Fence laws in North Las Vegas, Nevada
What the North Las Vegas municipal code says about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line. Where North Las Vegas sets no rule of its own, the Nevada rule is shown in its place and marked as such.
Fence laws in North Las Vegas, Nevada, question by question
The short version
- Who pays on the line
- Every fence and wall has to be located entirely on the private property of whoever is building it, unless the owner of the adjoining property agrees in writing that it may be erected on the division line. The figure is 0 feet, for setback stated from a property line, with the fence required to be inside it.
- How tall
- For any residential use a fence or wall may not exceed eight feet, retaining walls aside, and the answer turns on the use, the yard and what sits on the other side of the line. The figure is 8 feet, for maximum height of a fence or wall at a residential use.
- Permits
- The section assumes a building permit rather than creating a fence permit, and it shows in the details, and the answer turns on whether the fence meets the stated heights.
- Pool barriers
- Nevada pool law covers a public pool, which it describes as any structure holding a man made body of water meant to be used by people as a group for swimming or bathing, whether or not anyone is charged for it.
- Spite fences
- North Las Vegas has no spite fence statute. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide this one.
- Measured from what
- The height of a fence or wall is the total effective height above finished grade measured from the property with the highest elevation, which is the strict version of the rule and stops a fence being called six feet from the high yard and ten from the low one. The figure is 12 feet, for overall height a fence and retaining wall together may not exceed.
- Corner lots
- On a corner lot in every district, no fence or wall over twenty four inches above the street centerline grade is permitted inside a triangle drawn from where the projected curbing lines of the two streets meet, fifteen feet along one curb line and diagonally back to a point fifteen feet from the start, and the answer turns on whether the opening is a street corner or a driveway. The figure is 24 inches, for height above street centerline grade allowed in the corner triangle.
- Retaining walls
- North Las Vegas leaves retaining walls to the building code adopted by the governing body of each city or county.
- Materials
- Every fence has to be built in a substantial, workmanlike manner of material reasonably suited to the job, and kept in reasonable repair, with an unsightly or dangerous fence declared a public nuisance the city may abate, and the answer turns on the material, the height and which district the fence is in. The figure is 3 feet, for masonry wall height at which the adopted building code takes over.
- Livestock
- Nevada says what a legal fence for livestock has to be. The figure is 20 feet, for maximum spacing between posts on a legal fence.
Who owns the fence between two properties in North Las Vegas?
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North Las Vegas answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Every fence and wall has to be located entirely on the private property of whoever is building it, unless the owner of the adjoining property agrees in writing that it may be erected on the division line. That is a containment rule with a consent door in it, and it means a fence straddling the boundary is lawful in North Las Vegas only with a signature. No setback is stated beyond that, so a fence may come right up to the line on the builder side. Two other rules limit where a fence may run rather than how close. A side yard wall higher than forty eight inches may not extend past the plane of the front wall of the house. And no retaining wall within four feet of any sidewalk may exceed three feet, which keeps the street edge low whatever the lot behind it is doing.
All fences and/or walls shall be located entirely upon the private property of the persons, firms, or corporations constructing, or causing the construction of, such fence and/or wall unless the owner of the adjoining property agrees, in writing, that such fence and/or wall may be erected on the division line of the respective properties.
0 ftsetback stated from a property line, with the fence required to be inside it
Also on fences on the property line in North Las Vegas
- no rule, documents checkedNevada has no law about splitting the cost of a fence on the line. Nothing in state law makes one neighbor pay a share of a boundary fence, and nothing sets a notice step before building one. The livestock chapter does say what a legal fence has to look like, but that definition decides who pays for damage done by stray animals, not who pays for the fence. The grazing chapter and the property chapter say nothing about cost either. That leaves a deal between the two neighbors or a city rule. NRS ch. 569Nevada · Statute
How tall can a fence be in North Las Vegas?
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North Las Vegas answers this, but the answer changes depending on the use, the yard and what sits on the other side of the line.
For any residential use a fence or wall may not exceed eight feet, retaining walls aside. In a front yard the limit is forty eight inches, and twenty five percent of the fence has to be open above thirty six inches, so the top foot of it is mostly see-through. The code defines the front yard for this purpose as the whole area from the front of the house to the front property line, which closes the usual argument about where a required setback ends. Office and commercial uses get ten feet, industrial uses twelve, and a perimeter fence abutting a residential district in either case has to be at least six feet and no more than eight, measured from the residential side of the line. A mixed use perimeter wall, berm or fence, if one is used at all, runs from three feet six inches to ten feet. Anything outside those numbers takes a variance from the Planning Commission.
No fence or wall shall be allowed in any residential front yard that exceeds forty-eight (48) inches in height. Twenty-five (25) percent of any front yard fence or wall shall be open above thirty-six (36) inches.
The answer turns on the use, the yard and what sits on the other side of the line.
- a residential lot generally
- Eight feet. 8 ft
- a residential front yard
- Forty eight inches, a quarter of it open above thirty six. 48 in
- office or commercial
- Ten feet. 10 ft
- industrial
- Twelve feet. 12 ft
Also on fence height in North Las Vegas
- no rule, documents checkedNevada does not limit how tall a fence at a house can be. NRS 278.580 leaves building codes to each city and county, so no state code carries a fence height or a fence permit rule. The only fence heights in Nevada law are the forty eight inch top barrier on a livestock fence and the five and six foot barriers around a public pool. Cities and counties set the height rule for a yard fence. NRS 278.580Nevada · Statute
Do I need a permit for a fence in North Las Vegas?
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North Las Vegas answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the fence meets the stated heights.
The section assumes a building permit rather than creating a fence permit, and it shows in the details. A written agreement between two neighbors about which side the height is measured from has to be submitted as part of the building permit application packet, which only makes sense if a packet exists for every fence. Masonry walls of three feet and over are handed to the adopted building code, and the below-grade part of every retaining and screen wall has to be sealed by a method the Division of Building Safety approves. Above the stated heights the route is a variance: an owner, contractor or developer wanting a fence in any district that deviates from the height requirements may apply for one, and only the Planning Commission may approve it, under the variance rules in Section 17.12.070.K. A wall that has to be decorative on both sides may be excused by the Planning Commission.
Property owners, contractors, or developers wishing to construct a fence or wall in any district that would deviate from the height requirements of this title may apply for a variance.
The answer turns on whether the fence meets the stated heights.
- a fence within the heights
- The building permit packet.
- a fence over them
- A variance, and only from the Planning Commission.
- masonry three feet and over
- The building code.
- a neighbor agreement on the datum
- In writing, in the packet.
Also on permits in North Las Vegas
- set in state lawNevada has no building code of its own. NRS 278.580 lets the governing body of any city or county adopt a building code, write the rules that enforce it, and set the permit fees. The statute names only two things a local code has to carry: the earthquake parts of the International Building Code, and standards for studying earthquake hazards. Whether a fence needs a permit is a city or county question. NRS 278.580Nevada · Statute
Pool fence requirements in North Las Vegas
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Nevada answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Nevada pool law covers a public pool, which it describes as any structure holding a man made body of water meant to be used by people as a group for swimming or bathing, whether or not anyone is charged for it. A pool at a private home is left out when the owner or someone living there controls it and only family and invited guests use it. Foster homes, small child care homes and some private club pools are left out too.
This one is Nevada law, not North Las Vegas law. All Nevada findings
means any structure containing an artificial body of water that is intended to be used collectively by persons for swimming or bathing, regardless of whether a fee is charged for its use
Also on pool barriers in North Las Vegas
- set in state lawNevada requires a barrier that closes off the whole pool area at a public pool. It can be a fence, a wall, a building or something else. It has to keep small children out and give nothing to grab or stand on from the outside, and no part of a pool enclosure may double as a walkway people use to get somewhere else. NAC 444.136Nevada · Agency guidance
- set in state lawNevada sets two barrier heights for public pools, and both are taller than the four feet common in other states. A pool at a hotel, motel, other lodging, trailer park, apartment building, condominium or other building with many homes in it takes a barrier at least five feet high. Every other covered pool takes at least six feet. A layout where a gate or door opens straight from a room into the pool area is not allowed. NAC 444.136Nevada · Agency guidance
- set in state lawThe Nevada pool barrier rule also limits the gaps. Upright pieces sit no more than four inches apart, and any opening along the bottom stays under four inches tall. A gate or door into the pool area carries a permanent lock and a latch that closes and catches on its own, set at least three and a half feet above the ground. NAC 444.136Nevada · Agency guidance
Spite fence laws in North Las Vegas
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North Las Vegas law has no rule about this. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide it instead.
Nevada has no spite fence law and no height that makes a fence a legal wrong on its own. A spite fence is one built to bother a neighbor rather than to do a job. The nuisance sections of chapter 40 never use the word fence, and NRS 40.140 gives only a broad test covering anything that blocks the free use of property. The public nuisance sections of chapter 202 mention a fence once, to say that fencing public land is not a nuisance when a federal agency allows or requires it.
This one is Nevada law, not North Las Vegas law. All Nevada findings
Documents read before writing that:
- NRS 40.140Nevada Legislature
- NRS ch. 202Nevada Legislature
- NRS ch. 111Nevada Legislature
How fence height is measured in North Las Vegas
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North Las Vegas answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
The height of a fence or wall is the total effective height above finished grade measured from the property with the highest elevation, which is the strict version of the rule and stops a fence being called six feet from the high yard and ten from the low one. Then comes the part almost nobody else writes: on a property line the height may instead be measured from the finished grade of either side when both abutting owners are in joint agreement, and that agreement has to be submitted in writing as part of the building permit application packet. So the neighbors can choose the other datum between them, on the record. A retaining wall is measured on its exposed side. A fence may sit on top of one provided the combined height stays under twelve feet and the retaining wall is engineered for it, and anything over nine feet overall needs five feet of landscaping between it and the back of the sidewalk.
The height of the fence or wall shall be the total effective height above the finished grade, measured from the property with the highest elevation.
12 ftoverall height a fence and retaining wall together may not exceed
Also on how height is measured in North Las Vegas
- set in state lawNevada answers the measuring question in one place, the livestock title. A legal fence has at least four side to side barriers, the lowest no more than twelve inches from the ground and the top at least forty eight inches above the ground. The ground is the starting point. The planning and zoning chapter has no match for it. NRS 278.020 gives cities and counties power over the improvement of land and over where structures go and how sound they are, without ever using the word height, so a fence at a house has no state starting point at all. NRS 569.431Nevada · Statute
Fence rules for corner lots in North Las Vegas
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North Las Vegas answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the opening is a street corner or a driveway.
On a corner lot in every district, no fence or wall over twenty four inches above the street centerline grade is permitted inside a triangle drawn from where the projected curbing lines of the two streets meet, fifteen feet along one curb line and diagonally back to a point fifteen feet from the start. Twenty four inches is one of the lowest limits in this project and there is no exception for an open fence, which is notable because the front yard rule two paragraphs later does allow openness to buy height. A driveway or an alley gets its own shape rather than the same triangle: two points on the right-of-way line, fifteen feet either side of the driveway or alley centerline, and a third point on that centerline ten feet outside the right-of-way, so the protected area sticks out into the street rather than sitting on the lot.
On corner lots in all districts, no fence or wall in excess of twenty-four (24) inches above the street centerline grade shall be permitted within a triangular area defined as follows: beginning at the intersection of the projected curbing lines of two intersecting streets, thence fifteen (15) feet along one curbline, thence diagonally to a point fifteen (15) feet from the point of beginning
The answer turns on whether the opening is a street corner or a driveway.
- a street corner
- Fifteen feet each way, two feet tall. 24 in
- a driveway or alley
- Fifteen feet either side, ten feet into the street. 15 ft
- an open fence
- No exception for it.
- a taller fence there
- A variance from the Planning Commission.
Also on corner visibility in North Las Vegas
- set in state lawNevada does have a state rule about blocking the view at an intersection, and it sits in the highway chapter rather than in any zoning law. NRS 405.110 says an advertising sign may not stand where it hides a clear view of a crossing highway. It reaches signs and advertising, nothing else. It draws no triangle, gives no distance, and says nothing about a fence on a house lot, so a corner fence is still a city or county matter under NRS 278. NRS 405.110Nevada · Traffic code
Retaining wall rules in North Las Vegas
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North Las Vegas does not set this. It leaves it to the building code adopted by the governing body of each city or county.
Nevada has no rule of its own for a wall that holds back earth. NRS 278.580 lets the governing body of a city or county adopt a building code covering the design, strength and materials of structures, and adopt the rules that enforce it. Whether that kind of wall needs a permit, and how tall it can stand before it does, is answered by the code that city or county adopted.
This one is Nevada law, not North Las Vegas law. All Nevada findings
the governing body of any city or county may adopt a building code, specifying the design, soundness and materials of structures, and may adopt rules, ordinances and regulations for the enforcement of the building code
The code hands this to the building code adopted by the governing body of each city or county, which is not published in the code itself.
Fence materials allowed in North Las Vegas
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North Las Vegas answers this, but the answer changes depending on the material, the height and which district the fence is in.
Every fence has to be built in a substantial, workmanlike manner of material reasonably suited to the job, and kept in reasonable repair, with an unsightly or dangerous fence declared a public nuisance the city may abate. Chain link and wire fences, wherever they are allowed, have to be made of at least eleven-gauge wire or its equal and may have no barbed ends at the top, except in industrial districts, which is a neat way of banning the twisted selvage on a residential fence without banning barbed wire by name. Masonry is sorted by height rather than by district: under three feet in a rear yard setback there are no restrictions, under three feet and visible from a street or sidewalk the wall has to be decorative, and three feet and over the adopted building code applies. The part of every retaining and screen wall below grade has to be sealed by a method the Division of Building Safety approves, to stop mineral deposits leaching through. Where only one side is finished, that side faces the neighbor.
Chain link or wire fences, wherever permitted, shall be constructed in such a manner that no barbed ends shall be at the top, except in industrial districts, and shall be constructed of at least eleven-gauge wire or its comparable.
The answer turns on the material, the height and which district the fence is in.
- chain link
- Eleven gauge, no barbed ends on top.
- an industrial district
- Barbed ends allowed on top.
- masonry three feet and over
- The building code applies. 3 ft
- a fence finished on one side
- The finished side faces the neighbor.
Also on materials in North Las Vegas
- set in state lawNevada orders every county board to pass a rule on battery charged fences, and the state says what that rule has to contain. The fence goes on land not marked for homes, or on rural home land. It runs off a battery of no more than 12 volts and meets the international standard for the charger. It sits behind a fence or wall with no current in it at least 5 feet tall, stops at 10 feet, and carries warning signs no more than 40 feet apart. A county may not ban one outright and may not charge a separate permit for it. NRS 244.3677Nevada · Statute
Livestock and boundary fence law in North Las Vegas
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Nevada answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Nevada says what a legal fence for livestock has to be. It carries at least four side to side barriers of wire, board, pole or similar material in common use nearby, with posts no more than twenty feet apart. Each post has to hold a sideways pull of 250 pounds at a point four feet up, and each barrier has to hold the same pull halfway between two posts.
This one is Nevada law, not North Las Vegas law. All Nevada findings
a fence with not less than four horizontal barriers, consisting of wires, boards, poles or other fence material in common use in the neighborhood, with posts set not more than 20 feet apart.
20 ftmaximum spacing between posts on a legal fence
Also on agricultural fencing in North Las Vegas
- set in state lawThe same Nevada rule fixes the spacing and the height of a legal fence. The lowest barrier sits no more than twelve inches off the ground, no two barriers are more than twelve inches apart, and the top barrier stands at least forty eight inches above the ground. NRS 569.431Nevada · Statute
- set in state lawNevada is a fence out state for cropland. The farmer builds the fence, not the animal owner. Nobody may collect for livestock damage to cultivated land, and no Nevada court may award it, if the land was not closed in by a legal fence when the animals got in. NRS 569.450Nevada · Statute
- set in state lawOnce land is closed in by a legal fence the rule turns around. If livestock break into ground held by a legal fence, the owner or manager of the animals pays the landowner for all the damage. A second trespass caused by that person neglecting the animals costs double. NRS 569.440Nevada · Statute
- set in state lawNevada calls every unfenced piece of land outside cities and towns open range when cattle, sheep or other farm animals graze or roam there by custom, license, lease or permit. That matters most on the highway. Under NRS 568.360 a person who owns or controls an animal running on open range does not have to keep it off a highway crossing that range and pays nothing for a crash there. Letting an animal into a fenced highway right of way through carelessness is different, and that does bring liability. NRS 568.355Nevada · Statute
Documents behind this page
11 documents, of which 1 was published by North Las Vegas itself. Each was read on the date shown.
- Nevada LegislatureNevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 569 (Estrays and Livestock)
- Nevada LegislatureNevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 568 (Grazing and Ranging)
- Nevada LegislatureNevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 111 (Estates in Property; Conveyancing and Recording)
- City of North Las VegasNorth Las Vegas Code of Ordinances, Title 17, Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 17.24, Development Standards, Section 17.24.070, Screening, walls, and fences
- Nevada LegislatureNevada Revised Statutes, Section 278.580
- Nevada State Board of HealthNevada Administrative Code, Chapter 444
- Nevada LegislatureNevada Revised Statutes, Section 444.065
- Nevada LegislatureNevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 40 (Actions and Proceedings in Particular Cases Concerning Property)
- Nevada LegislatureNevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 202 (Crimes Against Public Health and Safety)
- Nevada LegislatureNevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 405, Control and Preservation of Public Highways
- Nevada LegislatureNevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 244, Counties: Government, Section 244.3677, Ordinance regulating battery charged fences: Requirements; prohibitions
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 North Las Vegas publishes, plus the Nevada rules that apply where the city sets none. Fence laws in Nevada 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