7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Verified from official government sources
No countywide Allegheny fence ordinance. Municipal zoning governs heights. Typical limits: 6 ft rear/side yards, 3-4 ft front yard. Pittsburgh allows 6 ft rear/side, 4 ft front (Code §925.06).
Fence permits required per municipality. Pittsburgh requires permit for all fences over 4 ft; most suburbs require permits for fences over 6 ft or any fence on corner lots. No countywide permit.
Pennsylvania has no state fence cost-sharing law (unlike California). Each property owner responsible for their own fence in Allegheny County. Common-law spite-fence doctrine applies. Finished side must face neighbor in most municipalities.
Allegheny County does not issue retaining wall permits — building authority rests with each of the 130 municipalities under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. 7210.101). UCC at 34 Pa. Code Section 403.62 exempts retaining walls 4 feet or less in height (measured from the lowest grade to the top of the wall) unless the wall supports a surcharge or impounds Class I, II, or III-A liquids. Walls over 4 feet, walls supporting a driveway, building, or steep slope, and any earth disturbance over 5,000 sq ft also trigger Allegheny County Conservation District (ACCD) review under 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102.
34 Pa. Code § 403.62 - Permit requirements and exemptions (Uniform Construction Code)
§ 403.62. Permit requirements and exemptions. (a) An owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a residential building or erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system regulated by the Uniform Construction Code shall first apply to the building code o...
PA Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code Ch. 403) adopts IRC R326 countywide: pool barriers minimum 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates. Applies to all Allegheny municipalities participating in UCC (all except Philadelphia).
Corner-lot sight triangles required countywide per PennDOT 67 Pa. Code §441 for driveways meeting state roads; municipalities apply similar to all corner lots. Typical: 25-30 ft triangle limited to 3 ft height for fences, shrubs, signs.
No countywide material restriction. Most Allegheny municipalities prohibit barbed wire and electric fences in residential zones (Pittsburgh Code §925.06.C). Chain link, wood, vinyl, masonry permitted. Historic districts may require specific materials.
3 cities in Allegheny County have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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