Kirkland, WA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Kirkland Zoning Code 115.40 and companion design provisions restrict fencing materials in residential districts. Barbed wire, razor wire, concertina wire, and electrified fencing are prohibited in all residential zones. Chain-link fencing is permitted but discouraged in front yards along Lake Washington Boulevard, Juanita Drive, and other scenic corridors; Kirkland design guidelines favor wood, masonry, ornamental metal, and vegetated screens. Commercial and industrial zones may use chain-link with privacy slats, but set-back and screening requirements under KZC 115.42 apply. Temporary construction fencing (chain-link or plastic mesh) is allowed during active permitted construction and must be removed within 30 days of certificate of occupancy. Shoreline Overlay fences along Lake Washington frontage must preserve views and habitat under the Kirkland Shoreline Master Program, favoring open-design fences with 50 percent or greater transparency and prohibiting solid wood panels near the ordinary high water mark. Fences in critical area buffers cannot use pressure-treated lumber that could leach into water bodies.