Shoreline, WA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Shoreline's General Development Standards set the fence rules that make a building permit unnecessary. In single-family zones, SMC § 20.50.110 caps fences along a property line at six feet, subject to sight-clearance rules in the Engineering Development Manual, and recommends three feet six inches between the front setback line and the front property line; all electric, razor wire, and barbed wire fencing is prohibited. A companion standard for commercial and multifamily zones, SMC § 20.50.190, sets the same six-foot side and rear limit, caps front-yard fences at three feet six inches and 60 percent opacity, requires wood, wrought iron, brick, stone, or other high-quality material, and bars chain link along with electric, razor wire, and barbed wire security fencing.

Under both sections, a fence built on top of a retaining wall is measured from the finished grade at the wall's top to the top of the fence, and the combined height still cannot exceed six feet. SMC § 20.80.230(B)(1) confirms that installing a fence meeting these Chapter 20.50 standards is an allowed activity in mapped geologic hazard areas and does not require a building permit or a critical area report, though clearing for the fence must be kept to the minimum necessary and may not remove significant trees. Fences that exceed these height, opacity, or material limits fall outside the exemption and require the applicable land use approval before installation.