Fence Installation in Seattle & Snohomish County — Built for PNW Soil & Slopes
All Pro Landscaping & Construction Services LLC builds wood privacy and perimeter fencing across King & Snohomish County — with posts set like foundations, panels designed for real terrain, and the wall-plus-fence combinations sloped lots demand.
✓ Drained footings — posts that don’t rot ✓ Stepped & racked systems for slopes ✓ Fence + retaining wall combos, one scope
Two different rules govern fences here, and homeowners constantly mix them up. In Seattle, Bellevue, and Snohomish County, a building permit isn’t required until a fence exceeds 8 feet — but separate zoning rules cap most solid fences at 6 feet in side and rear yards and roughly 4–4.5 feet in front setbacks, with corner-lot sight rules on top. And rules genuinely vary by city: Renton’s permit trigger is 7 feet. We confirm your jurisdiction’s requirements before building.
Fencing We Build
Cedar Privacy & Board Fencing
Western red cedar and pressure-treated systems — solid board, board-on-board, and lattice-top styles — with posts set in properly drained footings for wet-soil longevity.
Fencing on Slopes
Stepped and racked panel systems that follow grade without gaps at the bottom or awkward stair-step visuals where they don’t belong. A constant requirement on Seattle-area lots, and where fence-only installers most often go wrong.
Fences on Retaining Walls
Wall-plus-fence combinations designed as one compliant system — Seattle caps combined height at 9’6″ when the wall raises grade, and Snohomish County measures fence height from the uphill side. We build both structures, so the combination is engineered together.
Gates & Access
Walk and drive gates framed and hung to stay square — the part of a fence that gets used every day and fails first when built casually.
Perimeter & Property-Line Fencing
Boundary fencing with the line verified before a post goes in. In Snohomish County, fences 6 feet or under can generally sit on the property line; over 6 feet must meet setbacks. Washington law encourages neighbor notification and cost-sharing on shared fences.
Commercial & Multi-Family Enclosures
Perimeter, screening, and enclosure fencing for apartment communities, commercial sites, and campuses — as standalone scopes or part of complete site construction.
Permits & Height Rules — the Verified Picture
- Permit trigger — 8 feet: Seattle, Bellevue, and Snohomish County require a building permit only when a fence exceeds 8 feet (with no masonry or concrete elements above 6 feet).
- Zoning is the real ceiling: most solid fences are capped at 6 feet in side and rear yards regardless of the permit exemption — permit rules and zoning limits are separate tests, and a fence must pass both.
- Front yards are lower: roughly 4 feet in Seattle front yards, 4’6″ in Bellevue front setbacks.
- Corner lots: sight-triangle rules near intersections limit anything tall enough to block a driver’s view — in Snohomish County, nothing over 42 inches in the clear-vision triangle.
- It varies by city: Renton’s permit trigger is 7 feet, not 8. We confirm the rules for your exact jurisdiction before design is finalized.
Sloped yard? Fence going near a wall or property line?
Those are the projects we’re built for. Send photos and a rough layout — we’ll tell you what your site and city require.
Why Fences Fail Here — and How We Build Against It
Western Washington kills fences from the ground up. Our fixes are built into every installation:
Rot at the ground line
Posts standing in saturated soil rot where wood meets grade. We set posts in footings with drainage — gravel base, water directed away — so posts dry out instead of soaking.
Leaning runs
Undersized posts and shallow footings lean under wind load on exposed runs. We size posts and embedment for the span and exposure, not a one-depth-fits-all habit.
Gaps on grade changes
Panels installed flat across slopes leave pet-sized gaps and stressed rails. We step or rack panels to follow the actual ground.
Utility strikes
Post holes go where pipes and wires live. Utility locates (811) are called before any digging — standard on every project, no exceptions.
What Determines Fence Installation Cost
- Total linear footage and fence height
- Material and style — cedar grade, board pattern, lattice or trim details
- Terrain — sloped runs needing stepped or racked panels take more layout and labor
- Gate count and hardware
- Old fence removal and disposal
- Site access and soil conditions for post setting
- Combination scopes — fences on or near retaining walls involve both structures’ requirements
Fence Questions, Answered Straight
Do I need a permit for my fence?
Usually not until 8 feet in Seattle, Bellevue, and Snohomish County — but zoning separately caps most solid fences at 6 feet in side/rear yards and ~4–4.5 feet in front setbacks. Both tests apply. Renton’s trigger is 7 feet — city rules vary, and we confirm yours.
Can my fence sit on the property line?
In Snohomish County, generally yes at 6 feet or under (unless a landscaped area is required); taller fences must meet setbacks. Verify the surveyed line first — it’s the most common fence dispute — and Washington law encourages neighbor notification and cost-sharing on shared fences.
Can I put a fence on top of my retaining wall?
Yes, with combined-height rules: Seattle caps wall + fence at 9’6″ when the wall raises grade; Snohomish County measures the fence from the uphill side; Bellevue evaluates them together. We build both, so the combination is designed as one compliant system.
Why do fence posts rot so fast here?
They’re standing in water. Saturated soil rots posts at the ground line. Drained footings — gravel base, water routed away — are the difference between a 5-year post and a 25-year post.
What about my sloped yard?
Panels get stepped or racked to follow grade — no gaps underneath, no stressed rails. Slope work is a core part of our business, not an upcharge surprise.
What does a fence cost?
Footage, height, material, terrain, gates, removal, and access decide it. Clear scope and cost expectations at consultation, after we’ve seen the site.
A Fence Built Like the Rest of Our Work
Residential, commercial, or multi-family — posts set right, panels that follow the land. (425) 329-5683
Related Services
Fence projects frequently combine with:
Retaining Walls (wall + fence combinations) · Sod Installation · Drainage Solutions · Full Backyard Remodels