West Des Moines, IA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

The 2021 International Building Code that West Des Moines adopts normally exempts fences up to 7 feet tall from needing a building permit. Section 8-2A-3 of the West Des Moines City Code specifically strikes that exemption: in amending IBC section 105.2 and IRC section R105.2, the city deletes item No. 2 of the work-exempt-from-permit list, 'Fences not over 7 feet high,' while keeping a narrower exemption for one-story detached accessory structures of 200 square feet or less without a permanent foundation. The practical effect is that a fence of any height in West Des Moines needs a building permit from Development Services before construction, unlike many cities that follow the unmodified IBC exemption.

The same section also deletes the IBC's exemption for shade cloth structures used for nursery or agriculture purposes, showing the City took a deliberate, itemized approach to narrowing what property owners can build without a permit. Once a fence permit is issued, section 9-14-11.B.4.a further allows a legally established, pre-2000 nonconforming fence along a street side yard to be rebuilt once in its current location under that permit, with City staff recording a copy of the permit for the rebuild. Residential Estate decorative metal fences over 6 feet must also report their openness percentage at the time of the fence permit application under section 9-14-11.B.4.c(2).