Richland, WA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Richland Municipal Code Section 23.38.070 sets fence height and setback rules enforced by Development Services and code enforcement. Open fences built with at least 50 percent open spacing, including nonslatted chain link, wrought iron, picket or rail fencing, can stand six feet high anywhere on the lot, provided they stay no closer to the street right-of-way than the zone's building setback line, except where subsections E and F apply. Within the adjoining street right-of-way itself, open fencing drops to four feet and must stop at least one foot behind the sidewalk or five feet behind the curb, and it cannot create a sight obstruction at intersections or curves.

Other, solid fences follow a stricter scale: six feet anywhere on the lot subject to the same setback line, but only three feet within the right-of-way strip, again with the one-foot-behind-sidewalk or five-foot-behind-curb limit. Fence height itself is measured from the highest grade within two feet of the fence line, so a fence on sloped ground is measured from its taller side, not the lot average. Corner lots and lots with triple-street frontage carry an added sight-triangle rule: on the flanking street, solid fencing over three feet and open fencing over four feet must sit back five feet from the property line or 10 feet from the sidewalk, whichever is greater; the primary front yard is exempt from this flanking-street setback.

Fences built next to public playgrounds, utilities or other public installations are exempt from the height caps and can be any height needed for safety and security, provided they stay at least 10 feet from the curb line. Fences and hedges must also meet Chapter 12.11 RMC's intersection sight-distance standard, which governs clear-view triangles at driveways and intersections independent of the fence-specific rules.