Sammamish, WA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Sammamish handles fence height in two places. 200(2)(b), part of the adopted building code's permit-exemption list, does not require a building permit for "fences not over six feet (1,829 mm) high," implying that any Sammamish fence over 6 feet needs a building permit, though this provision sets a permit threshold rather than an outright height ceiling for every parcel. 020 critical area buffer. The same subsection directs that fences generally stay outside the shoreline setback, upland of the ordinary high water mark, to avoid disrupting wildlife migration along the shoreline.

Where a fence must be located within the shoreline setback to serve its function, for example around a private beach parcel, its height drops to 42 inches and it must be built of nonsolid materials so sightlines and habitat connectivity are preserved. Both the 6-foot and 42-inch caps are measured from ground elevation at the fence line, not from an average or finished grade elsewhere on the lot. The file reviewed does not contain a separate front-yard fence height schedule or corner sight-triangle rule outside these two provisions.