Scottsdale, AZ Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

2, Work exempt from permit, found in § 31-5(d) of the City Code, lists specific categories of work the City will let proceed without a building permit. 9144m) high are exempt. Because the exemption is written as a height ceiling rather than a general fence exclusion, its necessary implication is that any fence taller than 3 feet is not exempt and instead needs a permit, inspection and plan review like other regulated construction under Chapter 1 of the amended IBC. The same section's introductory sentence makes clear the exemption is narrow: exemptions from permit requirements of the code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of the code or any other laws or ordinances of the jurisdiction.

That means even a fence under 3 feet must still comply with the City's Zoning Ordinance height, setback and material rules; it is only excused from the separate building-permit and inspection process. Fence height limits above 3 feet, corner-lot visibility triangles, and pool-barrier fencing are addressed elsewhere in the zoning and pool-safety provisions of the Scottsdale Revised Code, so a homeowner planning anything taller than a low garden fence should confirm both the zoning height limit and the § 31-5 permit trigger before building.