Rules to Build a Wood Fence

Height

• A typical restriction on wooden fencing is its height. The city of Cleveland regulates fence height to maintain set sight lines. On residential property, no fence located within 30 feet of a driveway or an intersection of two streets may exceed 1 1/2 feet in height unless the fence is at least 75 percent open. In addition, fences bordering front yards must be no higher than four feet high and at least 50 percent open. Backyard fences may reach heights of up to six feet. They may be open or completely solid. The city of Lewisville, Texas, simply requires that fencing allow pedestrians and traffic proper vision at any intersections or corners, a typical provision of fencing ordinances.

Form and Material

• The City of Whittier, California, includes a number of wood fence structures among its permitted fence designs: you may use wooden pickets, vertical boards, wood shakes, split rails, horizontal or diagonal boards, wood posts, grapestake-style boards, wood siding and any combination of wood and masonry elements.

Location

• As a general rule, all fences must be located within the limits of individual property. In some areas, there are additional regulations regarding placement of fences in relation to roadways or buildings. In Cleveland, any fence that runs parallel and adjacent to a building on the same property must be at least three feet away from the building's closest wall. There is no distance requirement, however, between fences and buildings on adjacent properties. When planning to build a fence, refer to all the regulations affecting fence placement, including general setback and yard requirements, as specified in your area's applicable zoning ordinances.

Condition

• In some areas, local ordinances regulate the condition and maintenance of fences. As wooden fences are highly susceptible to weathering, when compared with brick or metal fencing, check your local laws for their fence maintenance standards. In the city of East Chicago, all fences must use either new or high-quality used materials. Building materials must be clean, sound and free of any decay that could compromise the fence's integrity. All materials, including treatments or glazes, must be non-toxic and non-hazardous. Fences must be maintained in good repair and cannot be dilapidated, broken or haphazardly stripped of paint.