How Somerville Handles Fence Regulations: A Practical Guide
Somerville maintains 147 local ordinances across all categories, and 5 of those deal specifically with fence regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Somerville falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Height Limits
Somerville zoning limits fences to 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards, with corner-lot sight-triangle rules and special permit options for taller fences.
Key details: Front yard max: 4 feet. Side/rear max: 6 feet. Corner visibility: 30 inches in sight triangle. Taller fences: Special permit needed. Measurement from: Natural ground level.
Material Restrictions
Somerville restricts barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fencing in residential areas, with additional historic-district material and finish reviews for local historic district properties.
Key details: Barbed wire residential: Prohibited. Razor wire residential: Prohibited. Electrified residential: Prohibited. Historic review: Material and finish. Non-compliance fine: From 300 dollars.
This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Somerville actively enforces its material restrictions requirements.
Neighbor Fence Rules
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 49 governs partition fences between neighbors, and Somerville follows the state rule that the finished side faces the neighbor's property.
Key details: Governing law: MGL Chapter 49. Finished side: Faces neighbor. Spite fence rule: MGL c.49 s.21. Cost-sharing disputes: Board of Fence Viewers. Shared fence: Requires written agreement.
Fence Permit Requirements
Somerville does not require a Building Permit to put up a fence anywhere in the city; the owner installs it at their own risk under the Zoning Ordinance. A fence built directly on a shared side or rear lot line still needs the abutting owner's consent.
Key details: Building Permit required: No, for standard fences. Shared lot-line fence: Requires abutting owner's consent. Barbed/concertina wire: Prohibited citywide. Fence in drainage/utility easement: Prohibited. Fence in FP floodplain overlay: Special Permit required instead.
Because no permit is issued for an ordinary fence, the city's recourse for a noncompliant fence, one built on the property line without the neighbor's consent, using barbed wire, or blocking a drainage easement, runs through the general zoning enforcement provisions in Section 1.1.7: the Building Official may fine the responsible party $300 per offense, with each day the violation continues counted as a new offense, or pursue a non-criminal disposition instead.
Somerville is more permissive than most cities when it comes to fence permit requirements. That said, there are still limits.
Retaining Walls
Somerville caps a retaining wall in the front yard at 4 feet, with successive walls needing at least 4 feet of horizontal separation, but allows unlimited height behind the frontage area. Any wall portion above the higher grade must also meet the city's fence standards.
Key details: Frontage-area wall height cap: 4 feet. Separation between successive walls: 4 feet minimum. Height limit behind frontage area: None (any height). Portion above grade: Must meet fence standards (§10.5.1). Daily fine for violation: $300 per offense per day.
A retaining wall that exceeds the four-foot frontage-area limit, skips the four-foot separation between successive walls, or ignores the fence standards for its exposed upper portion is a zoning violation under Section 1.1.7: the Building Official can fine the property owner $300 per offense, with each day the wall remains noncompliant treated as a separate offense, and may alternatively pursue a non-criminal disposition.
The Bottom Line
Somerville'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 Somerville is broadly strict or permissive.
All of the above reflects Somerville's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.