Fence Repair in Kent, WA
Most fences fail at the posts first. A good repair company fixes the cause, like rotted posts or loose footings, not just the boards you can see.
- Pressure-treated posts with cedar boards. Treated posts resist ground rot in Kent's wet soil better than cedar posts do.
- Wood fence repair and post replacement. Wet winters rot posts and loosen boards, so many Kent fences need repair after a storm season.
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.
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.
Kent rules that apply
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.
- 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.
Questions
Will wind knock my fence down?
Puget Sound can see gusts near 70 mph in big storms. Solid privacy fences take the most force. Strong posts set deep, with good concrete, make the biggest difference.
How deep do fence posts need to go?
Kent lists a 12 inch frost line in its building design criteria. Posts for a tall fence usually go deeper than that for strength. Ask your installer how deep they set posts and what they use at the base.
Who do I call before digging post holes?
Call 811 or 800-424-5555. Washington law asks for locates at least 2 full business days before you dig. It's free, and it keeps you from hitting a buried line.