View the Washington fence regulations overview
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Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle height limits.