How Yonkers Handles Fence Regulations: A Practical Guide

Yonkers maintains 128 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with fence regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Yonkers falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Height Limits

Yonkers caps fences and walls at 4 feet in any required front or street-facing yard setback and 6 feet in other required yards, with an 8-foot allowance for open-construction fencing in nonresidential districts, plus a mandatory 4-foot cap inside every corner-lot visibility triangle.

Key details: Front/street yard fence height: 4 feet max. Other required yards: 6 feet max. Open-construction fence, nonresidential: 8 feet max. Corner visibility triangle: 4-ft cap, 75-ft leg points. Banned: barbed wire, electrified, sharp-material fences.

Building a fence over these height caps, inside the corner visibility triangle, or with a banned material is a Zoning Ordinance violation under § 43-153, a Class II offense punishable under City Code § 1-21 by a $100 to $5,000 fine or up to 15 days in jail, plus a $250 to $5,000 civil penalty. The Commissioner of Housing and Buildings can order the fence altered or removed, and the Corporation Counsel may seek an injunction for continued noncompliance.

Material Restrictions

Yonkers City Code § 43-41D bans electrically charged fences, barbed wire and any fence built of sharp materials on residential lots. Fences must also sit inside lot lines and meet height caps: four feet in front yards, six feet elsewhere, or eight feet if at least 75% open in nonresidential districts.

Key details: Barbed wire/electric fences: Prohibited on all lots. Front yard fence height: 4 feet maximum. Side/rear yard fence height: 6 feet maximum. Nonresidential open fence: 8 feet if 75% open. Corner sight triangle: 4 feet max within 75 ft.

A fence that uses barbed wire, electric charging or sharp materials, or that exceeds the height caps, is a zoning violation under § 43-153 and rates as a Class II offense: a fine of $100 to $5,000, up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000 under § 1-21. The Department of Housing and Buildings enforces the fence rules and can order removal; the Corporation Counsel may sue for an injunction.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Yonkers actively enforces its material restrictions requirements.

Retaining Walls

Yonkers treats retaining walls the same as fences under City Code § 43-41D: they cannot exceed four feet in a required front yard or any yard setback abutting a street, and six feet in any other required yard setback, with an added safety allowance for guard rails where the Commissioner requires one.

Key details: Front-yard/street setback cap: 4 feet maximum. Other required-yard setback cap: 6 feet maximum. Nonresidential open fence exception: 8 feet if 75% open. Safety guard addition: Up to 4 feet extra, Commissioner's discretion. Corner sight triangle: 75 feet each way, 4-foot cap.

A retaining wall built over the height limit, without the required corner sight-triangle clearance, or using barbed wire or electrified elements is a zoning violation subject to § 43-153's Class II offense penalty: a fine of $100 to $5,000, up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000 under § 1-21, plus a possible order to remove or lower the wall.

Fence Permit Requirements

Yonkers has no standalone fence permit, but City Code § 56-96 forces Department review anyway: a wood fence within 10 feet of a public street or 30 feet of a building can't exceed 6 feet unless the Department approves how it's supported, in which case it can go up to 10 feet.

Key details: Default wood fence cap near street/building: 6 feet. Max height with Department-approved supports: 10 feet. Proximity trigger: within 10 ft of street or 30 ft of building. Governing section: City Code § 56-96. Zoning fence height cap, front yard: 4 feet.

A fence built over 6 feet within the § 56-96 proximity zone without Department-approved supports is a Building Code violation. Absent a chapter-specific penalty, it defaults to a Class II offense under City Code § 1-21: a fine of $100 to $5,000 or up to 15 days in jail, plus a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000, and the Department can order the fence altered or removed to bring it into compliance.

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

The Bottom Line

Yonkers'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 Yonkers is broadly strict or permissive.

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