Fence Regulations in Fort Smith, AR: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Fort Smith or are thinking about moving there, fence regulations are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Fort Smith has 2 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of fence regulations, and some of them might surprise you.

Fence Permit Requirements

Fort Smith only requires a building permit for a residential fence taller than six feet or a masonry wall taller than four feet.

Key details: Permit needed: fence over 6 feet. Permit needed: masonry wall over 4 feet. No permit: fences 6 ft or under. Adopted: Ord. No. 7-11, 2011.

Building a fence over six feet or a masonry wall over four feet without the required permit is a code violation citable under the city's general penalty, Sec. 1-9.

The rules around fence permit requirements in Fort Smith lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Material Restrictions

Fort Smith allows wood, metal tubing, wrought iron, stone, masonry, and chainlink residential fencing, but bans barbed wire, chicken wire, chain, broken glass, and other non-fencing materials.

Key details: Allowed: wood, metal, stone, chainlink. Banned: barbed wire, chicken wire, glass. Barbed wire exception: 1+ acre, large animals. Adopted: Ord. No. 7-11, 2011.

Violating the material restrictions is a code violation subject to the general penalty in Sec. 1-9; nonconforming fences got a one-time six-month grace period after the 2011 ordinance to comply.

The Bottom Line

Fort Smith's fence regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Fort Smith is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Fort Smith's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.