Washington County is one market for fence and wall companies, but it is several jurisdictions for fence rules. A 6-foot block wall that is fine in one city's rear yard can need a permit, a different setback, or a specific block color a few miles away. Your property's jurisdiction, not your mailing address, decides which code applies. Here is how the cities we cover compare, each summarized from its own code as read on September 26, 2026.
City by city
Side-by-side comparison
| Jurisdiction | Front yard / setback | Side and rear | Permit or engineering trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. George | 4 ft (open style within 10 ft of sidewalk) | 6 ft 4 in | Any fence or retaining wall in a front setback; retaining walls 4 ft or more |
| Washington | 3 ft in first 10 ft | 6 ft | Over 6 ft; rockery walls 3 ft or more |
| Hurricane | 48 in (opaque) | 6 ft | Not stated in §10-37-9; ask the city |
| Ivins | 3 ft 6 in | 6 ft | Front courtyard walls; retaining walls over 4 ft must be terraced |
| Santa Clara | 3 ft (4 ft if 50% open) | 6 ft | Fence system over 7 ft; retaining wall over 4 ft |
| Unincorporated county | 3 ft | 6 ft | Many rockery and segmental retaining walls 4 ft or more exposed |
Unincorporated Washington County
Outside the incorporated cities and towns, in communities such as Veyo, Central, Diamond Valley, Dammeron Valley, and Gunlock, Washington County's own zoning code applies. The county's fence rules, in Chapter 15, Article B of its zoning code, say:
- In any front setback area, no wall, fence, or hedge may exceed 3 feet (§10-15B-3).
- On interior lots, fences up to 6 feet may go along side and rear property lines (§10-15B-3).
- Where two lots differ in grade, the fence, including any retaining wall or berm, may not exceed 10 feet on either side, and fences may not be bermed to gain height (§10-15B-3).
- On corner lots, nothing over 3 feet may sit in the triangle formed 30 feet from the intersection (§10-15B-4).
For retaining walls, Article A requires a building permit and/or excavation permit from Community Development before a rockery or segmental block retaining wall is built or altered, unless it was approved on a subdivision's engineered drawings. Walls that may not need a building permit include non-tiered walls under 4 feet of exposed height with front and back slopes flatter than 10 horizontal to 1 vertical within 10 feet of the wall, and some double-tiered walls. Retaining walls that do need a building permit must be designed by an engineer licensed in Utah (§10-15A-2).
- Washington County Community Development
- 111 East Tabernacle St., St. George, UT 84770 · (435) 301-7250 · permit applications accepted electronically (county website, checked September 26, 2026)
- The code
- County Code 10-15B, fencing · County Code 10-15A, retaining walls
Before you build anywhere in the county
- Confirm which jurisdiction your parcel is in. The county's parcel and zoning records, or a call to the city, will tell you.
- Find your property lines, setbacks, and any utility easements on your plat before setting a fence line.
- Get HOA approval in writing if you have an HOA; it is separate from the city or county.
- Call 811 (Blue Stakes of Utah) at least 3 business days before digging.
- Check the company's license with the Utah DOPL lookup; see our license guide.
Summaries of each jurisdiction's code as published online and read on September 26, 2026. Codes change; the city or county's current code and interpretation control. Not legal advice.