Fence permit comparison — all cities
| City | State | Height threshold (front / rear yard) | Estimated fee range | Review timeline | Code edition | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | GA | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >84" | $100–$350 | 5–15 business days | Georgia State Minimum Standard Residential Code (IRC-based, | Atlanta permit portal |
| Austin | TX | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >84" | $100–$400 | 10–15 business days | Austin Land Development Code (LDC) § 25-2-899 (Fences and Wa | Austin permit portal |
| Boston | MA | Front: ≤4" | $200–$550 | 5–15 business days for standard residential review | Massachusetts State Building Code 9th Edition (780 CMR), bas | Boston permit portal |
| Charlotte | NC | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >72" | $75–$350 | 5–10 business days | 2018 North Carolina Residential Code (NCRC) Section R105.2 ( | Charlotte permit portal |
| Chicago | IL | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >60" | $175–$600 | 5–15 business days for standard residential review; potentially same-day OTC for qualifying simple projects | Chicago Zoning Ordinance (Title 17) Section 17-11-0200 (fenc | Chicago permit portal |
| Cincinnati | OH | Front: ≤4" | $50–$150 | 5–10 business days when a building permit is required | Cincinnati Zoning Code (Title XIV) for fence height limits a | Cincinnati permit portal |
| Columbus | OH | Front: ≤4" | $50–$150 | 7–12 business days when a building permit is required | Columbus City Code Chapter 3332 (residential zoning) for fen | Columbus permit portal |
| Dallas | TX | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >72" | $50–$500 | 1–3 business days | Dallas Development Code Chapter 51A, Sec. 51A-4.602 (Fence, | Dallas permit portal |
| Denver | CO | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >72" | $75–$250 | 10–15 business days (standard); over-the-counter same-day for eligible simple projects | 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) as adopted by the | Denver permit portal |
| Detroit | MI | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >72" | $150–$470 | About 5 business days listed by Detroit for residential permit issuance after application submission | Michigan Residential Code (MRC) with Michigan amendments, as | Detroit permit portal |
| Houston | TX | See city guide | $100–$300 | 5–10 business days | 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) as adopted by the | Houston permit portal |
| Indianapolis | IN | Front: ≤4" | $50–$150 | 7–15 business days when a building permit is required | Indianapolis/Marion County Consolidated Zoning and Subdivisi | Indianapolis permit portal |
| Jacksonville | FL | Front: ≤4" | $100–$350 | Up to 7 business days for straightforward residential review, plus revision time if comments are issued | 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (Residential), Secti | Jacksonville permit portal |
| Kansas City | MO | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >96" | $125–$400 | 10–20 business days (ePLAN electronic review; simple fence permits with complete submittals move faster) | 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) with City of Kansa | Kansas City permit portal |
| Los Angeles | CA | Front: ≤42"; Rear/side: >72" | $250–$700 | 10–20 business days (standard); same-day OTC for simple qualifying fence projects | Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 12.22 A.20 (fence | Los Angeles permit portal |
| Miami | FL | Front: ≤4" | $200–$700 | 10–20 business days for electronic plan review through iBuild | Florida Building Code (FBC) 8th Edition (2023) Section 105.2 | Miami permit portal |
| Minneapolis | MN | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >84" | Varies | Often no formal plan review for standard permit-exempt fences | Minneapolis zoning requirements for fences as published by C | Minneapolis permit portal |
| Nashville | TN | Front: ≤30"; Rear/side: >96" | $0+ | 0 days for a standard fence; overlay review varies | Metro Nashville fence guidance; Metro Code Title 17 zoning p | Nashville permit portal |
| Orlando | FL | Front: ≤4" | $100–$350 | 7–15 business days for a standard residential fence | Florida Building Code (FBC) 8th Edition (2023) with City of | Orlando permit portal |
| Philadelphia | PA | Front: ≤48" | $150–$500 | 10–20 business days for standard residential review | Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (PA UCC), based on th | Philadelphia permit portal |
| Phoenix | AZ | Front: ≤36"; Rear/side: >72" | $50–$200 | 10–15 business days (standard); over-the-counter same-day for eligible simple projects | 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) as adopted by the | Phoenix permit portal |
| Portland | OR | Front: ≤42"; Rear/side: >84" | $153–$350 | 1–5 business days | Portland City Code Chapter 24.60 (Fences); Title 33 Planning | Portland permit portal |
| Raleigh | NC | Front: ≤4" | $75–$300 | 7–14 business days | 2018 North Carolina Residential Code (NCRC) Section R105.2 ( | Raleigh permit portal |
| Salt Lake City | UT | Front: ≤4" | $75–$275 | 7–15 business days | 2021 Utah Residential Code (Utah adoption of the 2021 Intern | Salt Lake City permit portal |
| San Antonio | TX | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >96" | $100–$400 | 5–10 business days | San Antonio Unified Development Code (UDC) Chapter 35, Secti | San Antonio permit portal |
| San Diego | CA | Front: ≤42"; Rear/side: >72" | $225–$700 | 10–25 business days (standard); same-day or next-day OTC for qualifying simple fence projects with complete plans | San Diego Municipal Code (SDMC) Section 142.0430 (fence, wal | San Diego permit portal |
| San Francisco | CA | Front: ≤36"; Rear/side: >96" | $350–$950 | 10–20 business days (standard); same-day or next-day OTC for qualifying simple fence projects | SF Planning Code Section 261 (fence height limits in residen | San Francisco permit portal |
| Seattle | WA | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >96" | $150–$350 | 2–5 business days | Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) 23.44.014 (Yard regulations — N | Seattle permit portal |
| Tampa | FL | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >72" | $75–$300 | Up to 10 business days for straightforward residential review; floodplain, pool barrier, or historic overlay review may add time | 2023 Florida Building Code (FBC), 8th Edition, Residential — | Tampa permit portal |
| Washington | DC | Front: ≤48"; Rear/side: >72" | $225–$600 | 10–20 business days (standard plan review); HPRB historic review can take 4–8 weeks and must precede the DOB application | DC Zoning Regulations DCMR Title 11 (fence height limits by | Washington permit portal |
Summarized from official sources. Verify with your city before building.
City guides
- Atlanta, GA — Fence permit guide
- Austin, TX — Fence permit guide
- Boston, MA — Fence permit guide
- Charlotte, NC — Fence permit guide
- Chicago, IL — Fence permit guide
- Cincinnati, OH — Fence permit guide
- Columbus, OH — Fence permit guide
- Dallas, TX — Fence permit guide
- Denver, CO — Fence permit guide
- Detroit, MI — Fence permit guide
- Houston, TX — Fence permit guide
- Indianapolis, IN — Fence permit guide
- Jacksonville, FL — Fence permit guide
- Kansas City, MO — Fence permit guide
- Los Angeles, CA — Fence permit guide
- Miami, FL — Fence permit guide
- Minneapolis, MN — Fence permit guide
- Nashville, TN — Fence permit guide
- Orlando, FL — Fence permit guide
- Philadelphia, PA — Fence permit guide
- Phoenix, AZ — Fence permit guide
- Portland, OR — Fence permit guide
- Raleigh, NC — Fence permit guide
- Salt Lake City, UT — Fence permit guide
- San Antonio, TX — Fence permit guide
- San Diego, CA — Fence permit guide
- San Francisco, CA — Fence permit guide
- Seattle, WA — Fence permit guide
- Tampa, FL — Fence permit guide
- Washington, DC — Fence permit guide
Compare other permit types
Disclaimer: Aggregated from official city sources for reference only — not legal advice. Verify with your city before you build.