Debate: Should we always match existing fence heights or go with code minimum?

I keep seeing guys in my area around Portland insist on matching the neighbor's fence height exactly, even when it's way under city code limits. But I've had two homeowners in the last month ask me to go higher because their dogs kept jumping over the 5 foot section. One guy on a job near Beaverton last week told me matching heights is just professional courtesy. Is that true or are we leaving people with fences that don't actually work?

2 comments

2 Comments

corap617d ago

Right around Portland I've seen so many people stuck with useless fences because of that matching rule... had a customer last month whose dog cleared their 4 foot section easy, had to completely redo it to 6 just to keep the pup in the yard.

sandra_moore307d ago

Yeah did you ever try asking the city about a variance or something? I ran into the same mess over in Beaverton, had to pay for a stupid 4 footer that did nothing for my lab mix. Ended up just planting a thick row of bushes right behind the fence line, that gave us the extra height without technically breaking the rule since the bushes weren't the fence itself. Took a summer to fill in but now the dog stays put and the neighbors can't complain since it matches their style from the street side. Might be worth looking into if you're ever in that spot again.