Fence Regulations in Oregon (2026)

Beaverton fences may sit right on the lot line but are capped at 3 feet in most front yards, 6 feet along Collector or…

In unincorporated urban residential Clackamas County, fences and sight-obscuring plantings may reach 6 feet at or…

Eugene caps residential fences at 42 inches within the required front yard setback and 6 feet within interior side or…

Where a grade difference between neighboring lots would leave a standard 6-foot fence too short for real privacy…

Hillsboro caps residential fences and walls at 6 feet 2 inches, dropping to 4 feet 2 inches in front-yard setbacks…

In setback areas of unincorporated Lane County, screening fences may not exceed 3.5 feet unless a registered engineer…

Along a public right-of-way, Marion County measures fence height from the sidewalk, or the curb, or the finished…

Medford caps front-yard fences at 3 feet (measured from street centerline grade) in most zones, and side/rear fences at…

In unincorporated Multnomah County's Urban Low Density Residential zones, yard fences top out at six feet, dropping to…

In Portland's single-dwelling zones, front-yard fences top out at 3-1/2 feet, while side and rear yard fences can go up…

Salem caps residential fences and walls at 8 feet generally, but drops that to 4 feet within 20 feet of a front street…

Fences in unincorporated Washington County top out at 7 feet in any required yard under Section 419-3, rising to 8 feet…

A new or modified fence at a Beaverton commercial, industrial, or multi-family property needs a Design Review…

Clackamas County treats fences as regulated structures under its Building Code chapter, meaning fence construction on…

Eugene doesn't run a separate fence-permit process. EC 9.2751(14) sets the standard directly: fences up to 42 inches…

Fence permits in Hillsboro go through the Type I review process: submit an application, fee, site plan, and a drawing…

Lane County does not require a zoning permit for a typical residential fence, but fences must sit entirely inside your…

Marion County's zoning code exempts fences from the minimum yard-setback requirements, so a conforming fence needs no…

Medford requires a building permit for new or replacement fences once they cross specific height limits: over seven…

Portland requires a building permit to build a fence unless it falls under a height exemption: wood fences up to 7…

A building permit is required in unincorporated Washington County for any fence over 7 feet tall, and for any retaining…

Salem does not require a site plan review permit to build a fence, wall, or retaining wall. City code lists…

Oregon's partition fence statutes (ORS Chapter 96) impose statewide rules requiring adjoining landowners to share costs…

Marion County sets no boundary-fence cost-sharing rule. Oregon's statewide partition-fence law (ORS 96.010) governs: a…

In Beaverton, retaining walls that safeguard building users, support a regulated building, or are taller than 4 feet…

In the City of Bend, cut slopes over five feet high and fill slopes deeper than five feet cannot exceed a 2:1 slope…

Retaining walls are a permitted accessory use in unincorporated Clackamas County residential districts, but taller…

Gresham requires a building permit for any retaining wall taller than 4 feet, measured from footing to top, and for any…

In Hillsboro's North Hillsboro Industrial Area Plan District, retaining walls over 30 inches must be fully screened…

Lane County treats retaining walls as structures subject to setback and Visual Clear Zone rules. Under the Oregon…

In unincorporated Multnomah County, a fence or retaining wall over six feet tall must be set back from every lot line…

Portland requires a permit for any retaining wall over 4 feet tall, measured from the footing bottom to the wall top…

Salem caps retaining walls at four feet when they sit at the property line abutting a street, but allows greater height…

Standalone retaining walls in unincorporated Washington County are capped at 7 feet under Section 419-5, while a…

Eugene prohibits electrically charged fences citywide and bars barbed wire along any sidewalk or public way, treating…

Hillsboro bans barbed, razor or similar wire fencing and electric fences along any sidewalk or public way, though…

Portland conditions barbed wire on fence height and placement, but bans battery-charged electric fences outright on…

Salem's SRC 800.050(c)-(d) bans junk fencing materials citywide and forbids barbed wire and electric fencing on…

Beaverton's Development Code requires fences and walls to be built of durable materials such as wood, stone, rock or…

New residential subdivisions in Gresham's LDR-5, LDR-7, TLDR and TR districts must build required perimeter fences from…

Lane County code does not ban specific fence materials, but it singles out livestock wire fencing (excluding cyclone or…

Marion County allows any ordinary fencing material, wood, vinyl, chain link, masonry, so long as it is not hazardous…

Medford's fence ordinance bans electrified fencing outside a permitted process, low barbed wire under six feet, and…

Fences enclosing a marijuana business in unincorporated Multnomah County cannot use plastic sheeting, knitted…

Inside mapped Riparian Wildlife Habitat within the urban growth boundary, Washington County allows new fencing only if…