Short answer
Lower Moreland Township's building code exempts "fences that are not over three feet high," so a fence of 3 ft or less does not need a building permit there, and a taller one does. The township's fee schedule also lists fences under zoning permits, and we have not confirmed whether a short fence needs a zoning permit. And a Huntingdon Valley address may be in Abington, Upper Moreland or Bryn Athyn instead, which have their own rules.
What the township code says
Lower Moreland amended the list of work exempt from building permits in its building construction chapter (§ 82-6A). One of the exemptions reads, in full: "Fences that are not over three feet high." The plain reading is that a fence of 3 ft or under needs no building permit, and anything taller does.
Why we don't stop there
A building-code exemption is not a zoning exemption. Lower Moreland's fee schedule lists "fences and decorative walls" under zoning permits issued under the zoning chapter (Chapter 208), without a height threshold that we could find. We could not read the zoning chapter's fence height table, and we could not open the township's permit pages. So we can't tell you for certain that a 30-in garden fence needs nothing at all.
What we do instead is call the township with the address, height and location before we install anything, short or tall. A quick call is cheaper than moving posts later.
What we haven't confirmed in Lower Moreland
- Front, side and rear height limits (they sit in a zoning table we could not read).
- Whether short fences need a zoning permit even when no building permit is required.
- The application process and current fees.
- Finished-side, pool-barrier and sight-triangle rules.
- Whether a fence inside the township's historic district needs a certificate of appropriateness. The historic district chapter doesn't say so expressly.
Until those are confirmed, we don't quote Lower Moreland height numbers on this site. We check them with the township for each address.
Is your Huntingdon Valley address in Lower Moreland?
Huntingdon Valley is a postal name, not a municipality. The 19006 and 19009 ZIP codes cover Lower Moreland Township, Bryn Athyn Borough and parts of Abington and Upper Moreland townships, and edges into Lower and Upper Southampton in Bucks County. The fence rules come from whichever one is on your tax bill.
| If your tax bill says | What we know about permits |
|---|---|
| Lower Moreland Township | Building permit for fences over 3 ft; zoning permit question open |
| Abington Township | Building permit for a fence on or within 5 ft of a property line, with evidence of a boundary survey |
| Upper Moreland Township | Not confirmed for a stand-alone residential fence; pool fences need a permit |
| Bryn Athyn Borough | Not verified |
From each municipality's code as read in October 2026.
If you were hoping to go taller
In 2019 a homeowner on Inverness Lane in Huntingdon Valley asked Lower Moreland's Zoning Hearing Board for a variance to put an 8-ft deer fence around the front, side and rear yards, citing Lyme disease. Taller deer fencing there goes through the board, not over the counter. Our variance page covers what that involves.
Planning a short garden or front-walk fence in Huntingdon Valley? Tell us the address and we will confirm which township it is in and what it needs before we schedule.
Common questions
Does a 3-ft fence still need PA One Call?
Yes. Digging post holes is excavation, and Pennsylvania law requires a call to 811 at least 3 business days ahead regardless of fence height. We place the request for jobs we build.
Is 3 ft measured to the top of the posts?
The exemption says the fence must not be over 3 ft high. Keep the posts and any caps within 3 ft if you are relying on it.
Do I need a survey for a short fence?
Not for the exemption itself. But if the fence runs near a line you share with a neighbor, knowing where that line is protects you. See our survey page.