Fence laws in Glendale, Arizona
What the Glendale municipal code says about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line. Where Glendale sets no rule of its own, the Arizona rule is shown in its place and marked as such.
Fence laws in Glendale, Arizona, question by question
The short version
- Who pays on the line
- Screening between dissimilar uses in Glendale is a solid wall on the shared property line and outside any sight visibility triangles, so the required wall goes on the boundary rather than back from it.
- How tall
- Glendale allows six feet in a side or rear yard in every zoning district and three feet in a front yard, then carves out two decorative exceptions in the front: a column may reach four feet provided columns sit no closer than six feet on center, and one arched or framed entry per property may reach seven, and the answer turns on the yard, the district, and what the lot abuts. The figure is 3 feet, for fence in a front yard.
- Permits
- Glendale attaches its approvals to particular kinds of wall rather than to every fence, and the answer turns on what kind of wall or fence it is. The figure is 6 feet, for height above which an engineer is required.
- Pool barriers
- Arizona writes its pool fence rule straight into state law instead of leaving it to a code. The figure is 5 feet, for minimum height of the wall, fence or barrier enclosing a pool, measured on the outside face.
- Spite fences
- Glendale has no spite fence statute. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide this one.
- Measured from what
- Where two Glendale lots abut at different finish grades, the same wall is given two numbers at once: six feet measured on the high side and eight feet measured on the low side. The figure is 8 feet, for wall height allowed measured from the low side.
- Corner lots
- Glendale measures thirty feet from the corner of a lot at the intersection of two or more streets, and forty feet where two arterial streets cross, and the answer turns on whether the corner is a street intersection, an arterial crossing or a driveway. The figure is 30 feet, for distance from an ordinary corner.
- Retaining walls
- Glendale defines a retaining wall by how much earth it holds rather than by how tall it is. The figure is 18 inches, for depth of soil that makes a wall a retaining wall.
- Materials
- Barbed wire is prohibited across Glendale except in the C-3, B-P, M-1, M-2, A-1, RR and SR districts and on temporary construction sites, and even there it has to sit six feet or more above grade, and the answer turns on the material and the zoning district. The figure is 6 feet, for lowest point barbed wire may sit at.
- Livestock
- Arizona says exactly how to build a lawful fence. The figure is 50 inches, for height of the top wire on a lawful fence.
Who owns the fence between two properties in Glendale?
Compare fences on the property line across all 50 states
Glendale answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Screening between dissimilar uses in Glendale is a solid wall on the shared property line and outside any sight visibility triangles, so the required wall goes on the boundary rather than back from it. The city then refuses to let a second wall stand beside the first. Where a proposed wall will be immediately adjacent to or adjoining an existing one, either the existing wall is removed or the new wall is designed to cap together the sides and top of both, which turns two walls into one capped structure rather than leaving a gap nobody can reach. A front yard fence has to sit outside the public right of way and outside public utility easements, and where neither exists it may not interfere with a utility meter. Crossings of utilities are to be minimized, and if a utility has to remove part of a wall to reach its equipment it is under no obligation to put the wall back.
In conditions where a proposed wall will be immediately adjacent to and/or adjoining an existing wall, one wall shall be removed or the proposed wall shall be designed and constructed to cap together the sides and top of both walls.
35.4.204.A, 35.4.204.G and 35.4.206.E
Also on fences on the property line in Glendale
- no rule, documents checkedArizona has no law splitting the cost of a fence on a boundary between neighbors. Arizona is an open range state, so the fence law in Title 3 is about keeping livestock out and about what is owed when animals break through. Title 33, the property title, has no fence chapter at all. Two neighbors settle the cost themselves, or a city rule covers it. A.R.S. Title 3Arizona · Statute
How tall can a fence be in Glendale?
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Glendale answers this, but the answer changes depending on the yard, the district, and what the lot abuts.
Glendale allows six feet in a side or rear yard in every zoning district and three feet in a front yard, then carves out two decorative exceptions in the front: a column may reach four feet provided columns sit no closer than six feet on center, and one arched or framed entry per property may reach seven. Four uses escape the three foot front yard limit altogether, a woven wire field fence up to five feet for residential uses in the A-1 and RR districts, agriculture whatever the zoning, temporary construction sites and yards, and elementary and secondary schools. Several walls in the city are minimums rather than maximums: residential development in the SR and R-1 to R-5 districts has to put a six foot wall along abutting property lines, commercial and industrial property abutting residential use has to put up eight, and an A-1, SR, RR or R-1 property abutting an arterial street has to provide eight.
No fence or wall within the front yard in all zoning districts shall exceed a height of three (3) feet. Decorative columns may be permitted at a height of four (4) feet and spaced no closer than six (6) feet on-center. Arched or framed entries are permitted provided they do not exceed seven (7) feet in height and are limited to one (1) per property.
35.4.205.A and 35.4.206.C and D
The answer turns on the yard, the district, and what the lot abuts.
- a front yard in any district
- Three feet, with columns to four and one entry arch to seven. 3 ft
- a side or rear yard in any district
- Six feet. 6 ft
- commercial or industrial property abutting residential use
- A wall of at least eight feet, required rather than allowed. 8 ft
- a woven wire field fence in the A-1 or RR districts
- Five feet, and exempt from the front yard limit. 5 ft
Also on fence height in Glendale
- no rule, documents checkedArizona sets no limit on how tall a fence at a house can be. City, town or county zoning sets it, and there is no statewide building code behind that. State law has two fence heights and neither is a cap: the five foot pool fence in Title 36, which is about pool safety, and the six foot line in A.R.S. 11-861(G)(2), which only marks when a fence counts as a side structure for a county fire code rule. A.R.S. Title 3Arizona · Statute
Do I need a permit for a fence in Glendale?
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Glendale answers this, but the answer changes depending on what kind of wall or fence it is.
Glendale attaches its approvals to particular kinds of wall rather than to every fence. A wall over six feet measured from the inside finished grade needs structural calculations prepared by a licensed structural engineer. An electrical fence needs a building permit from the Development Services Department. A temporary fence needs a temporary fence permit unless an approved building, civil, special event or abatement permit is already active, and that permit runs for a hundred and eighty days or to a date the city sets, with an extension available only where the applicant shows ongoing environmental remediation, a safety hazard being addressed, active development evidenced by recent inspection reports, or other extenuating circumstances. A wall retaining eighteen inches of soil or more goes to the City Engineer for review.
Walls exceeding six (6) feet in height, measured from the inside finished grade, shall require the submittal and approval of structural calculations prepared by a licensed structural engineer, unless specified otherwise in this Ordinance.
35.4.204.D, 35.4.208.A.3.f and 35.4.208.C
The answer turns on what kind of wall or fence it is.
- a wall over six feet
- Structural calculations from a licensed structural engineer. 6 ft
- an electrical fence
- A building permit from Development Services.
- a temporary fence
- A temporary fence permit, good for a hundred and eighty days. 180 days
Also on permits in Glendale
- set in state lawArizona has no statewide building code and gives the job to the counties. In a county that has zoning, the board of supervisors may adopt and enforce a building code for the zoned areas outside any city, and may leave out areas zoned rural or unclassified. The code has to be adopted by reference after notice and hearings before the county planning and zoning commission and the board. The choice is limited too: a building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical code from a national code group, or the one the largest city in the county already uses. A.R.S. § 11-861(A)Arizona · Statute
- set in state lawCities and towns get the same power under a separate law. An Arizona city may adopt an existing code by reference without printing the code itself, as long as the ordinance doing it is published in full. At least three paper copies, or one paper and one electronic copy, stay on file with the city clerk for anyone to look at. So the fence permit rule in Arizona is whichever code the city or town picked. A.R.S. § 9-802Arizona · Statute
- set in state lawArizona law puts a number on an ordinary fence in exactly one place, and it is in the same county statute. A county fire code cannot make a small side building or structure put in fire sprinklers by way of a fire truck access road rule. The list of what counts as one of those side structures names a fence more than six feet high, next to barns, carports, sheds and walls that hold back earth. Six feet is not a cap on fence height. It is the line above which a fence counts as a structure for that one fire code rule. A.R.S. § 11-861(G)(2)Arizona · Statute
Pool fence requirements in Glendale
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Arizona answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Arizona writes its pool fence rule straight into state law instead of leaving it to a code. A pool or other held body of water at least eighteen inches deep and wider than eight feet gets a fence at least five feet high, measured on the outside face of the wall, fence or barrier. Gates close and latch by themselves, the latch sits at least fifty four inches above the ground, and the gate opens away from the pool.
This one is Arizona law, not Glendale law. All Arizona findings
Be entirely enclosed by at least a five foot wall, fence or other barrier as measured on the exterior side of the wall, fence or barrier.
5 ftminimum height of the wall, fence or barrier enclosing a pool, measured on the outside face
Spite fence laws in Glendale
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Glendale law has no rule about this. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide it instead.
Arizona has no spite fence law. The fence sections in Title 3 are about livestock and no fence districts, and Title 33 has no fence rules in it. Neither one sets a height that turns a fence into a nuisance, and neither one says anything about a fence put up to annoy a neighbor.
This one is Arizona law, not Glendale law. All Arizona findings
Documents read before writing that:
- A.R.S. Title 3Arizona State Legislature
- A.R.S. Title 33Arizona State Legislature
How fence height is measured in Glendale
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Glendale answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Where two Glendale lots abut at different finish grades, the same wall is given two numbers at once: six feet measured on the high side and eight feet measured on the low side. That is the same wall seen from each yard, and it means neither neighbor can gain height by regrading, because raising the ground on one side lowers the allowance on that side by exactly as much. A modification needs a written request and the approval of the Development Services Department. The other measuring rule attaches to engineering rather than to the neighbors: a wall over six feet, measured from the inside finished grade, needs structural calculations from a licensed structural engineer.
Where two (2) lots abut one another, but have differing finish grades, the wall height shall be limited to six (6) feet on the high side and eight (8) feet on the low side.
8 ftwall height allowed measured from the low side
Also on how height is measured in Glendale
- set in state lawArizona names a starting point in the one place it gives fence sizes. Section 3-1426 describes a lawful fence on open range and puts the top barbed wire fifty inches above the ground, with the other wires spaced down from it. The ground is the starting point and the law says so. That rule is there to turn livestock, not to size a fence at a house. Section 9-462.01 lets a city set the height of structures, so a fence at a house is a city matter and the city picks the surface to measure from. A.R.S. 3-1426(A)Arizona · Statute
Fence rules for corner lots in Glendale
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Glendale answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the corner is a street intersection, an arterial crossing or a driveway.
Glendale measures thirty feet from the corner of a lot at the intersection of two or more streets, and forty feet where two arterial streets cross. Inside that area the test is not simply a height but a proportion: a fence that obstructs more than ten percent of the view may not be built, repaired, remodeled or replaced above thirty inches from the level of the adjacent street, which leaves a very open fence able to stand taller. The same structure applies at driveways with different numbers, ten feet from any driveway and a twenty five percent obstruction threshold, again at thirty inches. Because the rule names repair, remodeling and replacement alongside building, an old fence inside the area cannot be rebuilt as it was.
No fence or wall shall be built, repaired, remodeled or replaced within thirty (30) feet (for arterial to arterial intersections the distance shall be forty (40) feet) of the corner of any lot, which corner is at the point of intersection of two (2) or more streets and which prevents a clear view by the operators of vehicles on the streets of traffic proceeding on the crossing street or streets.
The answer turns on whether the corner is a street intersection, an arterial crossing or a driveway.
- an ordinary street intersection
- Thirty feet, and thirty inches where the fence blocks over a tenth of the view. 30 ft
- an arterial meeting an arterial
- Forty feet. 40 ft
- a driveway
- Ten feet, and thirty inches where the fence blocks over a quarter of the view. 25%
Also on corner visibility in Glendale
- set in state lawArizona sets no clear view rule at a corner on a private lot. What Title 28, Chapter 20 does is make it a petty offense to place or keep anything blocking a public highway. Section 28-7053 covers a structure or object of any kind placed in, under or over part of the road, which is wide enough to catch a fence. Section 28-7054 sets the notice and removal steps. The rule stops at the edge of the public road. Height and setback on the lot behind it come from city and county zoning under sections 9-462.01 and 11-812. A.R.S. 28-7053Arizona · Traffic code
Retaining wall rules in Glendale
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Glendale answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Glendale defines a retaining wall by how much earth it holds rather than by how tall it is. Any wall retaining at least eighteen inches of earth or soil is a retaining wall and goes to the City Engineer for review. Above four feet of retaining need the wall has to be terraced rather than built as one face, and the terraces are specified: separated by an average of four feet with no point closer than two, landscaped with low maintenance shrubs, cacti and vegetative groundcovers, and built with weep holes for drainage and sleeves for irrigation. So the rule turns a tall retaining wall into a planted series of shorter ones, and the landscaping is part of the engineering rather than an afterthought.
For the purpose of this Section, any wall retaining a minimum of eighteen (18) inches of earth or soil shall be considered a retaining wall and shall be subject to review by the City Engineer or authorized agent. Terraced walls shall be required when retaining needs exceed four (4) feet in height.
18 indepth of soil that makes a wall a retaining wall
Also on retaining walls in Glendale
- left to the townArizona has no statewide building code, so it has no state rule for a wall that holds back earth. Section 11-861 lets a county board of supervisors adopt a building code for the parts of a zoned county outside any city. The choice is limited to a code from a national code writing group, or the code the largest city in that county already uses. The height at which a wall of that kind needs a permit comes from whichever code the county or city picked. A.R.S. § 11-861(A)Arizona · Statute
Fence materials allowed in Glendale
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Glendale answers this, but the answer changes depending on the material and the zoning district.
Barbed wire is prohibited across Glendale except in the C-3, B-P, M-1, M-2, A-1, RR and SR districts and on temporary construction sites, and even there it has to sit six feet or more above grade. No fence carrying barbed wire below six feet may stand within ten feet of a street, sidewalk or roadway right of way. An electrical fence is allowed only if it is Underwriter Laboratory approved and unmodified, and the code then specifies it further than almost any other city does: it may not sit in a required street side setback, its charge may not exceed the International Electrotechnical Commission energizer characteristics, its power has to come from a storage battery of no more than twelve volts DC, it needs warning signs reading Warning Electrical Fence at intervals of no more than thirty feet with symbols anyone can read, and it needs a marked, accessible key switch that cuts it off from every power source. Decorative masonry block is the preferred screening material and alternatives go through Design Review.
Barbed wire fences shall be prohibited in all zoning districts except in the C-3, B-P, M-1, M-2, A-1, RR, or SR Districts and for temporary construction sites, provided that the barbed wire is located six (6) feet or more above grade.
The answer turns on the material and the zoning district.
- barbed wire in the named districts
- Allowed at six feet or more above grade. 6 ft
- barbed wire near a street or sidewalk
- Nothing below six feet within ten feet of the right of way. 10 ft
- an electrical fence
- UL approved, twelve volts DC, signs every thirty feet, and a key switch. 30 ft
- a screening wall
- Decorative masonry block preferred, alternatives through Design Review.
Also on materials in Glendale
- set in state lawArizona describes a lawful fence by its wire. It takes solid posts no more than thirty feet apart with at least four tight barbed wires on them. A fence built some other way still counts when it is as strong and turns livestock as well. A.R.S. 3-1426Arizona · Statute
Livestock and boundary fence law in Glendale
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Arizona answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Arizona says exactly how to build a lawful fence. Posts go in the ground no more than thirty feet apart. At least four barbed wires are stretched tight and tied to those posts. The top wire sits fifty inches above the ground, and the other three sit twelve, twenty two and thirty two inches below it. Posts set more than one rod apart need stays no more than seven and a half feet from each other. Any other fence just as strong and just as good at turning livestock counts too.
This one is Arizona law, not Glendale law. All Arizona findings
A fence shall be deemed a lawful fence when it is constructed and maintained with good and substantial posts firmly placed in the ground at intervals of not more than thirty feet, upon which posts are strung and fastened at least four barbed wires of the usual type tightly stretched and secured to the posts and spaced so that the top wire is fifty inches above the ground
50 inheight of the top wire on a lawful fence
Also on agricultural fencing in Glendale
- set in state lawArizona is a fence out state. The landowner who wants animals kept off builds the fence, not the animal owner, and nothing is owed for a trespassing animal unless the land was already ringed by a lawful fence. A no fence district is the exception. Inside one, Section 3-1424 makes the person in charge of the livestock pay the damage and guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor for letting them run loose. A.R.S. 3-1427Arizona · Statute
Documents behind this page
9 documents, of which 1 was published by Glendale itself. Each was read on the date shown.
- Arizona State LegislatureArizona Revised Statutes, Title 3, Agriculture, full title listing
- Arizona State LegislatureArizona Revised Statutes, Title 33, Property, full title listing
- City of GlendaleCode of Ordinances, Chapter 35, Unified Development Code, Article 4, Section 35.4.200, Screening, Walls and Fences
- Arizona State LegislatureArizona Revised Statutes, Title 11, Chapter 6, Section 11-861, Adoption of codes by reference
- Arizona State LegislatureArizona Revised Statutes, Title 9, Chapter 6, Section 9-802, Procedure for adoption by reference
- Arizona State LegislatureArizona Revised Statutes, Title 36, Chapter 15, Article 5, Section 36-1681, Pools; enclosures; safety features
- Arizona State LegislatureArizona Revised Statutes, Title 3, Section 3-1426, Lawful fence defined
- Arizona State LegislatureArizona Revised Statutes, Title 28, Chapter 20, Section 28-7053, Misuse of public highway or airport; violation; classification; injunction; definition
- Arizona State LegislatureArizona Revised Statutes, Title 3, Chapter 11, Article 4
What this page does not cover
A city ordinance is not the only rule that reaches a fence. The zoning district a parcel sits in can change the height allowed on it, and so can an overlay district, a recorded easement, a fire hazard severity zone or a coastal zone. A homeowner association can be stricter than the city and nothing in the municipal code will say so. None of those appear here.
The rules above are the ones Glendale publishes, plus the Arizona rules that apply where the city sets none. Fence laws in Arizona has the state layer in full.
This is general information drawn from published government documents. It is not legal advice, ordinances are amended, and the date beside each finding is the date the document was read. How findings are made · What the terms mean