Lewis County, WA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger height
- Fences over 6 feet count as a structure
- Permit authority
- Community Development building section, § 15.05.020
- Road setback exemption
- Fences excluded from building setback, § 15.15.020(3)
- Intersection height limit
- 4 feet within vision-clearance triangle
- Repealed section
- Former § 17.142.110 fence rule repealed
- Enforcement
- Civil infraction and misdemeanor, § 17.07.010
Summary
Unincorporated Lewis County requires a building permit before erecting any "structure," and its zoning code defines a fence six feet or less in height as not a structure at all. Read together, a fence taller than six feet needs a permit from the community development building section, while a shorter fence does not.
Any owner or owner's authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause any such work to be performed, shall first make application to the Building Official and obtain required permit. ... means anything which is built or constructed, an edifice or building of any kind, or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner, but not including unroofed paved areas, fill, any vehicle, or any fence six feet or less in height. ... Fences, walls, or hedges may be installed except in the following instances in which they may only be four feet or of a substance which does not interfere with traffic visibility: (a) Within a 25-foot vision clearance triangle formed by the intersection of two street rights-of-way. (b) Within a 10-foot vision clearance triangle formed by the intersection of an alley and street right-of-way.
Full Breakdown
020(1)(b) LCC states that anyone who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure must first make application to the Building Official and obtain a permit. Whether a fence counts as a "structure" for that purpose turns on the zoning code's own definition. 190 LCC defines "structure" as anything built or constructed, excluding unroofed paved areas, fill, vehicles, and any fence six feet or less in height. A fence at or under six feet therefore falls outside the structure definition and its permit trigger; a taller fence is a structure and needs a permit from the community development building section before construction begins.
110, titled "Fences greater than seven feet," in its most recent land use and development regulations update, leaving this general structure-permit rule as the operative standard. 140(1) LCC limits fences, walls and hedges in residential zones to four feet, or a material that does not interfere with sight lines, within a 25-foot vision-clearance triangle at a street intersection or a 10-foot triangle where an alley meets a street.
Violations & Fines
Building without the required permit, or constructing a fence that blocks the § 17.145.140 vision-clearance triangle, is a violation of Title 17 LCC. Section 17.07.010 LCC makes each violation both a civil infraction under Chapter 1.20 LCC and a misdemeanor, with the county able to treat every day the fence remains unpermitted or in the clear-view triangle as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what height does a fence need a permit in unincorporated Lewis County?
Does a fence have to meet the county's road setback?
How tall can my fence be near a street corner?
Is there still a separate ordinance just for fences over seven feet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lewis County
Compare Lewis County to another location·View the Washington fence regulations overview
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