Pottstown's Fence Regulations: The Rules That Matter
Every city handles fence regulations a little differently. In Pottstown, Pennsylvania, there are 4 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.
Material Restrictions
Electrified fences are barred everywhere in Pottstown, and barbed wire or concertina wire is allowed only in nonresidential zoning districts, and only starting seven feet above ground. The rule sits in the general zoning regulations covering Flex Office, Highway Business and Heavy Manufacturing Districts.
Key details: Electrified fences: Prohibited, no exceptions listed. Barbed/concertina wire: Nonresidential districts only. Minimum height for barbs: 7 feet and above. Covered districts: Flex Office, Highway Business, Heavy Mfg. Finished side rule: Faces the property exterior.
Installing an electrified fence anywhere in the Borough, or barbed or concertina wire below seven feet or on residential property, is a zoning violation subject to enforcement by the Zoning Officer, who can require removal or modification of the nonconforming fence as a condition of any subsequent zoning or building permit on the property.
Fence Permit Requirements
Pottstown requires a zoning permit before building or installing a fence anywhere in the Borough, under Chapter 27, Section 200. Fences and sheds proposed in the Conservation or Gateway Districts need an added photo or sketch and a scale drawing showing exactly where the fence will sit on the lot.
Key details: Permit trigger: Any fence built or installed. Applying office: Zoning Officer, Codes Department. Extra design docs: Photo/sketch in Conservation, Gateway. Permit validity: 6 months, 90-day extensions. Revocation ground: False statement in application.
Building or installing a fence without the required zoning permit exposes the property owner to Zoning Officer enforcement action under Chapter 27's permit provisions, and a permit obtained on a false statement is subject to revocation under Section 203, which also voids any other permit that relied on it. A revoked or missing permit can require the fence to be brought into compliance or removed before further work proceeds.
Height Limits
Pottstown's Zoning Ordinance sets a 4-foot maximum for fences in front yards and in side yards facing a street, rising to 6 feet in interior side and rear yards, under Section 317. No fence, hedge, or other screening may sit inside a public right-of-way, and all fencing must preserve sight distance for traffic and pedestrians.
Key details: Front yard fence max: 4 feet. Side yard adjacent to street: 4 feet. Interior side/rear yard max: 6 feet. Fences barred entirely: inside public rights-of-way. Sight distance: must be preserved for traffic.
Fence violations are civil zoning matters under Section 1105 of the Zoning Ordinance. The Borough can bring an enforcement proceeding before a magisterial district judge, and a person found liable pays a judgment of not more than $500 plus court costs and the Borough's attorney fees. Each day a noncompliant fence remains up counts as a separate violation once a five-day grace period after the judge's determination has passed.
Retaining Walls
Pottstown's grading code lets cut and fill slopes go no steeper than 2:1 unless a retaining wall or cribbing holds them up, under § 9-112(E)(1) of Chapter 9's grading standards. Owners must keep any retaining wall built under a grading permit permanently maintained and repaired, and the standard can only be relaxed by the Borough for special conditions.
Key details: Governing law: Chapter 9, § 112(E)(1) and (H). Slope standard: No steeper than 2:1 without stabilization. Stabilization options: Retaining wall or cribbing. Maintenance duty: Owner must maintain wall continuously. Relaxation: Only by Borough for special conditions.
A retaining wall or slope that doesn't meet § 9-112(E)(1), or that an owner lets fall out of repair in violation of § 9-112(H), exposes the owner to the same Chapter 9, Part 1 penalty as any other grading violation: a fine of up to $1,000 plus costs of prosecution, up to 30 days in jail if unpaid, and a separate offense for each day the condition continues.
The Bottom Line
Pottstown'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 Pottstown is broadly strict or permissive.
Keep in mind that Pottstown can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.