Washington County, MN Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

5(2)(A)1 of the Development Code, which applies within the Shoreland Management Overlay District and the St. Croix River Management Overlay District, prohibits any solid wall fence rising more than 4 feet above adjacent ground grade anywhere those districts apply. 5(2)(C) then sets height by use along a road right-of-way: agricultural properties may build a wire strand or wood rail fence up to 6 feet, while properties where the primary use is residential are capped at 4 feet, and any fence within the non-buildable setback area and less than 20 feet from the front property line is also capped at 4 feet.

5(2)(B), which applies specifically to lake or river frontage lots, allows fences up to 6 feet within the non-buildable setback area along side lot lines and up to 6 feet within the buildable area of the property. 5(2)(C)3 makes clear that fences on all other parts of an overlay-district property fall back to the regulations of the local unit of government, meaning the township or city fence rules control where the county's list does not reach. These standards apply only inside the two overlay districts; fence height outside the Shoreland and St. Croix River Overlay Districts is set by the applicable township or city, not this section of the county Development Code.