Fence Regulations in Providence, RI (2026)
5 verified fence regulations for Providence, Rhode Island, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Providence caps residential fences at 6 feet, defaults non-described partition fences to 4.5 feet, and bans barbed wire between neighboring homeowners under Code Chapter 5, Article IV.
Fence Height Limits in Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence City Code § 5-54
No fence or other structure in the nature of a fence which exceeds six (6) feet in height and which is located in or adjacent to a residential use shall be erected. It shall be removed upon order of the fence viewer upon notice as set forth in section 5-49; if not removed within thirty (30) days of said notice from the fence viewer, the abutting owner may have said fence removed and shall be en...
Fence Permit Requirements
Providence's zoning ordinance treats fences as accessory structures, meaning a fence needs a building permit from the Department of Inspection and Standards unless the ordinance specifically exempts it, and the fence rules include no such exemption.
Fence Permit Required Under Providence Zoning Code
Some RestrictionsProvidence Zoning Ordinance § 1302.A.8
Accessory structures require a building permit unless specifically exempted by this Ordinance. 9. In all residential zones, a mobile home, manufactured home, recreational vehicle, semi-tractor trailer, shipping container, boat or motor vehicle shall not be used as an accessory structure. B. Amateur (HAM) Radio Equipment 1. Towers that so...
Neighbor Fence Rules
Neighbors who share a partition fence in Providence must maintain it together, and if one owner neglects it, the city's fence viewer can order repairs, rebuilding, or removal on a set deadline.
Shared Boundary Fence Rules in Providence
Some Restrictions§ 5-49
Whenever any proprietor, possessor or owner of land shall neglect or refuse to repair, remove or rebuild any partition fence, the adjoining owner may complain to the fence viewer of the city who, after ten (10) days' notice to such proprietor, possessor or owner, shall attend and view the same...If he shall find said complaint to be true after taking a view, he shall in writing order the delinq...
Retaining Walls
Providence lets retaining walls exceed the standard 12-inch wall width cap if the extra bulk stays buried below grade, but height is limited to 36 inches within 5 feet of a front lot line and 6 feet everywhere else.
Providence Retaining Wall Height Limits
Some RestrictionsProvidence Zoning Ordinance Art. 13, § 1300(I)(4)(a)
A wall shall not exceed 12 inches in width, unless it is used to retain grade and the width is not visible above any adjacent finished grade. No wall within 5 feet of a front lot line shall exceed 36 inches in height. All other walls are limited to 6 feet in height. (Figure 13-3) b. No wall shall be constructed of unfinished building materials, including but n...
Material Restrictions
Providence's fence-viewer ordinance limits partition fences on shared lot lines to four listed types: agreed hedge, capped fieldstone, gauge-9 woven wire, or a 4½-foot default fence, and bans barbed wire between neighbors.
Lawful Partition Fence Materials Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence City Code §§ 5-46, 5-48
A stone wall fence used as a partition fence in a residential section constructed of flat fieldstone, not exceeding four (4) feet high...No partition fence shall be constructed of concrete, brick, cement blocks, cobblestones, boulders or any other materials except as herein provided...No fence shall be constructed wholly or in part of barbed wire, as a line fence between adjoining owners.