Residential Fencing

The following is a summary of the Township Zoning Ordinance section regarding the installation of fencing, hedges and screens. View the complete text for Ordinance Number 39 § 6.2.4 (PDF), including site plan examples of fencing placement. Keep in mind, that regardless of permit approvals or inspections by a Township Official, it is ultimately the property owner’s responsibility to ensure ordinance compliance.

General Regulations

• Fencing may not be constructed with materials such as paneling, barbed wire, scrap metal or other materials not intended for fence construction.
• Any structural members of a fence must face inwards towards the owner’s property.
• Newly constructed fencing can not create a “dead space” (e.g. area that cannot to be maintained) with any existing structure, fence or hedge.
• No solid fencing or hedge between the height of three and 10 feet may be within 20 feet of the intersection of a driveway and any street, sidewalk or right-of-way.
• Fencing must be properly maintained and in good repair at all times.
• A permit is required for the alteration or installation of all types of fencing.
  • A fence permit application (PDF) along with a site plan showing the proposed placement of the fence must be submitted for review.
  • The permit must be approved and issued prior to the installation or alteration of any fencing or regulated hedge.
  • The $60 permit fee applies only when a permit is issued for the installation of a perimeter fence, as defined by Ord. 39, § 6.2.4(1)(h).

Placement Regulations

• Within a principal front yard (abutting the primary access street)
  • Fencing cannot exceed three feet unless it consists of uniform open spaces and does not obstruct the vision of traffic, in which case it can go up to four feet in height, typically chain-link fencing.
• Within a secondary front yard (abutting any street other than a primary)
  • Fencing cannot exceed three feet unless it meets one of the following conditions.
    • Fencing can be constructed up to four feet in height if it consists of uniform open spaces and does not obstruct the vision of traffic, typically chain link fencing.
    • Solid fencing up to six feet in height can be constructed if setback at least 10 feet from the road right-of-way and all required landscaping is installed.
      • Required plantings include a minimum of one evergreen for every 30 feet of frontage and one shrub for every 10 feet of frontage, planted and maintained to meet specifications in Ord. 39, § 6.2.4(2)(b)(1)
• Within a side or rear yard (which is not adjacent to any roadway)
  • A fence up to six  feet in height can enclose an entire side or rear yard of a home without a required setback from property lines.

  • Fencing may exceed six feet in height if certain hardship conditions exist, as described in Ord. 39, § 6.2.4(2)(c) and as determined by the Director of Community Development.