Blue Ridge, Seattle WA
Blue Ridge Club Fence Guide: HOA Architectural Review in Seattle
A plain-English guide to planning a fence in Blue Ridge, the covenanted hillside neighborhood above Puget Sound in northwest Seattle. It sticks to what is public about the Blue Ridge Club and the City of Seattle's fence rules, and tells you where to ask for the rest.
SeattleFence is an independent contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an approved vendor of the Blue Ridge Club. Last checked against public sources on November 4, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the club.
What the association is
The Blue Ridge Club, Inc. was incorporated on April 21, 1941. Its articles of incorporation, archived by the University of Washington, list purposes such as maintaining parks, playgrounds, beaches, tennis courts and club houses, and limit its 467 shares to owners of building sites in the Blue Ridge Addition.
Wikipedia places Blue Ridge between NW 100th Street and Carkeek Park, and between 12th Ave NW and Puget Sound, and says it is governed by a homeowners association with significant architectural restrictions.
What needs ARC review
Here is what is public and what is not. Where a row says "not public," ask the ARC and read your restrictions.
| Project | ARC approval | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior changes in general | Architectural restrictions apply | Wikipedia (citing club procedures) |
| New fence | Not public. Ask the ARC | — |
| Fence height or material limits | Not public. Read your restrictions | Recorded restrictions, AFN 3010058 |
| Review timeline | Not public. Ask the ARC | — |
Fence styles to consider
Blue Ridge does not publish an approved-style list that we could find. The table below is general planning advice from SeattleFence, not an HOA rule, and the ARC decides what it accepts.
| Style | Look | Privacy | Planning note (SeattleFence suggestion) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picture frame cedar | Boards framed by a top rail and side trim | High | A finished look from both sides, which helps where neighbors see the fence. |
| Solid cedar privacy | Vertical cedar boards, clean and simple | High | A common backyard choice. Seattle limits fences in a front or street-side setback to 4 ft. |
| Horizontal cedar | Horizontal boards for a contemporary line | High | Suits remodeled homes. Include board size and stain color in your request. |
| Wire and wood (hogwire) | Wood frame with open wire panels | Low | Keeps an open feel on view-facing sides toward Puget Sound. |
Photos show SeattleFence projects elsewhere in the area and are not images of any Blue Ridge home or fence.
Approval and permit steps
Plan on two separate checks, the Blue Ridge Club ARC and the City of Seattle. SeattleFence does not issue either one.
Find your recorded restrictions
Look up the restrictions on your title. The club's 1941 articles point to the Restrictions of Blue Ridge Addition, King County Auditor's File No. 3010058. Later amendments may apply.
Contact the Blue Ridge Club ARC
Ask the club's architectural review committee what it needs for a fence: drawings, materials, neighbor notice, and how long review takes.
Check Seattle's rules
Confirm height, setback, and environmentally critical area limits with SDCI. Hillside lots near Puget Sound may need extra checks.
Submit your request
Include a site sketch, height, materials, and stain color. A SeattleFence written scope can supply these details.
Wait for the written decision
Do not start work until you have the club's answer in writing.
Build and keep the approval
Build the fence as approved and keep the approval with your house records.
Seattle's fence rules
Seattle's SDCI fence page says no permit is needed for a fence 8 feet or less without masonry or concrete elements over 6 feet, unless it is in a flood-prone area. In neighborhood residential zones, fences are limited to 6 feet, plus 2 feet of architectural features such as arbors, and to 4 feet in a front or street-side setback.
On a sloping site a fence can be 8 feet if the average height between posts is 6 feet. Above a retaining wall that raises the grade, the wall and fence together are limited to 9 feet 6 inches. Different rules apply near environmentally critical areas such as steep slopes.
Blue Ridge fence-guide questions
Is Blue Ridge an HOA?
Yes. Wikipedia says Blue Ridge specifically is governed by a homeowners association with significant architectural restrictions. The Blue Ridge Club, Inc. was incorporated in 1941, and its articles of incorporation, archived by the University of Washington, limit club shares to owners of building sites in the Blue Ridge Addition. SeattleFence is not affiliated with the club.
Do I need Blue Ridge Club approval to build a fence?
Plan on it. Wikipedia describes significant architectural restrictions and cites the club's Architectural Review Procedures. We could not read the current procedures because the club's website was not loading when we checked. Contact the club's architectural review committee (ARC) and read your recorded restrictions before you order materials.
Does the Blue Ridge Club publish a fence height or style list?
Not that we could access publicly. We do not guess at heights, materials or timelines the club has not published. Ask the ARC and read the restrictions of the Blue Ridge Addition recorded with King County, which the club's articles reference as Auditor's File No. 3010058.
Does Seattle require a permit for a fence in Blue Ridge?
Seattle's Department of Construction and Inspections says no permit is needed for a fence 8 feet high or less without masonry or concrete elements over 6 feet, unless it is in a flood-prone area. The zoning code limits fences to 6 feet in neighborhood residential zones and 4 feet in a front or street-side setback. Different rules apply near environmentally critical areas such as steep slopes. Confirm for your address.
Can SeattleFence get my fence approved?
No. Only the Blue Ridge Club can approve a fence under its rules. SeattleFence can provide a written scope, a site sketch, and material and height details to include with your request.
Get a quote for your Blue Ridge lot
Tell us the address, approximate length, the style you have in mind, and any trees or slopes along the fence line. We will price the fence and give you a written scope and sketch to include with your ARC request.
Get Your Free Blue Ridge Fence Quote
Get In Touch
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Prefer to talk? Call (253) 766-5854
Sources
Every association and city claim on this page comes from one of these public documents. Rules change. Read the current HOA documents and your recorded covenants, and confirm city rules before you build.
- Wikipedia — Blue Ridge, Seattle
North Beach / Blue Ridge boundaries (NW 100th St / Crown Hill to the south, 12th Ave NW / Greenwood to the east, Carkeek Park to the north, Puget Sound to the west); panoramic views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula; Blue Ridge specifically is governed by a homeowners association with significant architectural restrictions (citing the club's Architectural Review Procedures).
- Articles of Incorporation of The Blue Ridge Club, Inc. (April 21, 1941, PDF), Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project, University of Washington
The corporation's name; registered office at 10040 15th Ave NW; purposes including maintaining parks, playgrounds, beaches, tennis courts and club houses; 467 shares, issued only to owners of building sites in the Blue Ridge Addition (plat Vol. 33, pp. 29–32) as defined in the Restrictions of Blue Ridge Addition, King County Auditor's File No. 3010058.
- Blue Ridge Club HOA website
The club's own site. When checked on November 4, 2026 it showed a hosting notice instead of its documents, so this guide does not quote any current procedure from it.
- City of Seattle SDCI — Fences
No permit for fences 8 ft or less without masonry/concrete elements over 6 ft (permit needed in flood-prone areas); 6 ft limit in neighborhood residential zones plus 2 ft of architectural features; 4 ft in a front or street-side setback; 8 ft on sloping sites if the average between posts is 6 ft; 9 ft 6 in combined limit above a retaining wall that raises grade; different rules near environmentally critical areas.
- Seattle Parks — Carkeek Park
The park on Blue Ridge's northern edge.