Everett fence rules and permits

A plain-English guide for Everett, WA homeowners. Always confirm with the city before work starts. Rules change.

Do you need a permit?

Depends. The city's fence handout says a fence 7 feet tall or less on private property does not need a permit. It still must meet the city's height, material and see-through rules. A fence over 7 feet, where allowed, or any fence in the public right-of-way needs a Public Works permit. Permit Services at 3200 Cedar Street handles questions.

Who to ask: City of Everett Permit Services (Public Works permit for right-of-way and tall fences) (website)

The rules

• In a residential front setback or next to the public right-of-way, a fence can be 42 inches tall.
• A front-setback fence can go up to 6 ft if it is at least 10 ft from the sidewalk, at least 70 percent see-through between 3 ft and 6 ft high, and not chain link or a similar material.
• In the street-side setback, a fence can be 6 ft tall.
• In interior side and rear setbacks, a fence can be 7 ft tall. The limit was 6 ft before the November 2020 code update.
• On a corner lot or double-fronting lot, the front and street-side or rear heights can be switched if the front of the house faces the street side or rear.
• Chain link fences are not allowed in the MU and UR4 zones or in historic overlays.
• Keep a fence at least 4 ft from utility mains (or as Public Works decides) and at least 2 ft from utility service lines.
• City Public Works permits for fences near roads have limited fences to 36 inches inside the 15 ft sight triangle at street and alley corners.

HOAs

Many newer Everett and Mill Creek-area subdivisions have HOAs with their own fence rules, which can be stricter than the city. Ask the HOA for the covenants before you plan a fence.

Call before you dig

Washington 811 (Call Before You Dig): dial 811. Call at least 2 business days before you dig, and no more than 10 business days ahead. Marks last about 45 days. The service is free.

Local conditions

Everett gets about 40 inches of rain a year. Most of it falls from October to April, and summers are dry. Southerly windstorms can bring gusts of 50 mph or more.

• Wet ground is the main enemy. Posts rot at the ground line first, so use ground-contact rated posts and gravel at the bottom of the hole.
• Cedar posts set in wet soil can rot in 15 to 20 years. Treated posts with cedar boards above ground often last longer.
• Clear moss and debris from the fence base each spring. Keep sprinklers from soaking the boards.
• Everett plan reviews use 18 inches as the minimum frost depth for building footings. Fence post depth is set by the installer, not this figure.
• Windstorms have hit Paine Field with gusts of 60 to 76 mph. Solid panels catch wind, so strong posts and good bracing matter. Falling trees are the bigger risk to a fence.

Good to know

• Everett had about 110,600 residents in the 2020 Census and is the Snohomish County seat.
• Everett's fence rules were moved into one chapter, 19.40, in November 2020. The change raised the interior side and rear limit from 6 ft to 7 ft.
• A retaining wall under 4 ft above finished grade can sit in a required setback. A wall over 4 ft, measured from the bottom of the footing, needs a Public Works permit and an engineer.
• Everett Permit Services is at 3200 Cedar Street, 2nd Floor, phone (425) 257-8810.
• Everett's critical areas code (steep slopes, streams, wetlands) has its own fencing and setback rules near buffers, and the city is updating it.
• In Washington, a neighbor who builds a boundary fence can ask for half the cost, but must give notice first.
• Washington fence installers generally must be registered with the state Department of Labor and Industries. Homeowners can check a contractor at Lni.wa.gov/Verify.