West Des Moines, IA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Section 9-14-11.B of the West Des Moines Zoning Code sets fence height by zone and by yard. In every residential district except Residential Estate, fences in the side, street side and rear yards can rise to 6 feet, and Residential Estate lots over 40,000 square feet allow an 8-foot decorative metal fence that is 75 percent open, with a 6-foot cap on solid privacy fencing. Industrial districts allow 8-foot fences, and the Warehouse Retail district allows 12 feet. In the front yard or a street side yard, section 9-14-11.B.4.b(3) allows a fence up to 4 feet placed at the property line without the setback that applies to taller fences; a taller, zoning-district-height fence along a street lot line instead needs a 15-foot setback from the ultimate right-of-way.

Height is measured from the ground beneath the fence to its top, except on a sloped street side yard where up to 2 extra feet is allowed to reach an effective 6-foot height, capped at 8 feet of total vertical measurement. Section 9-14-11.B.4.b(1) requires visual clearance at the intersection of two streets and at a street-and-driveway intersection, which can force a fence to be angled, shortened or built with an open, see-through design at the corner. A fence permit application records the height and setback for the record, and the Director of Development Services can allow a nonconforming fence design that still satisfies the section's intent.