Short answer
In Abington Township, no fence other than an open wire fence or retaining wall may exceed 6 ft in any yard without a Zoning Hearing Board special exception. A fence on or within 5 ft of an established property line needs a building permit, and the township won’t issue it without evidence of a boundary survey unless the Building Official can readily establish the line. Pool fences must be at least 48 in with self-closing, self-latching gates.
| Rule | What the code says |
|---|---|
| Front yard | Not confirmed. The 2017 zoning ordinance’s fences and walls section (use A-13) couldn’t be read. |
| Side and rear yards | Up to 6 ft (open wire fences and retaining walls excepted); taller only by Zoning Hearing Board special exception. |
| Near the street | A fence within 10 ft of a front property line that blocks motorists’ view must be removed or altered as the Building Official directs. |
| Property lines | A building permit is required for a fence on or within 5 ft of an established property line, with evidence of a boundary survey. |
| Pools | Enclosure at least 4 ft (48 in) including gates; no gap over 2 in at grade; openings must not pass a 4 in sphere; gates self-closing, self-latching and opening outward. |
| Pool fence materials | Wood pickets of 3/4 in stock, 2 in max spacing; iron or aluminum pickets at least 1 in square, 4 in max spacing; wire must be chain link, at least 11 gauge; solid enclosures no taller than 6 ft. |
| Prohibited | No barbed-wire or electric-fence rule found. |
| Permit | Required within 5 ft of a property line. Whether every other fence needs one isn’t confirmed. |
From Abington Building Code Ch. 62 (Sec. 3311 and Sec. 421.9), Swimming Pools Ch. 149, and the township Swimming Pool Requirements sheet.
Why a survey comes up with an Abington fence permit
Most fences go on or near the property line, and that’s exactly where Abington’s building code applies. Section 3311.2 requires a building permit for any fence, screen or wall on or within 5 ft of an established property line, and Section 3311.5 says the permit won’t issue without satisfactory evidence of a boundary survey, unless the Building Official can readily establish the line. Pinned corners or a survey plan that shows the line is the kind of evidence to have ready. If your lot has never been surveyed, allow time for one before the fence. Our survey question page covers how that works.
Height and the special-exception route
Six feet is the limit in any yard for a fence, screen or wall, except an open wire fence or a retaining wall. Anything taller needs a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board after a public hearing. A taller deer fence is one place this comes up, and deer are no small issue here: the county has held an archery deer hunt at Lorimer Park in Abington since 2002 to reduce crashes and ticks. We can explain what the hearing involves, but we don’t predict how the board will rule.
Pool enclosures in Abington
Abington writes its pool rules out in more detail than most of its neighbors. The township’s pool requirements sheet sets the top of the barrier at least 48 in above grade, with no more than 2 in of clearance at the bottom and no opening that a 4 in sphere can pass. Pedestrian gates open outward and are self-closing and self-latching, and a latch release lower than 54 in goes on the pool side. The building code adds material specs, from 3/4 in wood pickets to 11 gauge chain link, and says natural barriers and pool covers don’t count. The sheet also keeps pools 10 ft from side and rear lines, out of swales and at least 10 vertical ft from power lines. Every pool permit application has to show the method of fencing and latching, and in-ground pools also need an engineered plot plan. See our pool fence page.
A township of many neighborhoods
Abington is the county’s second most populous township, with 58,502 residents in 2020, and its communities include Roslyn, Glenside, Willow Grove, Rydal, Meadowbrook, Ardsley, Crestmont, McKinley, Noble and part of Huntingdon Valley. Several of those names spill into neighboring municipalities, such as Glenside into Cheltenham and Willow Grove into Upper Moreland, which have their own codes. The Hollywood section, planned in 1928 by California builder Gustav Weber, has Mission and Art Deco houses on streets named Los Angeles, Pasadena and San Diego. Fence style there is a design question, covered in our Hollywood homes answer.
What we haven’t confirmed
- Front-yard height, corner-lot rules and finished-side rules in the 2017 zoning ordinance (use A-13), which we couldn’t read.
- Earlier notes said Abington wants about 3 in of ground clearance under solid board fences, the finished side facing the neighbor, and nothing in the right-of-way or a recorded easement. We didn’t find those in the building code as read in October 2026, so we ask the township rather than state them as rules.
- Whether a fence more than 5 ft from every property line needs a permit, and the fee. The residential forms page couldn’t be opened.
We checked Abington’s building code and pool rules in October 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the zoning office before every install, and in Abington that includes the zoning ordinance’s front-yard rules. More townships are on our PA fence permits page. If you have a survey plan, bring it out to the estimate and we’ll lay the fence line against it.
Common questions
Do I need a survey to put up a fence in Abington?
For a fence on or within 5 ft of an established property line, the building code requires satisfactory evidence of a boundary survey before the permit issues, unless the Building Official can readily establish the line.
How tall can a back-yard fence be in Abington Township?
Up to 6 ft. Taller fences, other than open wire fences and retaining walls, need a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board.
Does a hot tub need a fence in Abington?
The township’s pool requirements sheet exempts spas with a cover that meets ASTM F1346. Without that cover, the barrier rules apply.