Short answer
In Upper Gwynedd Township, a residential fence can be up to 6 ft 6 in tall in any required yard, front, side or rear; anything taller needs a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board. Fences need a township construction permit, filed on the Consolidated Construction Permit Application with two plot plans. At street intersections, a 100 ft clear sight triangle measured from the street center lines must stay free of fences.
| Rule | What the code says |
|---|---|
| Front yard | Up to 6 ft 6 in. The code uses the same limit in every required yard outside industrial districts. |
| Side and rear yards | Up to 6 ft 6 in. |
| Taller fences | Need a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board (industrial districts allow 8 ft). |
| Corner lots | No fence, wall or planting inside the 100 ft clear sight triangle, measured from the street center lines. |
| Driveways | Clear sight triangle of at least 30 ft, measured from the street and driveway center lines. |
| Placement | No finished-side, property-line setback or easement rule for fences found in the zoning code. |
| Prohibited | No fence-material bans found. |
| Pools | The township’s old swimming-pool chapter (Ch. 171) is reserved. No township pool barrier rule found. |
| Permit | Required. Consolidated Construction Permit Application with two plot plans showing location and dimensions. |
From Upper Gwynedd Zoning § 195-9 (amended 2016) and the township’s Consolidated Construction Permit Application page.
Why Upper Gwynedd allows 6 ft 6 in
Most townships around Lansdale stop at 6 ft. Upper Gwynedd’s zoning sets 6 ft 6 in for every residential yard, which gives room for a 6 ft privacy panel plus post caps, or a panel set slightly above grade on a sloped lot, without going over. It’s one of the few local codes where a privacy panel with a decorative cap doesn’t push you into variance territory.
The code doesn’t carve out a lower front-yard number, so on paper a tall fence could go anywhere on the lot. In practice, the sight triangles below, plus deed restrictions and HOA rules in planned neighborhoods, usually decide what works out front. We check all three before we draw a front-yard layout.
Corner lots and driveways in Upper Gwynedd
The 100 ft intersection triangle is measured from the street center lines, not the curb. That puts a good part of a typical corner lot’s front yard inside it, and the code keeps fences, walls and plantings out of that area entirely. Driveways get a smaller triangle of at least 30 ft, measured from the center line of the street and the center line of the driveway, which can clip the first section of a fence that runs along the drive.
We stake both triangles on corner lots in neighborhoods like Gwynedd Square and Gwynedd Heights before setting any posts, because moving a set post costs more than planning around it.
North Wales and Lansdale addresses in the township
Upper Gwynedd wraps around North Wales Borough, so plenty of homes with North Wales (19454) or Lansdale (19446) mailing addresses are actually in the township, along with a few with Ambler addresses. West Point is in Upper Gwynedd, and so is Station Square, one of the region’s first transit-oriented developments, by Pennbrook station on the Lansdale border. If your street is close to North Wales’s grid, check your tax bill: the borough has a 4 ft front-yard limit and the township doesn’t.
About 17,000 people live in the township’s 8.1 square miles, and Wissahickon Creek and Towamencin Creek drain it. Lots near either creek can carry floodplain or drainage easements on the deed, even though the fence section itself doesn’t mention easements.
Pools in Upper Gwynedd
The township runs the Nor-Gwyn community pool, but its own swimming-pool chapter is reserved, and we didn’t find a separate township pool-fence rule. A backyard pool barrier is built to the state code the township enforces: a barrier at least 48 in tall with a self-closing, self-latching gate. See our pool fence page for the full list.
Filing the permit
Fences are on the township’s list of work that needs a construction permit. The Consolidated Construction Permit Application asks for two plot plans showing where the fence goes and its dimensions. Questions go to Code Enforcement at (215) 699-7777. The fee comes from the township’s fee resolution (Resolution 16-2026), which we couldn’t read, so we confirm the amount when we file.
What we haven’t confirmed
- The permit fee amount.
- Any finished-side, property-line setback, easement or material rule. None appears in the zoning code’s fence section.
- A township pool barrier rule beyond the state code.
Checked in October 2026 against Upper Gwynedd Zoning § 195-9 and the township permit page. Codes change, so we confirm with the zoning office before every install. Our PA fence permits page covers the neighboring townships, and we bring the plot plan to the free estimate already drafted.
Common questions
Can I build a 6 ft privacy fence in my front yard in Upper Gwynedd?
The zoning code’s height limit is 6 ft 6 in in every residential yard, including the front. Sight triangles at intersections and driveways, plus any HOA or deed restriction, still apply, so we check those before recommending a tall front fence.
Do I need a permit to replace a fence in Upper Gwynedd?
The township lists fences among the work that needs a construction permit. Plan on a permit with two plot plans; we file it as part of the job.