How tall can my fence be?

Heights, setbacks, corner lots, HOAs and permits: what to check before anyone digs, and what we check for you.

The question we hear most on an estimate is how tall the fence can be. The short answer for most back yards round here: six feet, no permit. The long answer depends on where the fence goes.

Back yards

Most towns allow six feet along side and back lines without a permit. Some allow eight with one. A fence on a retaining wall is measured from the low side.

Front yards and corners

Front yards usually stop at three or four feet, and corner lots have a triangle by the street where nothing taller than about three feet may stand, so drivers can see round the corner.

HOAs and the line

An HOA can be stricter than the town about height, style and colour, so read the rules first. And build inside your line: we find the pins, and if they’re missing, a survey costs less than moving a fence. We check all of this for your address before we dig.