FENCE RULES – WASHOE (COUNTY), NEVADA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within Washoe County, subject to local regulations.
This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Washoe County; incorporated municipalities regulate fences under their own ordinances.
Washoe County regulates residential fences through Chapter 110, Development Code, especially Article 406, Building Placement Standards, Article 412, Landscaping, Article 416, Flood Hazards, Article 418, Significant Hydrologic Resources, and related Planning and Building Division permit materials.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s adopted materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one.
Compiled From Washoe County Development Code Chapter 110, Washoe County Code Chapter 100 building-permit exemption guidance, Washoe County Building Program permit pages, Washoe County Community Services Department Planning and Building Division fence and retaining-wall handout, and Washoe County Code Enforcement materials as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
Washoe County is the governing authority for residential fence regulation in unincorporated Washoe County.
Fence rules are not contained in one consolidated residential fence article. They appear across Chapter 110, Development Code, including Article 406, Building Placement Standards, Article 412, Landscaping, Article 416, Flood Hazards, Article 418, Significant Hydrologic Resources, and Washoe County’s Planning and Building Division fence-permit materials.
The Washoe County Community Services Department, Planning and Building Division administers building and planning review for fence permits. The County Engineer is identified in the fence handout and Development Code for certain drainage, floodplain, natural drainage way, and easement-related fence approvals.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Building Permit Exemption: Washoe County exempts residential fences from building-permit requirements when the fence is not over 30 inches high in the front yard or not over 6 feet high outside the front yard, and when the fence is not used as a swimming pool barrier or as required screening under Washoe County Code Chapters 50 or 110.
• Building Permit Required: If a fence project is not within a published exemption, Washoe County requires a building permit.
• Repair or Replacement: Repair or replacement of less than 100 linear feet of fence is exempt from a building permit when the replacement uses the same material, style, location, and height.
• Wire Fencing on Larger Parcels: Washoe County exempts wire fencing on parcels larger than 2 acres when the fence does not exceed 54 inches in height.
• Fence Permit Submittal: When a fence building permit is required, the fence handout calls for a plot plan or site plan showing the proposed fence location, fence height, construction materials, and linear feet of fence, broken down by height.
• Zoning Compliance: Building permit requirements are separate from zoning, setback, or plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, and plat requirements with Washoe County Community Services Department, Planning and Building Division before construction.
• Architectural Committee Review: If a subdivision has an active architectural committee, the fence handout states that the committee must sign off on the plot plans before the permit is presented.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Property Lines: The ordinance does not state a setback requirement for standard residential fences from property lines; however, fences must be located entirely on the owner’s property and must not encroach into rights-of-way or easements.
• Access Easements: Fencing is not allowed in or across public or private access easements.
• County Drainage and Utility Easements: Fencing is not allowed in or across easements maintained by Washoe County, including sanitary sewer, waterline, and storm drainage easements.
• Private Drainage Easements: Fencing may be allowed across private drainage easements located along rear or side lot lines if drainage is perpetuated, such as through open area below the fence or a swale along the fence. Approval by the County Engineer is required.
• Floodways: Fencing is not allowed within or across floodways.
• Natural Drainage Ways: The County Engineer may approve fencing in natural drainage ways when the fence does not adversely affect drainage.
• Floodplains Outside Floodways: Fencing that does not adversely affect the flow of water, such as split rail fencing, may be allowed in floodplains if approved by the County Engineer.
• Significant Hydrologic Resources: Article 418 regulates perennial streams and their buffer areas. Within the critical stream zone buffer area, which extends 30 feet from the stream centerline, perimeter fencing on a property boundary requires a valid building permit and County Engineer approval to avoid obstruction to stream flows. New perpendicular-oriented fences are prohibited except as allowed for perimeter boundary fencing, while parallel fencing designed to keep livestock away from the water and stream bank may be permitted after review and approval.
• Sensitive Stream Zone: Within the sensitive stream zone buffer area, which extends from 30 feet to 150 feet from the stream centerline, new fencing is allowed when constructed in accordance with Washoe County Code.
• Common Open Space: Fencing installed along common open space areas within subdivisions should consist of an open fence design, such as split rail or equivalent.
• Utility Safety: Nevada law requires underground utility notification through Nevada 811 before excavation. For fence projects that involve digging, including fence post holes, notice must be provided before excavation begins.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Required Front Yard Setback: Fences, walls, or perimeter planting for residential use types are limited to 4.5 feet in height within the required front yard setback.
• Remainder of Residential Property: Fences, walls, or perimeter planting are limited to 6 feet in height on the remainder of the residential property.
• Corner Lots: On a corner lot, yards abutting streets other than collectors or arterials are treated as front yards. Where two or more frontages constitute front yards, one yard is treated as the main entrance, and the other street-frontage yards may be treated as modified side yards. In those modified side yards, fences, walls, or perimeter planting may be 6 feet high if located at least 10 feet from the modified side-yard property line.
• Visibility Triangle: Fences and other obstructions to vision may not be more than 18 inches higher than curb level within the required visibility triangle.
• Street Intersections: The visibility triangle at a street intersection is 30 feet.
• Commercial Driveways and Alleys: The visibility triangle at a commercial driveway or alleyway is 15 feet.
• Residential Driveways: The visibility triangle at a residential driveway is 10 feet.
• Entry Gates and Columns: Entry gates and entry columns may exceed the allowable height of adjacent fence panels by up to 18 inches. Lighting fixtures may be placed on top of entry columns in excess of the height limitation.
• Specialty Fences: Specialty fences for tennis courts, racquetball courts, basketball courts, other court-type recreational activity, or exotic-animal enclosures may not exceed 10 feet in height, must be located entirely to the side or rear of the main structure, and must be at least 5 feet from the side or rear property lines.
• Backstops: A specialty fence may be up to 30 feet high for a baseball or softball backstop.
• Combined Fence and Retaining Wall: Combined fences and retaining walls may not exceed 6 feet within required side and rear setback areas.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• General Residential Materials: The Development Code does not specify a general list of permitted materials for ordinary residential fences and does not publish a finished-side requirement for standard residential fences.
• Permit Submittal Materials: Where a fence permit is required, the Planning and Building Division fence handout requires the applicant to identify the fence construction materials.
• Barbed Wire and Razor Wire: Barbed wire or razor wire livestock fencing in front yards is allowed only on lots greater than 1 acre.
• Specialty Fence Construction: Specialty fences may not be solid, may not prevent viewing through the fence, must be a color that blends with the background, and may not be made of reflective material.
• Battery-Charged Fences: Battery-charged fences are permitted on properties within rural, industrial, and commercial regulatory zones and on properties within the Tahoe Planning Area. They must use a battery of not more than 12 volts of direct current, must use an energizer meeting the applicable International Electrotechnical Commission standard, must be surrounded by a nonelectric perimeter fence or wall at least 5 feet high, and may not be higher than 10 feet or 2 feet higher than the nonelectric perimeter fence or wall, whichever is greater. Warning signs reading “WARNING: ELECTRIC FENCE” must be placed at intervals of not more than 40 feet.
• Swimming Pool Barriers: Fences used as swimming pool, spa, or hot tub barriers are not treated as ordinary exempt residential fences. Barriers must comply with the adopted Washoe County Building Code referenced in Chapter 100.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate independently from Washoe County fence rules.
• Architectural Committees: If a subdivision has an active architectural committee, Washoe County’s fence handout states that the committee must sign off on the plot plans before the permit is presented.
• HOAs and Covenants: HOA rules, covenants, deed restrictions, private development standards, and planned community documents may impose stricter fence location, height, material, design, or color requirements than Washoe County’s public rules.
• Private Agreements: Easements, maintenance agreements, access agreements, and recorded subdivision documents may limit where a fence can be placed even when the Development Code would otherwise allow the fence.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Permit Applicability: Whether the fence is exempt as not over 30 inches in the front yard, not over 6 feet outside the front yard, a qualifying same-material repair under 100 linear feet, or a qualifying larger-parcel wire fence.
• Permit Submittal Review: Fence permits may be reviewed for location, height, materials, linear footage, easements, setbacks, utilities, service roads, drainage, and related site conditions shown on the plot plan or site plan.
• Height Compliance: Residential fences may be reviewed for the 4.5-foot front-yard height limit, the 6-foot height limit for the rest of the residential property, and the special corner-lot modified side-yard rule.
• Visibility Compliance: Fences may be reviewed for the 18-inch visibility-triangle obstruction limit at street intersections, driveways, and alleys.
• Easement Conflicts: Fences may be reviewed for encroachment into public or private access easements, Washoe County-maintained utility or drainage easements, private drainage easements, and water, sewer, or reclaimed-water easements.
• Drainage and Floodplain Conflicts: Fences may be reviewed for placement in floodways, natural drainage ways, floodplains outside floodways, private drainage easements, and significant hydrologic resource buffer areas.
• Material or Construction Limits: Fence review may include specialty fence transparency, reflective-material restrictions, barbed or razor wire livestock fencing in front yards, battery-charged fence standards, and swimming pool barrier requirements.
• Complaint-Based Enforcement: Washoe County Code Enforcement serves unincorporated Washoe County and addresses property nuisances, building violations, and legal use of land according to zoning.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Washoe County, based on publicly available ordinances and department guidance current as of May 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Nevada laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Nevada.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, surveys, or professional guidance. Rules and interpretations may change, and application may vary based on zoning district, site conditions, easements, rights-of-way, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with Washoe County Community Services Department, Planning and Building Division and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Washoe County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.