Coeur d'Alene fence rules and permits

A plain-English guide for Coeur d'Alene, Idaho homeowners. Always confirm with the city before work starts. Rules change.

Do you need a permit?

No. The city's fence guide says no building permit is needed for a fence 6 feet tall or shorter. Fences and walls over 6 feet must meet the adopted building code, so call the city first. Barbed or electric wire along a street needs city council approval.

Who to ask: City of Coeur d'Alene Planning Department (website)

The rules

• On a home lot in any zoning district, fences, walls and hedges can be up to 6 ft high on or within the rear and side yard property lines and the front yard setback line.
• In the required front yard, fences, walls and hedges can be up to 4 ft high.
• A fence up to 10 ft may be allowed with a special use permit when the home lot backs onto a commercial or manufacturing use, or onto an interstate freeway.
• Fences and walls over 6 ft high must meet the adopted building code and other city rules.
• Corner lots have a vision triangle. Measure 40 ft along each roadway from where the road edges meet, and join the two points. A fence, wall or hedge between 3 ft and 8 ft high inside that triangle is not allowed if the city engineer finds it a traffic hazard.
• Fence height is measured from the top of the fence to the finished grade next to it. If the fence sits on a mound, the mound counts toward the height.
• Any fence material commonly used in construction is allowed if it is sturdy enough under other city rules.
• A pool must be enclosed by buildings, fences or walls that meet the adopted building code.
• Barbed or electrified wire along any street, alley, highway or road is banned unless the city council approves it as safe. This comes from the city's fence guide.
• The city does not review or enforce HOA rules (CC&Rs). Owners must check their HOA before building.

HOAs

The city does not check HOA rules, so an approved fence can still break your HOA covenants. Get HOA approval first if you have one.

Call before you dig

Dig Safe North Idaho 811: dial 811. Kootenai County is served by Dig Safe North Idaho 811 (800-428-4950). Request locates at least 2 full business days before you dig, and no more than 10 business days ahead.

Local conditions

North Idaho has cold, snowy winters. The city's design criteria list a 24 inch minimum frost depth and a 60 pounds per square foot ground snow load.

• Set posts below the 24 inch frost line so winter freezing does not heave the fence.
• Snow load matters: heavy drifts push on solid privacy panels and gates.
• Design wind speed for homes here is about 115 mph (IRC ultimate), so strong posts and bracing pay off.
• Wood fences need sealing or stain to handle snow, wet spring and summer sun.

Good to know

• Coeur d'Alene had 54,628 residents at the 2020 census and sits about 30 miles east of Spokane.
• The city's design criteria call for a 24 inch minimum frost depth, a 115 mph IRC wind speed and a 60 psf ground snow load.
• The city's Planning Department number printed on its fence guide is 769-2274.
• Kootenai County locate requests go to Dig Safe North Idaho 811, not Digline.