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.
Fence height in unincorporated Whatcom County is set by the zoning code, Title 20, not by any Washington statute. Outside urban growth areas, a fence, wall, or hedge up to six feet is allowed within the front-yard setback, and rear-yard fences may reach seven feet in Urban Residential, Rural, Residential Rural, and Agricultural districts. Corner lots must keep a clear vision triangle at intersections. Inside the cities, Bellingham, Lynden, and Ferndale each apply their own zoning heights, commonly six feet in back and lower in front. Fences that clear vegetation in critical areas near Lake Whatcom, marine bluffs, or the Nooksack can trigger separate review.
Building over the zoned height draws a code-compliance notice from Whatcom County Planning and Development Services ordering the fence lowered, with escalating penalties if it is not corrected.
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See how Whatcom County's height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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