Gates and Gate Openers in Kent, WA
Gates take the most wear of any part of a fence. Ask for heavy hinges, a post that can carry the weight, and a latch that closes on its own if you have kids or a pool.
- Gates and driveway gates. Gates near a driveway or corner still have to keep the sight area clear.
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.