Grant County, WA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- GCC UDO § 23.08.020(g)
- Barred in
- UR1-UR4 and RVR, RC, SD1-SD4, RD districts
- Exception
- Agricultural operations of 1 acre or more
- First-offense fine
- $500 per occurrence, GCC § 1.32.140
- Enforcement
- Grant County Development Services / Sheriff's Office
Summary
Barbed wire fencing is banned in unincorporated Grant County's urban residential districts (UR1 through UR4) and its rural activity center residential districts (RVR, RC, SD1 through SD4, RD), under GCC UDO Section 23.08.020(g). The only exception is barbed wire used as an accessory to an agricultural operation of at least one acre.
(g)Barbed Wire Fences: Barbed wire fences are prohibited in urban residential (UR1, UR2, UR3, UR4) zoning districts and rural activity center residential zoning districts (RVR, RC, SD1, SD2, SD3, SD4, RD), except as permitted accessory uses to agricultural operations of one (1) acre or more.
Full Breakdown
020(g) draws a direct line between residential zoning and fence material: it prohibits barbed wire fencing in the county's urban residential districts, labeled UR1 through UR4, and in the rural activity center residential districts, labeled RVR, RC, SD1 through SD4, and RD. The single carve-out is for barbed wire used as a permitted accessory to an agricultural operation covering one acre or more, which recognizes that livestock containment on farmland still needs the material even inside a residential-designated district. The rule sits within the same accessory-uses-and-structures section that regulates sheds, RV parking and backyard animals, so it is enforced by Development Services alongside those other lot-level standards rather than through a separate fencing permit process.
Outside those specific residential district categories, such as in general agricultural, rural resource or industrial districts, this subsection does not impose the same prohibition, so a barbed wire fence used for farm or ranch purposes on non-residential-designated land is not barred by this provision.
Violations & Fines
A barbed wire fence installed in violation of GCC UDO Section 23.08.020(g) is a code violation under GCC Section 1.32, carrying a $500 fine per occurrence under Section 1.32.140. If the fence is not removed or replaced and a second violation is documented on the same property within 24 months, the fine rises to $500 again, then $1,000 for a third offense and $2,000 for a fourth or later offense under Section 1.32.220. Development Services or the Sheriff's Office, as the authorized official, can also issue a notice of violation, and unresolved violations can lead to a certificate of noncompliance recorded against the property's title under Section 1.32.230.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a barbed wire fence around my house in unincorporated Grant County?
Is barbed wire allowed if I keep livestock on my residential lot?
What about a farm or ranch outside the residential districts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grant County
Compare Grant County to another location·View the Washington fence regulations overview
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