Lincoln measures fence height from the ground beneath the fence, and treats earth berms, terraces, and retaining walls that elevate a fence as part of the fence, so a wall plus fence cannot exceed the code height. A hard 12-foot cap applies on low lots along major streets.
Under LMC 27.72.140, fence height is measured from the ground beneath the fence, and small swales up to six feet wide are ignored when measuring. Critically, man-made berms, terraces, and retaining walls that raise a fence count as part of the fence height, so stacking a fence on a retaining wall does not create extra allowance. Where a lot sits below an adjacent major street, height is measured from street grade, but the total from the ground to the fence top may never exceed twelve feet. Standalone retaining walls may still require a building permit.
A fence-plus-wall combination exceeding the measured height limit is a zoning violation subject to correction orders from Building & Safety.
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See how Lancaster County's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
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