Fence Regulations in Wyoming, MI

If you live in Wyoming or are thinking about moving there, fence regulations are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Wyoming has 4 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of fence regulations, and some of them might surprise you.

Fence Permit Requirements

Before putting up, rebuilding or changing any fence in Wyoming, Michigan, the property owner needs the building inspector's approval. City code Sec. 90-312(1) makes erection, construction or alteration of a fence subject to inspector sign-off for compliance with the zoning chapter, and requires the fence's finished side to face outward toward neighboring lots and the street.

Key details: Approval authority: City building inspector. Trigger: Erection, construction or alteration. Orientation rule: Finished side faces outward. Governing section: Sec. 90-312(1), Wyoming Zoning Ordinance. First-offense fine: $75 municipal civil infraction.

Erecting, rebuilding or materially altering a fence without building-inspector approval is a Code violation subject to the general municipal civil infraction penalty in Sec. 1-26: $75 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense within a year, and $2,500 for any later offense, with every day the unapproved fence stands counted as a separate violation. The inspector can require the fence be brought into compliance or removed.

Height Limits

Wyoming, Michigan caps fences at six feet in side and rear yards but only 36 inches in the front yard, and the building inspector must approve every fence before it goes up. The zoning ordinance also bans spikes and sharp fence toppers citywide, except that barbed wire is allowed on top of fences in industrial zones.

Key details: Side/rear yard max: 6 feet above surrounding grade. Front yard max: 36 inches above ground level. Approval: Building inspector must approve every fence. Prohibited toppers: Spikes and nails, except barbed wire in industrial zones. Governing section: Zoning Ordinance § 90-312.

Erecting a fence over six feet in a side or rear yard, over 36 inches in a front yard, without the building inspector's approval, or topped with prohibited spikes or nails, is enforced as a municipal civil infraction under Wyoming Code of Ordinances § 1-27: $75.00 for a first offense, $500.00 for a second within a year, and $2,500.00 for a third, along with an order to lower, remove or refinish the fence.

Retaining Walls

Building or relocating a retaining wall anywhere in the City of Wyoming, Michigan requires sketch-plan review and sign-off from the building official under Zoning Ordinance Table 90-502, the same table that governs signs, fences and mechanical equipment. It is an administrative approval, not a full Planning Commission hearing, but skipping it means the wall was built without required city review.

Key details: Governing table: Table 90-502 (Sec. 90-502). Review type: Sketch Plan, administrative. Approval authority: Building Official (BO). Also covered by this table: Signs, fences, mechanical equipment. Screen-wall height if visible: 36-48 inches (Sec. 90-1913).

Building a retaining wall without the required sketch-plan sign-off from the building official is a zoning violation enforced under the citywide civil-infraction code, Sec. 1-27: $75.00 for a first offense, $500.00 for a second within a year, $2,500.00 for a third or later, with each day the unpermitted wall stands counted separately. The city may also order removal or correction.

Material Restrictions

Wyoming, Michigan's zoning code requires every fence in the city, residential or commercial, to be of an ornamental nature, and it bans spikes, nails or any sharp instrument on top of or along the sides of a fence. The one exception: barbed wire may top a fence in an industrial zone. Homeowners near Grand Rapids, Kentwood or Grandville should not assume a barbed-wire fence is allowed inside Wyoming city limits.

Key details: Governing section: Sec. 90-312(4), Wyoming Zoning Ordinance. Ornamental requirement: Applies to all fences citywide. Barbed wire: Industrial zones only, atop fence. Sharp materials: Spikes/nails banned on any fence. First-offense fine: $75 municipal civil infraction.

A fence that fails the ornamental standard, carries prohibited spikes or nails, or runs barbed wire outside an industrial zone is a violation of the Wyoming Code of Ordinances and, under the general penalty in Sec. 1-26, a municipal civil infraction: $75 for a first offense, $500 for a second within a year, and $2,500 for any further offense, with each day of noncompliance a separate violation. The building inspector can order the fence altered or removed, and the 62-A District Court hears contested citations.

The Bottom Line

Wyoming'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 Wyoming is broadly strict or permissive.

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