Shoreline, WA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Maximum fence height, property line
- six feet
- Recommended front-yard strip height
- 3 ft 6 in
- Fence-on-retaining-wall cap
- six feet from wall's top grade
- Sight clearance standard
- Engineering Development Manual
- Enforcing agency
- Planning and Community Development
Summary
In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 20.50.110(A) caps fences along a property line at six feet, subject to sight clearance rules in the Engineering Development Manual, and recommends a three-foot-six-inch maximum in the strip between the front yard setback line and the front property line. A fence built atop a retaining wall is measured from the wall's top grade and still capped at six feet.
A. The maximum height of fences located along a property line shall be six feet, subject to the sight clearance provisions in the Engineering Development Manual. (Note: The recommended maximum height of fences and walls located between the front yard building setback line and the front property line is three feet, six inches high.) ... ... C. The height of a fence located on a retaining wall shall be measured from the finished grade at the top of the wall to the top of the fence. The overall height of the fence located on the wall shall be a maximum of six feet.
Full Breakdown
Shoreline regulates fence height as part of its General Development Standards. SMC § 20.50.110(A) sets the baseline: the maximum height of fences located along a property line is six feet, subject to the sight clearance provisions of the Engineering Development Manual, which govern visibility at driveways and intersections. The code adds a parenthetical note recommending, but not mandating, that fences and walls between the front yard building setback line and the front property line stay at three feet six inches, so that front-yard sightlines and neighborhood character are preserved even though the six-foot cap technically applies citywide along the property line.
Subsection (C) addresses a common construction scenario: when a fence sits on top of a retaining wall, its height is measured from the finished grade at the top of the wall to the top of the fence, and that combined fence-on-wall height is still capped at six feet, preventing a wall-plus-fence combination from functioning as a taller barrier than the code allows. Sight clearance at corners and driveway approaches is governed separately by the Engineering Development Manual referenced in subsection (A), so a fence that meets the six-foot limit can still be cited if it blocks a required visibility triangle.
Fence height disputes and permit questions run through Planning and Community Development, and unpermitted or oversized fences are treated the same as any other Development Code violation.
Violations & Fines
A fence that exceeds six feet along the property line, or a fence-on-wall combination exceeding six feet measured from the wall's top grade, is a Development Code violation under SMC § 20.30.770. The Director may issue a Class 1 civil infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW, and willful noncompliance is a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail. Notice-and-order civil penalties start at $500 and escalate 150 percent every 14 days without compliance. Appeals go to the Hearing Examiner within 14 days under SMC § 20.30.790.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my fence be in Shoreline?
If I build a fence on top of a retaining wall, how is the height measured?
What happens if my fence is too tall?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shoreline
How Shoreline compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Shoreline to another location·View the Washington fence regulations overview
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Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle height limits.