Fence Regulations in Fort Worth, TX (2026)
5 verified fence regulations for Fort Worth, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance §5.305 caps residential front-yard fences at 4 feet with open design (max 50% density), and behind the front building line allows solid fences up to 7 feet and open fences up to 8 feet without a permit. Corner-lot sight triangles cap fences at 2 feet within a 20-foot triangle, and the Texas Local Government Code Chapter 211 authorizes the city's zoning enforcement.
Fort Worth Fence Height Limits
Some RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 202.023(c)
Sec. 202.023. SECURITY MEASURES. ... (c) This section does not prohibit a property owners' association from: ... (2) regulating the type of fencing that a property owner may install;(3) prohibiting the placement of fencing that obstructs:(A) a license area, as defined by a written license agreement or plat; (B) a sidewalk in the public right-of-way or otherwise installed for public or co...
Fence Permit Requirements
Fort Worth exempts most residential fences from a building permit, but only up to a specific height: the Building Administrative Code excuses fences seven feet or shorter, and open wire fences without slats up to eight feet, from permit review. Taller fences, and any fence classified as a required barrier under the Electrical Code, need a permit before installation.
Fort Worth Fence Building Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsFort Worth City Code § 7-1 (Building Administrative Code § 105.2)
105.2 Work exempt from permit. Exemptions from permit requirements of this Code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of the Technical Codes or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction. Permits shall not be required for the following: Building: 1. Ground mounted flagpoles less than twenty (20) feet in height... 2...
Neighbor Fence Rules
Fort Worth has no city ordinance requiring neighbors to share fence costs or notify each other before building. The city only enforces fence height, location, and material standards under zoning Sec. 5.305. Cost-sharing is a private civil matter.
Fort Worth Fence Neighbor Rules
Few RestrictionsTex. Agric. Code Sec. 143.028
Sec. 143.028. FENCES. (a) A person is not required to fence against animals that are not permitted to run at large. Except as otherwise provided by this section, a fence is sufficient for purposes of this chapter if it is sufficient to keep out ordinary livestock permitted to run at large.(b) In order to be sufficient, a fence must be at least four feet high and comply with the following r...
Retaining Walls
Fort Worth exempts retaining walls up to four feet tall, measured footing to top, from a building permit, unless the wall holds back a surcharge or Class I-III-A liquids. Anything taller needs a permit with plans sealed by a Texas-licensed engineer, and wood walls over four feet must use new, properly treated lumber.
Fort Worth Retaining Wall Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Worth Building Administrative Code § 105.2, item 4 (City Code § 7-1)
Retaining walls that are not over four (4) feet (1219 mm) in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge or impounding Class I, II or III-A liquids. (Retaining walls placed in succession shall be considered one (1) wall if, upon drawing a line from the bottom of the footing of the lower wall at a forty-five (45) degree angle up and toward...
Material Restrictions
Fort Worth Zoning Sec. 5.305 limits front-yard fences to open designs with at least 50% transparency, effectively barring solid wood, masonry, or vinyl panels in the front yard of one- and two-family lots. Barbed wire and electric fences are restricted in residential districts.
Fort Worth Fence Material Restrictions
Light RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 202.023
Sec. 202.023. SECURITY MEASURES. ... (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a property owners' association may not adopt or enforce a restrictive covenant that prevents a property owner from building or installing security measures, including but not limited to a security camera, motion detector, or perimeter fence.(c) This section does not prohibit a property owners' association from: ....
Looking for Tarrant County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Worth city rules.
Fence Regulations in Tarrant County →