Chickens outside city limits- Snohomish County, Wa

[Stephanie8806]

Planning our coop/flock setup for next year, and I want to make sure everything is “as it should be”. We live in Monroe Washington, but outside of city limits. I believe that puts us in the Snohomish County rules. We have 1 acre, and are planning on raising chickens for personal use... not commercial.

It’s really hard to find/sift through all the info out there but so far I think I’m seeing nothing stated about the number of chickens I can have, as long as the coop is 30ft from a property line?

Anyone else in this area that can offer some clarity?

 

[cppeace]

Im not local to you but what I found was the following: “No roosters allowed period inside city limits. the rest goes by lot size in sq footage: 5,000-24,999 5 hens. 1 additional hen for each 5,000 sq ft over the 20,000. all animals kept outside shall be cooped or kept in hutches, pens or appropriate structures that have a min setback from property lines of 10′. ”

 

[rosemarythyme]

Planning our coop/flock setup for next year, and I want to make sure everything is “as it should be”. We live in Monroe Washington, but outside of city limits. I believe that puts us in the Snohomish County rules. We have 1 acre, and are planning on raising chickens for personal use... not commercial.

It’s really hard to find/sift through all the info out there but so far I think I’m seeing nothing stated about the number of chickens I can have, as long as the coop is 30ft from a property line?

Link or copy/paste the section showing the 30 ft setback, along with anything else you think might be relevant. I'm not seeing anything about chickens specifically in the county code and if you're certain you're outside Monroe's limits and have no HOA then yes the county's ordinances are the only thing you have to look at. I had considered moving to Snohomish Co. at one point so I believe they're fairly relaxed as far as chickens as much of the area is rural, but I don't recall any specifics.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Link or copy/paste the section showing the 30 ft setback, along with anything else you think might be relevant.

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8080/Frequently-Asked-Questions-PDF?bidId=

Here ya go! See page 6 of the 7 page site I linked. I could only find this info in the FAQ section for Snohomish County.


I am indeed outside of city limits, and not in an HOA. I think because it is a more rural area in general, the codes might not be as heavily enforced...because of the layout of our property, the city code of 10’ from the property line would be much preferred to the 30’ county standard. I’m thinking maybe if I check with my neighbors and they don’t mind, I might just go for it anyways.

I dunno though, I would hate to put the effort into building a coop and then have to move it. And I was hoping that someday when we sell, an established coop/run might add to the value of our home. If it’s not up to code, it could actually do the opposite.

The upside is that it doesn’t look like there’s a limit on the number of chickens, or restrictions on roosters!

 

[Stephanie8806]

Im not local to you but what I found was the following: “No roosters allowed period inside city limits. the rest goes by lot size in sq footage: 5,000-24,999 5 hens. 1 additional hen for each 5,000 sq ft over the 20,000. all animals kept outside shall be cooped or kept in hutches, pens or appropriate structures that have a min setback from property lines of 10′. ”

That’s what I found for the city of Monroe. My property is not within city limits, so my assumption is that I then fall under County code regulations... idk though, I’m bad with legal stuff

 

[cppeace]

You may want to contact the local county seat and ask them. They generally will give you at least mostly accurate info.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I am indeed outside of city limits, and not in an HOA. I think because it is a more rural area in general, the codes might not be as heavily enforced...because of the layout of our property, the city code of 10’ from the property line would be much preferred to the 30’ county standard. I’m thinking maybe if I check with my neighbors and they don’t mind, I might just go for it anyways.

I dunno though, I would hate to put the effort into building a coop and then have to move it. And I was hoping that someday when we sell, an established coop/run might add to the value of our home. If it’s not up to code, it could actually do the opposite.

The upside is that it doesn’t look like there’s a limit on the number of chickens, or restrictions on roosters!

Wow I'm glad they did a FAQ, reading this in plain English is a lot easier than scratching my head through typical zoning wording. So sounds like you can have any number of chickens as long as they're for your own use.

I saw in the animal section of the zoning ordinance that there's no outright noise restriction either, so roosters shouldn't be an issue, though of course you should be mindful of neighbors just for peace in the neighborhood.

30' setback isn't that bad unless your lot is super narrow. I'd do it to code if at all possible so it doesn't cause any issues down the line if you sell your home (and so any less-than-pleasant neighbors won't have a leg to stand on if they complain). If you put in a nice coop and run it should add to your home value, especially in a more rural neighborhood.

 

[Stephanie8806]

30' setback isn't that bad unless your lot is super narrow. I'd do it to code if at all possible so it doesn't cause any issues down the line if you sell your home (and so any less-than-pleasant neighbors won't have a leg to stand on if they complain). If you put in a nice coop and run it should add to your home value, especially in a more rural neighborhood.

Yeah the more I think it over, the more set I am on having it up to code... and I would definitely build a really nice elevated coop(up on posts, so no foundation!) and run so that future buyers might find it appealing. The problem is that now I have to change my plans.

We have an acre, but our property is only 100 feet wide. Which means the enclosure would basically have to be smack dab in the center. And the first 1/3 to 1/2 acre is nice and flat and clear/landscaped, but the rest is on about a 45 degree treed and heavy undergrowth-ed slope... not impossible, but more difficult to build on. Although, it leaves more yard space available for garden/open space and reclaims a good chunk of that backarea. And I’m sure the chickens would love all the plants and foliage to snack on and climb around on.

 

[Stephanie8806]

You may want to contact the local county seat and ask them. They generally will give you at least mostly accurate info.

I may just do that. I’m also curious about if I’ll need a permit for the coop. I’m planning on building it elevated, so no solid foundation... but it will definitely be built to last. Basically an elevated garden shed. Don’t think it will be too big a problem, but probably best to check

 

[rosemarythyme]

I may just do that. I’m also curious about if I’ll need a permit for the coop. Don’t think it will be too big a problem, but probably best to check

That's always a good idea because it's still a structure. In many areas smaller coops don't require permits, however adding electric or plumbing might require it.