Salem, OR Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

050(a)(1) sets Salem's fence and wall height standards by zone and yard location. In residential zones, and on any property used for household living in other zones, fences and walls are capped at a maximum of 8 feet, but two exceptions cut that down near streets. Within a front yard abutting a street, fences and walls cannot exceed 4 feet when located within 20 feet of the street property line, and within the closer 10 feet of that same property line, any portion of the fence above 30 inches must be less than 25 percent opaque when viewed from 25 feet away at any angle, an anti-sight-obstruction rule aimed at sightlines near driveways and intersections.

Side and rear yards abutting a street get a middle standard: up to 6 feet, but only within 10 feet of the street property line. Nonresidential zones allow taller fencing generally, up to 12 feet, except within 10 feet of a street-abutting property line, where the cap drops to 8 feet with the same 25-percent-opacity-above-30-inches rule applied above that height. Hedges have no maximum height at all, except that within 10 feet of a street, any portion above 30 inches must meet the same opacity test as fences.

Gates built into a fence, wall, or hedge must match the height limit of that fence and cannot swing open onto a public right-of-way or easement. Retaining walls are capped at 4 feet only when located at a street property line; elsewhere they may exceed 4 feet. All fences, walls, hedges, and gates must also satisfy the vision-clearance triangle requirements of SRC chapter 805, layered on top of these height rules.