Springfield, OR Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Springfield's fence permit trigger sits entirely on height: Section 4.4.115(B)(1) requires a construction permit only once a fence passes 6 feet, on top of whatever other permits or approvals the project already needs, so a standard 6-foot residential fence goes up without Development and Public Works sign-off. A fence proposed inside the Willamette Greenway Setback, which runs along the Willamette River near the Glenwood riverfront, is instead routed through Discretionary Use review under SDC 5.9.120 because the Greenway carries its own environmental approval criteria separate from the general fence rules.

Subsection (B)(3) adds a third track: any fence that exceeds the base height standards in Table 4.4.1, where an exceedance is allowed at all under subsection (C), must go through Type 3 review, the city's public-hearing land use process, rather than an over-the-counter approval. In practice a homeowner planning an 8-foot fence around a permitted storage yard, a 10-foot fence against a commercial neighbor, or a barbed-wire installation on a lot under 20,000 square feet should expect the same Type 3 process, since (C)(5)(c) and (C)(8)(b) route those height and material exceptions through it too.

The construction permit itself is administered by the Building Official, who under Section 2.1.120(B) can also order work stopped in writing if a fence goes up without the required approval.