Pennsylvania doesn’t have one fence rule. The state sets a few requirements, and your township or borough sets the rest. Here’s what applies in our service area.
Looking for one township or borough? See fence rules by municipality: a page for each of the 15 municipalities we’ve written up in detail.
1. State building permit: usually not needed
Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code generally exempts fences no more than 6 ft high from a building permit (34 Pa. Code § 403.62). Pool barriers and taller fences are different. Either way, the exemption doesn’t cover local zoning.
2. Local zoning permit: usually needed
Most municipalities require a zoning permit and set height limits by yard, finished-side and setback rules, sight triangles at corners, and pool-fence requirements. We prepare and submit the application, track it and keep you updated.
3. PA One Call (811): always, before digging
Pennsylvania’s underground utility law requires notice at least 3 and no more than 10 business days before excavation, including augering fence post holes. We file the request. Utilities mark their public lines, but private lines are usually not marked, including invisible dog fences, sprinklers, lines to sheds, pools, grills or lamp posts, septic and drainage pipes. Sources: PA One Call homeowners, private lines.
4. Your rights under HICPA
Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act covers fences. Contractors doing $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must register with the Attorney General and show the registration number on ads, estimates and contracts. Jobs over $500 need a written contract, and you can cancel within three business days of signing. Check a contractor at hic.attorneygeneral.gov. Source: PA Attorney General.
Fence rules by municipality
Residential fence rules we’ve verified from each municipality’s published code, last checked September 2026. Codes change and details like corner lots, easements and historic districts matter, so we confirm with the zoning office for every job. Municipalities in our ZIP codes that aren’t listed are ones we confirm case by case.
Lansdale Borough
- Permit
- Yes. Fences are on the borough's list of work that needs a permit. Township permit page
- Front yard
- Only open “architectural” fences: up to 3 ft, at least 75% open, along no more than 25% of the frontage.
- Side & rear
- Up to 6 ft (up to 8 ft if the part above 6 ft is see-through).
- Finished side faces neighbors and streets.
- Keep fences at least 2 ft from sidewalks and alleys.
- All-wire fencing is not permitted; keep intersection sight lines clear.
Source: Borough Code Ch. 405, Art. XVIII · checked September 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the township before every install.
Upper Gwynedd Township
- Permit
- Yes. Fences are listed among projects that need a permit. Township permit page
- Front yard
- Up to 6 ft 6 in (same limit for all required yards in residential districts).
- Side & rear
- Up to 6 ft 6 in.
- Keep the clear sight triangle at intersections open.
Source: Zoning §195-9 · checked September 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the township before every install.
Montgomery Township
- Permit
- Yes, for new and replacement fences. Township permit page
- Front yard
- Boundary fences generally aren’t allowed in front yards (4 ft where the lot fronts a major street); decorative fences up to 3 ft.
- Side & rear
- Up to 6 ft; privacy fences in rear yards only. Corner-lot side yards have extra limits.
- The more attractive side faces out.
- Boundary fences sit just inside the property line, not on it.
- Pool enclosures must be at least 4 ft.
Source: Zoning §230-148 · checked September 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the township before every install.
Lower Gwynedd Township
- Permit
- Yes. A zoning permit is required for every fence. Township permit page
- Side & rear
- Township guidance caps fence height at 6 ft.
Source: Building & Zoning Dept. · checked September 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the township before every install.
Upper Dublin Township
- Permit
- Yes. Zoning permit (fence), filed online. Township permit page
- Front yard
- Up to 4 ft within the front-yard setback.
- Side & rear
- Up to 6 ft.
- Finished side (no posts or rails showing) faces neighbors.
- Front-yard fences need a gate at least 36 in wide on each street frontage.
Source: Zoning §255-24 · checked September 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the township before every install.
Abington Township
- Permit
- Yes. Fence permit filed through the township’s online portal. Township permit page
- Side & rear
- Up to 6 ft; taller requires a Zoning Hearing Board special exception.
- Pool barriers at least 48 in with self-closing, self-latching gates (township pool requirements sheet).
- Building code: a fence within 5 ft of a property line needs survey evidence of the line.
Source: Township Code Ch. 62 · checked September 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the township before every install.
Cheltenham Township
- Permit
- Yes. Fence permit filed through the township’s online portal. Township permit page
- Front yard
- Up to 4 ft between the street and the house; only open (not solid) fences in the required front yard. Corner lots have two front yards.
- Side & rear
- Up to 6 ft.
- Finished side faces neighbors and the street.
- Not in the right-of-way, sight triangle, floodplain or swale.
- Pool fences at least 4 ft with a locking gate.
Source: Zoning §295-405 · checked September 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the township before every install.
Lower Moreland Township
- Permit
- Yes, for fences taller than 3 ft.
Source: Township Code §82-6 · checked September 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the township before every install.