Spokane Valley, WA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SVMC § 22.70.020(E)-(H)
- Barbed wire (nonresidential)
- Top 1/4 of fence only, security use
- Barbed wire near residential zone
- Prohibited entirely on that side
- Electric fence, outdoor storage
- 10 ft max height
- Electric fence, confining animals
- 8 ft max height
- Electric fence energizer
- 12-volt DC commercial battery max
Summary
Spokane Valley limits barbed wire to the top quarter of a nonresidential security fence and bans it next to residential zones altogether. SVMC § 22.70.020(E)-(H) also caps electric fences at 10 feet for outdoor storage or 8 feet to confine animals, and requires warning signs, a non-electric outer fence, and a low-voltage energizer.
E. In nonresidential zoning districts, barbed wire may be used for security purposes only on the upper one-quarter of the fence unless the use is adjacent to a residential zoning district, in which case no barbed wire shall be allowed on the portion of the fence adjacent to the residential zoning district. F. In residential zoning districts, barbed wire fences may only be used to confine animals if the parcel meets the animal raising and keeping requirements contained in SVMC § 19.65.020. G. Barbed wire shall not project outside of the property line or into the public right-of-way. H. Electric fences shall only be allowed to enclose outdoor storage areas in nonresidential zoning districts or to confine animals in residential zoning districts. Electric fences shall not be allowed for any other purpose. Electric fences shall: 1. Not exceed 10 feet in height when used for outdoor storage or eight feet in height when used to confine animals; 2. Be clearly marked with warning signs at least 24 square inches in area located every 60 feet.
Full Breakdown
70. Barbed wire in a nonresidential zoning district can only be used for security on the upper one-quarter of the fence, and none is allowed at all on the portion of a fence adjacent to a residential zoning district. 020; it can't be used for general security or property-line fencing. Subsection (G) bars barbed wire from projecting past the property line or into the public right-of-way at all. Electric fences are even more tightly boxed in under subsection (H): they're allowed only to enclose outdoor storage in nonresidential zones or to confine animals in residential zones, and nowhere else.
An outdoor-storage electric fence tops out at 10 feet; one used to confine animals tops out at eight feet. Every electric fence needs warning signs at least 24 square inches, spaced no more than 60 feet apart, a non-electrical fence within 12 inches of the electrified one, and an energizer powered by a commercial storage battery that doesn't exceed 12 volts DC, with a contact charge that can't exceed the IEC Standard 60335-2-76 limits referenced in the code. A public utility can seek an administrative exception to the barbed wire rules for distribution or transmission facilities.
Violations & Fines
An unpermitted barbed wire fence adjacent to a residential zone, or an electric fence missing its warning signs, outer fence, or voltage limit, is enforced as a zoning violation under Chapter 17.100 SVMC. The City issues a notice and order requiring the fence be brought into compliance or removed, and civil penalties run $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second within three years, and $2,000 for further violations under SVMC § 17.100.250.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is barbed wire legal on a fence in Spokane Valley?
Can I put an electric fence around my property in Spokane Valley?
Do electric fences need warning signs in Spokane Valley?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane Valley
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