Fence Companies in Washoe Valley, NV

The Washoe Zephyr

Washoe Valley lies in the lee of the Sierra Nevada, with Slide Mountain and Mount Rose rising to the west, and its winds sometimes close Interstate 580/US 395 to high-profile vehicles. The summer version, the Washoe Zephyr, can blow daily. Mark Twain wrote that a Washoe wind "blows flimsy houses down, lifts shingle roofs occasionally, rolls up tin ones like sheet music." Washoe Lake, in the middle of the valley, is a kite- and windsurfing spot for the same reason.

For fences, that means solid panels are a bad bet on open ground. Washoe County's structural design criteria use 120 to 130 mph wind speeds. Open designs, such as ranch rail, wire and open picket, let the wind through; privacy fences near the house need close post spacing and footings below the 24-inch frost depth.

Horse country fencing

From 1857 to 1957 the Winters family ran a 4,000-acre cattle ranch and Thoroughbred stud here; their horse El Rio Rey was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1889, and the Winters Ranch and Bowers Mansion are on the National Register of Historic Places. On today's horse properties, fencing should be visible and smooth: ranch rail, vinyl rail, or rail with electric tape, with braced corners and wide gates for trailers.

County rules on rural lots

• On a lot over one acre where agricultural use is allowed, strictly range fencing of T-bar and wire needs no permit; wood and other materials do.
• Fencing is not allowed within floodways or across County drainage easements. In a floodplain, open fencing like split rail may be approved.
• Entry gates and their columns may be 18 inches taller than the fence for an entry statement.
• Up to 4½ feet within the front setback and 6 feet elsewhere.

The 2012 Washoe Drive Fire swept through Pagni Canyon on the valley's edge. In wildland-urban interface zones, Washoe County requires the part of a fence within 5 feet of any building to be noncombustible or as fire-resistive as its exterior walls.