Edmonds Fence Contractor
In Edmonds, a fence is often about what it does not block. Houses in the Bowl step down toward downtown and the ferry dock for their Puget Sound views, Seaview and Perrinville sit on wooded slopes, and streets without sidewalks bring yards close to the pavement. Edmonds writes its fence code with all of that in mind.
We build view-friendly and privacy fences, gates and arbors in Edmonds, from Westgate and Five Corners to Meadowdale, and refinish, repair or replace older wood fences.
Schedule your no-obligation on-site consultation today.
Edmonds Lots and Views
The Bowl
Streets drop steeply toward the water. Fences step with the grade, and Edmonds measures height from the lowest original grade — so a fence on a slope is limited at its low side.
Wooded slopes and ravines
Perrinville, Seaview and Meadowdale have steep slopes and creeks, where any fence in a critical area or buffer needs a permit.
Streets without sidewalks
Some residential streets have no curb or sidewalk, so the right-of-way line can be well inside what looks like the front yard. A fence in the right-of-way needs its own permit.
Edmonds Fence Rules in Brief
6 feet from the lowest original grade
No fence may be more than 6 feet, measured from the top of the fence to the lowest original grade, without a variance.
3 feet near streets and corners
Within 10 feet of a street right-of-way or access easement, or 30 feet of a corner, fences are normally limited to 3 feet; the city engineer may approve up to 6.
When a permit is needed
For any fence over 3 feet within those street and corner areas, and for any fence in a critical area or its buffer. Other fences up to 6 feet are exempt.
Walls, trellises and arbors
On a retaining wall 3 feet or taller, a fence may rise 4 feet above the wall. Trellises may reach 8 feet and an arbor over a gate 9 feet. More in fence height rules by city.
Fences That Keep Edmonds Views
Slim aluminum pickets
Slim black aluminum pickets on the view side, which disappear against the water from inside the house.
Arbors and garden gates
Cedar arbors up to 9 feet over an entry gate — an Edmonds allowance that gives a front walk presence without a tall fence.
Stepped privacy behind the house
6-foot cedar or horizontal screens stepped along the side lines of a sloping lot.
Edmonds Jobs
Restaining weathered cedar
Sun and salt air gray the south- and west-facing sides first. See staining and sealing.
Fences needing the street permit
Front fences within 10 feet of the right-of-way, planned so the permit application has what the city asks for.
Repairs on slopes
Stepped sections that have shifted downhill, re-leveled and re-set. See fence repair.
Edmonds Fence Questions
Do I need a permit for a front-yard fence in Edmonds?
If it is over 3 feet and within 10 feet of the street right-of-way or access easement, or within 30 feet of a corner, yes. A fence actually in the right-of-way needs a separate right-of-way permit.
How is fence height measured on a slope?
From the top of the fence to the lowest original grade, so the low side of a sloping line sets the limit.
Can I put a trellis on top of my fence?
Edmonds allows trellises up to 8 feet and arbors over gates up to 9 feet.
Can a fence protect my view?
An open metal fence keeps it; a solid fence at the limit may block the neighbor’s. Talking about it before building avoids most disputes — see the good-neighbor guide.
Sources
- ECDC 17.30 — Fences City of Edmonds
- ECDC 19.00.025 — Building code amendments (exempt work) City of Edmonds
Links and figures last checked against these sources: . Codes change — confirm the current rule with the city before you build.