Fence Regulations in Reading, PA (2026)
3 verified fence regulations for Reading, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Reading caps front-yard fences and walls at four feet and caps everything else at six feet, with an extra foot allowed for decorative posts and taller fencing permitted in Manufacturing and C-H Districts under specific conditions.
Reading Fence and Wall Height Limits
Some RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-1302
Fences, walls and similar structures in the minimum front yard of a residential or R-PO District shall not exceed four feet in height. In all other cases, fences, walls or similar structures exclusive of ornamentation shall not exceed six feet in height in any district, except: the Manufacturing or C-H Districts as provided in Subsection A below; or where the applicant proves to the satisfactio...
Fence Permit Requirements
Reading requires a zoning permit before erecting any fence, wall, or similar structure taller than three feet. Height is measured from ground level, so a fence built atop a wall counts as their combined height.
Reading Fence and Wall Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-1301
No fence, wall or similar structure greater than three feet in height shall be erected without first obtaining a permit from the Zoning Administrator. The height of fences and walls shall be measured based upon the total height above the ground, such as if a two-foot tall fence is constructed on top of a two-foot tall wall, the structure shall be considered four feet high.
Material Restrictions
Reading bans barbed wire in residential and certain commercial districts, electrically charged fencing, razor wire outside prisons, broken glass on fences, and fabric or junk used as fencing material citywide.
Reading Prohibited Fence Materials
Significant RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-1304
The following fences, walls, similar structures or fencing and wall materials shall be prohibited: A. Barbed wire. (1) When the fence, wall or similar structure is located in any residential district associated with a residential use, or abuts a residential property... (2) When the barbed wire would be located less than six feet above grade... C. Electrically charged fences, other than invisibl...
Looking for Berks County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Reading city rules.
Fence Regulations in Berks County →