Mason County, WA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Mason County Code Section 17.06.010 defines "structure" for all of Title 17 zoning and expressly carves out "fences or signs seven feet or less in height" from that definition, along with driveways and other paved areas. Because setback and dimensional standards in the zoning code apply to "structures," a fence at or below seven feet is not subject to those property-line setback rules countywide. Above seven feet, a fence becomes a regulated structure and must meet the setback and height standards of its zoning district.

District-specific rules can be tighter: in the Village Commercial district of the Allyn UGA, Section 17.12.160(1)(E) caps ordinary fencing at six feet, requires it to be decorative and architecturally integrated, and bars it from obstructing line-of-sight clearance or safety exiting (storage-area screening fences there may go to eight feet under 17.12.160(1)(D)). Near shorelines and critical areas, the resource ordinance is stricter still: Section 8.52.170(e)(4)(F) limits fences to three feet in height within FWHCA setbacks and buffers unless a taller wildlife-passable fence is recommended in an approved habitat management plan or by the Mason Conservation District.

Belfair UGA's service-area screening standard, Section 17.29.020(2), separately requires a wall or fence at least seven feet high around visible garbage and utility enclosures. Property owners should check which of these overlapping standards applies to their parcel and use before building.