Inside the City of Tucson, yes. The city's permit page says all fences and walls require a permit for zoning review. Outside the city limits the rules change: Pima County, Oro Valley, Marana, Sahuarita and South Tucson each have their own. We check the rule for your address before any digging.
Do I need a permit to build or replace a fence?
In the City of Tucson, the Planning and Development Services Department states that all fences and walls require a permit for zoning review of location, height and distance from structures, and that engineered plans may be required when the fence or wall is over 6 feet tall or holds back soil. The page lists no exemption for a like-for-like replacement, so ask the city before rebuilding an old fence. In unincorporated Pima County, Development Services lists non-retaining walls and fences no more than 7 feet high as not needing a building permit. Zoning and floodplain rules still apply there.
How tall can my fence be? Is 6 feet allowed?
Yes, 6 feet is the standard limit. Tucson's Unified Development Code, section 6.6.2, sets the maximum height of a wall or fence within a perimeter yard at 6 feet. It allows up to 10 feet in limited cases, for example where at least 75 percent of the area above 6 feet is left open. Fences near a street corner or driveway also have to keep sight lines clear. In unincorporated Pima County, zoning code section 18.07.050 covers walls or fences 7 feet or less, and 8 feet or less in side and rear yards on lots of one acre or more.
How close to the property line can I build? Do I need a survey?
A fence may usually go on your side of the line or on the line itself, but never in the street right-of-way or a recorded easement. In Tucson the line is often already marked by a block wall, and that wall is not always exactly on it. If the boundary is not marked, or the neighbor disagrees, get a plot plan or a survey before the first post goes in. That is work for an Arizona registered land surveyor.
I live in a historic district. What can I build?
Ask the city before you pick a design. Tucson has Historic Preservation Zones, including Armory Park, Barrio Historico, El Presidio, Fort Lowell and West University, where exterior changes are reviewed, and a new fence or wall can be part of that. We confirm what the review needs for your address instead of guessing.
Can my condo association or HOA restrict my fence?
It can. Much of the Tucson area is covered by homeowners associations and recorded deed restrictions, and they often control wall height, color, view fencing and gates more tightly than the city or county does. Get written approval before you order materials.
We are adding a pool. What fence does code require?
Arizona's pool enclosure law is A.R.S. 36-1681. For a home where a child under six lives, it requires a wall, fence or barrier at least 5 feet high measured on the outside, with no opening a 4-inch ball can pass through, nothing on the outside a child could use to climb, and at least 20 inches between the barrier and the water's edge. Gates must close and latch by themselves, open outward from the pool and have the latch at least 54 inches above the ground. A city or county may adopt its own ordinance if it is equal to or stricter than the state law, so the local building office has the final word.
The inspector failed my existing fence for the pool. Who brings it up to code?
A licensed fence contractor can. The usual fixes are self-closing hinges, a latch moved up to the required height, a gate turned to swing away from the pool, wider gaps closed, a short section raised, and anything climbable moved off the outside of the wall. Give us the inspector's written list and we quote against each item.
My association only allows a 4-foot open fence, but I want privacy. What are my options?
Work inside the rules first. Desert shrubs or a row of ocotillo behind a 4-foot open fence give screening without a solid wall. A privacy screen around the patio may be treated differently from a lot-line fence. Failing that, apply to the board for a written variance. Check your plat for drainage and utility easements too, since a fence may be barred from them.
My lot backs onto a wash. Can I fence it?
Often, but the design may be limited. The Pima County Regional Flood Control District requires a Floodplain Use Permit for a fence or wall in a regulatory floodplain. Its technical policy does not allow solid fences in a floodway and favors open designs, such as pipe rail or wire, that let water pass. The City of Tucson and the towns have their own floodplain offices. We find out which applies to your lot.
Who calls 811 before digging, me or the contractor?
Whoever does the digging makes the request. In Arizona that goes to Arizona 811, which requires contact at least two full working days before you dig. Utility owners then mark their lines. On our jobs we file the ticket. Private lines are not marked by the utilities, so show us any irrigation, pool plumbing, landscape lighting or gas line to a grill or fire pit.
My contractor wants to skip the permit and reuse the old holes. What is the risk?
You carry it, because the property is yours. If the city required a permit and none was pulled, it can order the work stopped or changed, and the missing approval can surface when you sell. In Arizona the handyman exemption from licensing also does not apply to work that requires a local building permit.
The city says my existing fence breaks the current rules. Can I just repair it?
Put that question to Planning and Development Services before paying for anything. Minor repair of an older fence is often accepted where a rebuild would need to meet the current code, but that is the city's decision and not the contractor's.
Only a visit to your property gives a real number. The estimate is free. Call (520) 462-4332 or text us a photo of the fence line.