The county's Zoning & Development Ordinance regulates fence height and location, but a standalone land-use permit is generally not required for an ordinary residential fence. Verify with Planning (503-742-4500) before building, especially near roads or in resource zones.
A typical residential fence in unincorporated Clackamas County does not require a discretionary land-use permit, but it must comply with the ZDO's height, vision-clearance and setback standards. Retaining walls over a code threshold, fences in a Water Quality Resource Area or floodplain, or fences within a road right-of-way can trigger building-permit or development review. Because the county does not publish a single blanket fence-permit rule, staff advise confirming your zoning district and any overlay (Willamette Greenway, WQRA, EFU) before you build. Cities within the county run their own permit desks.
Building without meeting ZDO standards, or inside a regulated area without required review, is a code violation subject to a correction order and civil penalties from Code Enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Backyard composting of yard debris and food scraps is allowed and encouraged in Clackamas County; no permit is needed for a home compost pile. Commercial-sca...
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Clackamas County has no ordinance banning or specifically regulating artificial turf in residential yards. Standard land-use rules on lot coverage, drainage,...
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Clackamas County does not mandate native-plant landscaping for private yards, but strongly encourages it and requires native-vegetation retention in protecte...
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Rooftop rainwater harvesting is legal in Oregon and does not need a water right. Clackamas County adds no ban. Collecting rain from an artificial impervious ...
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Clackamas County government sets no countywide outdoor-watering ban. Watering rules come from your local water provider (such as Clackamas River Water or Sun...
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Oregon law (ORS 569) declares noxious weeds a public nuisance to be controlled on all lands. Clackamas County runs the WeedWise program (since 2009) through ...
See how Clackamas County's permit requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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