Fence Regulations in Rochester, NY (2026)
3 verified fence regulations for Rochester, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Rochester caps residential and village-center fences at four feet in the front yard and six feet in the side and rear yards, rising to eight feet along a shared line with a commercial or industrial property, under City Code § 120-167. Corner lots also must keep a 30-inch sight triangle clear near intersections.
Rochester Fence Height Limits: 4 Ft Front, 6 Ft Rear
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 120-167B(2),(4),(5), D
B. Fence heights. (2) No fence or wall in a residential or village center district shall exceed six feet in height in the side and rear yards, except, where contiguous to a commercial or industrial district and use, a fence height of 8 feet shall be allowed in the side or rear yard on the shared property line only. (4) Within nonresidential districts no fence shall exceed eight feet in height. ...
Retaining Walls
Rochester lets a retaining wall exceed the normal four-foot front-yard fence cap only where a natural topographic grade change makes it necessary, under City Code § 120-167B(5). Wooden retaining walls are banned outright, both under the fence rules at § 120-167E(2) and the site-grading rules at § 120-178B.
Rochester Bars Wooden Retaining Walls Citywide
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 120-167B(5), E(1)-(2); § 120-178B
Within residential and village center districts, no fence shall exceed four feet in height within the front yard of any lot, other than a retaining wall made necessary by a natural topographic grade change. ... All required fences and walls shall be maintained and, when necessary, repaired or replaced. Wooden retaining walls are prohibited. ... Where retaining walls are required, they shall be ...
Material Restrictions
Rochester's fence code bans barbed wire outright in every residential zoning district and bars razor wire or any electrified, sharp or hazardous point from fences citywide, under City Code § 39-307(B) and (C). Barbed wire elsewhere needs the Commissioner's written permission first, and it can never run along a street line.
Rochester Bans Barbed Wire in Residential Fences
Significant RestrictionsRochester City Code § 39-307(B), (C), (D)
B. Barbed wire. The use of barbed wire shall not be allowed in any district without prior permission in writing from the Commissioner. Barbed wire shall not be permitted in any residential zoning district. C. Razor wire or electrified, sharp or hazardous points, other than barbed wire cited above in Subsection B, are prohibited in any location, including the top or at any portion of a fence in ...
Looking for Monroe County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Rochester city rules.
Fence Regulations in Monroe County →