Fence or deck costs in Tucson

In Tucson, no fence or wall gets past the city without a zoning look. Planning & Development Services says all fences and walls need a permit for zoning review of their location, height and distance from buildings. A short fence may not need a full permit or an inspection, but the zoning review always happens.

The bar goes up with height and with soil. Engineered plans may be required for a fence or wall over six feet, or for one that works as a retaining wall by holding back soil or changing the ground level.

If your home is in a Historic Preservation Zone or a Neighborhood Preservation Zone, the fence also gets special district review. Tucson's Historic Preservation Zones are zoning overlays that go back to a 1972 ordinance. Exterior changes inside them go through design review, and most of these areas are also on the National Register.

Decks get a cleaner line. You don't need a permit for a deck 30 inches or less above the ground if it isn't built over a basement or floor below, isn't part of a required exit or an accessible route, and stays out of the required side and rear setbacks. Above 30 inches, a permit is required. In other words, a low deck kept clear of your setbacks can skip the permit, and a fence can't skip the zoning review.