1 county-level rule, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Hampden County, Massachusetts.
Verified from official government sources
Hampden County has no county government (abolished 7/1/1998 under M.G.L. c. 34B §1), so fence rules are set by each city/town's zoning bylaw under M.G.L. c. 40A. Statewide, M.G.L. c. 49 §21 makes a fence over 6 feet built maliciously to annoy a neighbor an actionable "spite fence" nuisance. The 780 CMR state building code (10th edition) requires a building permit for any fence over 7 feet. In Hampden County's larger cities, typical limits are 4 ft front yards / 6 ft side and rear yards: Springfield Zoning Ord. §6.4.2, Holyoke Zoning §6.5, and Chicopee Zoning §10.4 follow this pattern.
M.G.L. c. 49, § 21
Section 21: Fences deemed a private nuisance; right of action 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 est...
1 cities in Hampden County have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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