Fence Regulations in Somerville, MA (2026)
7 verified fence regulations for Somerville, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Somerville zoning limits fences to 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards, with corner-lot sight-triangle rules and special permit options for taller fences.
Somerville Fence Height Limits
Some RestrictionsMass. Gen. Laws ch. 49, § 21 (Fence Height)
height and is maliciously erected or maintained for the purpose of annoying the owners or occupants of adjoining property shall be deemed a private nuisance. Any such owner or occupant injured in the comfort or enjoyment of his estate thereby may have an action of tort for damages under chapter two hundred and forty-three. Site Information & Links Helpful Massachusetts Links Mass.gov link to an...
Permit Requirements
Somerville requires a building permit for most fence installations, with historic districts adding a Historic Preservation Commission review step for visible exterior fencing.
Somerville Fence Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsNeighbor Fence Rules
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 49 governs partition fences between neighbors, and Somerville follows the state rule that the finished side faces the neighbor's property.
Somerville Fence Neighbor Rules
Some RestrictionsMass. Gen. Laws ch. 49, § 21 (Fences - Neighbor Rules)
maliciously erected or maintained for the purpose of annoying the owners or occupants of adjoining property shall be deemed a private nuisance. Any such owner or occupant injured in the comfort or enjoyment of his estate thereby may have an action of tort for damages under chapter two hundred and forty-three. Site Information & Links Helpful Massachusetts Links Mass.gov link to an external site...
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls over 4 feet require a Somerville building permit and engineered plans, with drainage, property-line, and historic-district review considerations under the Massachusetts Building Code.
Somerville Retaining Wall Rules
Heavy RestrictionsPool Barriers
Pool barriers in Somerville must meet 780 CMR requirements, including 48-inch minimum fence height, self-closing self-latching gates, and non-climbable design for swimming pools over 24 inches deep.
Somerville Pool Barrier Rules
Heavy RestrictionsFence Requirements
Somerville fences must meet zoning, building code, and historic preservation requirements, with finished-side-out orientation, property-line setbacks, and permit and survey compliance.
Somerville Fence Requirements
Some RestrictionsMaterial Restrictions
Somerville restricts barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fencing in residential areas, with additional historic-district material and finish reviews for local historic district properties.
Somerville Fence Material Restrictions
Heavy RestrictionsMass. Gen. Laws ch. 49, sec. 21 (Fences deemed a private nuisance; spite fence)
Section 21. A fence or other structure in the nature of a fence which unnecessarily exceeds six feet in height and is maliciously erected or maintained for the purpose of annoying the owners or occupants of adjoining property shall be deemed a private nuisance. Any such owner or occupant injured in the comfort or enjoyment of his estate thereby may have an action of tort for damages under chapt...
Looking for Middlesex County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Somerville city rules.
Fence Regulations in Middlesex County →