Kent fence rules and permits

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

Do you need a permit?

Depends. Kent follows the 2021 International Building Code, which lets owners build a fence 7 feet or shorter without a building permit. A taller fence, a masonry wall, or a fence on a parcel with critical areas or shoreline may need a permit. Exempt work must still follow every other city rule, like the corner sight rule. Call the Kent permit center to confirm before you build.

Who to ask: City of Kent Permit Center (website)

The rules

• On a corner lot in a residential zone, nothing may block the view between 2.5 feet and 10 feet above the street grade inside the corner triangle. The triangle runs 20 feet back along each street line from the corner.
• The side yard along a side street on a corner lot must be at least 10 feet wide, unless a larger yard is required.
• Access points for cars must be built so drivers can see. This covers driveways next to a new fence.
• A fence 7 feet or less is exempt from a building permit under the 2021 International Building Code that Kent has adopted. Exempt work must still follow other city rules.
• In Kent code, a 100 percent sight-obscuring fence is solid wood, metal or similar material that fully hides the view at 6 feet above the base. A basic sight-obscuring fence can be chain link with slats in every row.
• Kent code counts fence posts as structures.
• The city building official has no duty to find or mark your lot lines. You are responsible for knowing where your property line is.
• Washington law lets a court order removal of a structure built on purpose to spite or annoy a neighbor.

HOAs

Many newer Kent subdivisions have HOAs with their own fence rules, which can be tighter than the city's. Read your covenants and get board approval first if your HOA requires it.

Call before you dig

Washington 811 (Call Before You Dig): dial 811 or 800-424-5555. State law says request locates at least 2 full business days, and no more than 10 full business days, before the work starts. Utility markings expire after 45 calendar days.

Local conditions

Kent is wet in fall, winter and spring, with a dry summer. Most of the rain falls from October to April. Wind storms can also hit Puget Sound.

• Kent lists frost depth at 12 inches in its building design criteria, so frost is not the main post problem here. Rot is.
• Post bases sit in wet soil for months. Treated posts last longer than cedar posts, which can rot at the ground line in 15 to 20 years in wet Seattle-area soil.
• Shaded fence boards get moss and mildew fast. A stain or sealer every two to three years helps.
• Seattle-area windstorms have brought gusts near 70 mph. A solid privacy fence catches wind like a sail, so strong posts and good footings matter.
• Keep water from pooling at the post base. Slope the concrete away from the post or lift the post off the ground with a bracket.

Good to know

• Kent had 136,588 residents in the 2020 Census, up from 92,411 in 2010.
• Kent has adopted the 2021 International Building Code and International Residential Code, with Washington and local changes.
• Kent's city code protects the view at corner lots between 2.5 and 10 feet high inside a triangle 20 feet back from the corner.
• Kent's design criteria sheet lists a 12 inch frost line depth and 1,500 psf assumed soil bearing in most areas.
• The December 14, 2006 windstorm was the worst in a decade for Oregon and Washington. Sea-Tac Airport recorded a 69 mph wind.
• NOAA data cited on Wikipedia puts Kent near 40 inches of rain a year, with November and December the wettest months.