Fence Regulations in Livonia, MI (2026)
5 verified fence regulations for Livonia, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Livonia caps a standard side or rear yard fence at four feet, allows a privacy fence up to six feet four inches with a neighbor's written consent, and bars anything over 30 inches in the corner visibility triangle, under Code of Ordinances Section 15.44.090.
Livonia Residential Fence Height Limits
Some RestrictionsLivonia Code of Ordinances § 15.44.090
A.A partition fence shall be permitted as long as there is only one (1) such fence separating individual properties, subject to the following regulations:1.Fences which enclose property or are within the required side or rear yard shall not be sight-obscuring or exceed four (4) feet in height, measured from the surface of the ground, except for privacy fences as provided for elsewhere in this s...
Fence Permit Requirements
Erecting, re-erecting, altering, relocating or making a major repair to any fence or privacy screen in Livonia requires a permit from the Inspection Department under Section 15.44.050, and the property owner is responsible for obtaining it unless a hired contractor takes on that duty.
Livonia Fence Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsLivonia Code of Ordinances § 15.44.050
It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, re-erect, alter, relocate or make a major repair on any fence or privacy screen upon any property within the City without first having obtained a permit from the Inspection Department, in the manner hereinafter provided. The owner of the property, as reflected on the last local tax assessment records, shall be responsible for obtaining the permit, u...
Neighbor Fence Rules
Livonia's fence ordinance puts upkeep of a lot-line fence on whoever currently owns the property it stands on, not on a default 50/50 split between neighbors. Successive owners inherit the duty automatically, and the Inspection Department can assign care to any abutting owner when ownership can't be pinned down, without ordering a survey.
Livonia Boundary Fence Responsibility Rules
Some RestrictionsLivonia Code of Ordinances § 15.44.120(C)
2.Any person who owns property upon which a fence or privacy screen has been constructed by a previous owner shall be responsible for the care, upkeep and maintenance of the fence or privacy screen. If a previously constructed fence is located upon a lot line, each successive owner of the fence shall be responsible for its care, upkeep and maintenance. If ownership of the fence located upon a l...
Retaining Walls
Livonia's zoning ordinance lets a homeowner build a retaining wall inside a required front, side or rear setback only if the wall rises three feet or less above finished grade. Taller retaining walls lose that setback exception and must clear the same yard setback lines as the principal building, per Section 7.26(1)(D) of Zoning Ordinance No. 3160.
Livonia Retaining Wall Height Limit in Setbacks
Some RestrictionsLivonia Zoning Ordinance No. 3160, § 7.26(1)(D)
Landscaping, Garden, and Retaining Walls. Landscaping, garden, and retaining walls raised three (3) feet or less above the finished grade may be located in a yard setback.
Material Restrictions
Livonia's fence ordinance bans barbed wire between or abutting residential properties, bans electrified fences that could shock a person or animal, and bans sharp projections like broken glass or spikes on any fence citywide. Fence material must also be new or department-approved, and woven plastic strips or opaque fiberglass panels are prohibited outright.
Livonia Bans Barbed Wire and Electric Fences
Heavy RestrictionsLivonia Code of Ordinances § 15.44.070(A), (C)
A.Barbed Wire. It shall be unlawful for any person or his/her lessee or agent to either construct or maintain a barbed wire fence, partially or wholly, between or abutting any residential properties, or in or along any street or in front of any public place or space; provided, however, that in the case of manufacturing plants that do not abut residential property, or public utility installation...
Looking for Wayne County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Livonia city rules.
Fence Regulations in Wayne County →