Fence Installation in Forest Grove, OR

Forest Grove publishes its fence rules on one handout, and a new fence has to fit all of them at once: a low front, a taller back, open corners at the driveway and street, and room around the utility boxes.

Every Forest Grove fence installation is two fences in one. In front of the house the city stops you at 42 inches, which suits a picket or an open rail. Beside and behind it, you can go to 6 feet for privacy. Where the two meet, we step the height down cleanly at a post, so the change looks planned rather than chopped.

Then come the openings. The city wants a 10-foot by 10-foot clear area at every driveway and corner, so the front fence stops short where a car backs out. A fence also has to stay at least 3 feet from a utility pedestal or transformer, which often sits right on the line between two lots. We mark both on the layout before a single hole is dug.

The last rule is simple: no fence may extend past your property line. On older blocks near Pacific University and the Clark Historic District, pins can be hard to find, so we ask for a survey if the line is in doubt.