Shoreline, WA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Shoreline's fence standards separate the question of how tall a fence may be from what it may be made of. SMC § 20.50.110(B) states the material prohibition in a single flat sentence: all electric, razor wire, and barbed wire fences are prohibited. There is no exception carved out in the text for industrial, agricultural or security uses, and no permit path that authorizes these materials within city limits. The prohibition sits directly between the six-foot height cap in subsection (A) and the retaining-wall height measurement rule in subsection (C), making clear that Shoreline treats material type as an independent standard from height and placement; a compliant six-foot fence made of prohibited materials is still a violation.

Because the standard is part of the General Development Standards chapter, it applies across all residential and commercial zones covered by Title 20.50 SMC, not just neighborhood residential districts. Property owners who need enhanced security are left to comply through height, screening or design rather than through prohibited wire types. Planning and Community Development handles complaints about prohibited fencing materials the same way it handles other Development Code violations, through the notice-and-order and civil infraction process set out in Chapter 20.30 SMC.