Fence Regulations in Baltimore County, MD (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
In unincorporated Baltimore County, residential fences may be up to 42 inches (3.5 feet) in a front yard and 6 feet in a side or rear yard. A fence may reach 10 feet if set back 2 feet horizontally per vertical foot above 6 feet.
Baltimore County Fence Height Limits
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Building Code Part 122.1 (Residential Properties); BCZR §427
1. Front Yards: The maximum height permitted for any residential occupancy fence shall be 42 inches above normal grade in a front yard. 2. Side and Rear Yards: The maximum height permitted for any residential occupancy fence shall be six feet... A fence may be erected up to ten feet high in a side or rear yard when the fence is set back from the property line a horizontal distance of two feet f...
Fence Permit Requirements
Baltimore County caps residential fences at 42 inches in front yards and six feet in side and rear yards, but BCZR § 427.4 lets any owner apply to the building official for a waiver to build higher. The waiver process requires 15 days of posted notice and, if a neighbor within 1,000 feet asks, a public hearing before an administrative law judge.
Baltimore County Fence Waiver and Permit Process
Some RestrictionsBCZR § 427.4 (Waivers); § 427.1 (Conditions for use)
§ 427.4. - Waivers. A.Any person may apply for a waiver to the height limitation requirements of Sections 427.1 and 427.2.B.The building official or designee is authorized to grant such waivers, provided public notice has been given and a public hearing has been held before the administrative law judge if requested.C.1.Public notice shall consist of posting the property for a period of 15 days....
Neighbor Fence Rules
A residential fence may not be built in your rear or side yard where it adjoins a neighbor's front yard, and within 10 feet of that front-yard property line the fence may not exceed 42 inches. This does not apply if the homes are over 200 feet apart.
Fences Along a Neighbor's Front Yard
Some RestrictionsBCZR §427.B, §427.C
1. A residential occupancy fence may not be erected in the rear or side yard of a lot which adjoins the front yard of another on which a residence has been built. 2. The fence may not exceed 42 inches in height if situated within ten feet of the adjoining front yard property line. ... Subsection B of this section does not apply if the residences on the adjoining lots are more than 200 feet apart.
Retaining Walls
Baltimore County requires a retaining wall built entirely on the property causing the change whenever a graded lot cannot meet a neighbor's existing ground level within a 1-to-3 slope. The rule applies to both cut slopes that lower a lot below its neighbor's grade and fill slopes that raise it above, under County Code Article 33, Title 5's grading and sediment control standards.
Retaining Wall Required for Baltimore County Grade Cuts
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 33-5-105(c)
Cut and fill slopes.(1)When grading a lot or parcel, if the new grade is lower than the surface or ground level of the adjoining property:(i)The new grade shall meet the existing grade at the property line at a maximum angle equal to 1 foot vertical to 3 feet horizontal, unless otherwise approved by the county; or(ii)A retaining wall shall be built entirely on the ground of the owner causing th...
Material Restrictions
Barbed wire is allowed only on top of fences more than 6 feet 9 inches high (or on farms for livestock). Electric fences are permitted only on farms to retain livestock. Fences may not have sharp points or jagged edges that could injure people or animals.
Restricted Fence Materials in Baltimore County
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Building Code Part 122.3 (All Properties)
Electric fences shall be permitted only on farms for the retention of livestock and only if the electric fences are not a safety hazard to people. ... Barbed wire or other approved retarding material or construction may be placed on top of any fence which is more than six feet, nine inches high except where such barbed wire or other retarding material will create a highly hazardous condition.
All Baltimore County ordinances
See every category we cover for Baltimore County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Baltimore County Ordinance Hub →