7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 4 cities in Bexar County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Bexar County does not regulate fence heights in unincorporated areas. The county confirms there are no zoning regulations outside city limits. Texas counties lack general police power to zone (Local Gov Code Ch. 233). San Antonio's Unified Development Code §35-514 sets 6 ft side/rear and 3 ft front-yard sight-triangle limits inside city limits.
Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 202.023 (Perimeter Fencing)
Sec. 202.023. SECURITY MEASURES. (a) This section does not apply to:(1) a condominium as defined by Section 81.002 or 82.003; or(2) a master mixed-use property owners' association subject to Chapter 215.(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a property owners' association may not adopt or enforce a restrictive covenant that prevents a property owner from building or installing security...
Unincorporated Bexar County does not issue residential fence permits. Fences inside San Antonio follow the city code, and subdivision plats or HOA covenants often restrict placement.
Texas treats boundary fences as private matters between neighbors. Bexar County does not mediate disputes, and shared costs require written agreement. HOA covenants and surveys usually control.
Tex. Agric. Code Sec. 143.028 (Sufficient Fences)
Sec. 143.028. FENCES. (a) A person is not required to fence against animals that are not permitted to run at large. Except as otherwise provided by this section, a fence is sufficient for purposes of this chapter if it is sufficient to keep out ordinary livestock permitted to run at large.(b) In order to be sufficient, a fence must be at least four feet high and comply with the following r...
Retaining walls over 4 feet tall or with a surcharge load require engineered drawings and a permit inside San Antonio. Edwards Aquifer recharge zones add drainage review.
Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 757 requires pools holding 18 inches or more of water to have a 48-inch barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates. Bexar County enforces this statewide standard.
Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 757 (Pool Yard Enclosures)
Sec. 757.003. ENCLOSURE FOR POOL YARD. (a) Except as otherwise provided by Section 757.005, the owner of a multiunit rental complex with a pool or a property owners association that owns, controls, or maintains a pool shall completely enclose the pool yard with a pool yard enclosure. (b) The height of the pool yard enclosure must be at least 48 inches as measured from the ground outside the enc...
In unincorporated Bexar County there are no general height or style limits, but San Antonio caps residential fences at 6 feet in rear and side yards and 4 feet in front yards, with stricter corner-visibility rules.
Tex. Agric. Code Sec. 143.028 (Sufficient Fences)
Sec. 143.028. FENCES. (a) A person is not required to fence against animals that are not permitted to run at large. Except as otherwise provided by this section, a fence is sufficient for purposes of this chapter if it is sufficient to keep out ordinary livestock permitted to run at large.(b) In order to be sufficient, a fence must be at least four feet high and comply with the following r...
Bexar County does not restrict fencing materials countywide. San Antonio prohibits barbed wire and razor wire on residential lots, and most area HOAs dictate acceptable materials such as cedar, wrought iron, or masonry.
Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 202.023 (Perimeter Fencing)
Sec. 202.023. SECURITY MEASURES. (a) This section does not apply to:(1) a condominium as defined by Section 81.002 or 82.003; or(2) a master mixed-use property owners' association subject to Chapter 215.(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a property owners' association may not adopt or enforce a restrictive covenant that prevents a property owner from building or installing security...
4 cities in Bexar County have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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