+2 photosHistoric Milwaukie, Milwaukie
September 2026
Full backyard fence on a new-to-us corner lot. Kept the front section low so drivers can see around the corner.
★★★★★Homeowner rated our work 5 out of 5
★★★★★Rosa M.“They explained the corner-lot height rule before we even asked. Fence is solid and looks great.”
Milwaukie's older lots come with uneven ground, mature trees and old fence lines that wandered over the years. A new fence here starts by finding the real line and measuring height the way the city does.
Milwaukie's code splits a lot into two zones. In the front yard, a fence stops at 42 inches. On the side, street-side and rear lines it can reach 6 feet. Flag lots, tucked behind other houses with a long drive, are the exception and may have 6 feet in the front yard too. A Milwaukie fence installation on a corner lot often uses both heights along one street.
How the city measures matters on older, uneven ground. Height is taken to the highest ground within 1 foot of the fence. Where a line runs over a bump or a root swell, that high point sets the limit, so we survey the grade along the run and step the fence to keep every section legal.
Close to streets and driveways the clear vision rule takes over: fences, walls and shrubs stay at 30 inches above the curb, or 36 inches above street level where there's no curb. Barbed, razor and electric wire aren't allowed in residential yards, so pet and garden fences rely on mesh and solid gates instead.
Pins located or a survey suggested on older lots
High ground within 1 ft of the fence recorded
Front and back heights, material and gates listed
Locate called; holes drained around roots
Stepped to the grade, gates hung, site cleaned
36.7% of Milwaukie's 9,859 homes were built before 1960, so fence installation here usually means clearing an old line and fitting a new fence to uneven, tree-lined ground.
These points set the size of a Milwaukie fence installation.
Removing an old, much-patched fence and its footings adds time.
Stepping a fence over humps and root swells takes more fitting.
A 42-inch front and 6-foot back are built as separate runs.
Mature trees on the line move post spots and slow digging.
Each material and every gate changes the labor and parts.
Every Milwaukie fence installation starts with a free written estimate.
Grade checked along the whole run
Tear-out and haul-away part of the job
Covers the fence we build
Written estimate before any work begins.