Kirkland, WA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

KZC 115.40(1)(a) sets the general rule: a fence up to six feet tall can go anywhere on the property, with carve-outs. It can't sit within 15 feet of a street curb, or the edge of pavement where there's no curb, unless the owner produces a survey or other reasonable proof of the property line, in which case the fence can go right on the line. Fences also can't violate the sight-distance rule at intersections in KZC 115.135, and none can go waterward of the shoreline setback under Chapter 83 KZC.

Lower height limits apply near certain streets. A Detached Dwelling Unit or a middle housing development fronting a neighborhood access or collector street can't put up a fence taller than 3.5 feet within the required front yard; on a corner lot with two required front yards, that limit only applies to the yard facing the home's front facade. The same 3.5-foot cap applies within three feet of a property line abutting a principal or minor arterial, unless there's already a landscaped strip between the street and sidewalk, in which case the strip between fence and property line has to be planted and maintained by the owner.

Fences taller than six feet are barred entirely from a required setback yard under subsection (1)(b). Property owners who need relief can ask the Planning Official for a modification under subsection (1)(c), granted if the property's size, shape, topography, or location justifies it and neighboring properties won't be substantially harmed, though that relief doesn't reach into the shoreline setback.