Reno Solid Fence passes Fernley fence requests to independent fence contractors licensed in Nevada. Fernley sits east of the Truckee Meadows where Interstate 80 meets US 50 Alternate and US 95 Alternate, in Lyon County, and its mix of old farm parcels and newer subdivisions brings its own fence questions.
Get contractor quotes
- Request cost
- $0
- Contractors
- Independent, NSCB-licensed
- You contract with
- The contractor, directly
From farm town to Reno commuter city
Fernley was settled in 1904 as an agricultural and ranching community, and much of its farmland was developed through the Newlands Irrigation Project, which carries Truckee River water from Derby Dam toward Lahontan Reservoir. Concrete headgates stamped by the Civilian Conservation Corps are still in use, and the system is run by the Truckee–Carson Irrigation District. Subdivisions spread from the 1970s on, especially along Farm District Road, and the city incorporated on July 1, 2001. The 2020 census counted 22,895 residents, the seventh-largest city in Nevada.
Canals, ditches and easements
Water defines many Fernley lot lines. On January 5, 2008, a levee on the Truckee Canal broke and filled homes with 3 to 6 feet of water, forcing the evacuation of 3,500 people. Drainage channels 5 to 15 feet deep run beside farm fields. Before fencing a rear line that borders a canal, lateral or drain, find out who holds the easement and whether access must be kept open; irrigation districts commonly need to reach their ditches. Open fences such as ranch rail or wire are easier to permit and maintain near water than solid ones.
Rules and permits
Lyon County's published guidance for unincorporated areas: fences of 6 feet or less need no building permit; 6 feet maximum on side and rear, 4 feet in front yards and 2 feet within 25 feet of an intersection. Fernley is an incorporated city with its own planning department, so confirm whether the city applies the same standards before you build.
Building for the high desert
Fernley is drier than Reno, averaging about 5 inches of rain a year in a cold-desert climate, with open ground that lets wind run. Solid privacy fences need posts set deep and close; a wood fence in full sun needs its stain or sealer renewed on a schedule.
Back to the main guide: fence companies in Reno.