7 rules for unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Verified from official government sources
In the unincorporated parish (including Metairie), the zoning ordinance allows a fence up to eight (8) feet along side and rear lot lines. Front-yard fences are more restricted. Height is measured from the lowest adjacent soil and includes any chain, retaining, or low masonry wall beneath it.
Jefferson Parish CZO § 40-743.5
A fence not to exceed a height of eight (8) feet may be erected along lot lines, in each side yard or side area when placed in alignment approximately parallel to the front lot line, or around a yard.
Fences in unincorporated Jefferson Parish must comply with zoning Section 40-743.5 and the clear-vision rules at intersections. A building permit for a nonresidential or multifamily lot abutting a residential district triggers a mandatory screening fence. Confirm permit requirements with the parish Department of Inspection & Code Enforcement before building.
Jefferson Parish CZO § 40-743.5
The property owner obtaining a building permit for a nonresidential lot abutting a residential zoning district shall erect an opaque wood, brick, or masonry fence with a minimum height of seven (7) feet on the common lot line.
Louisiana is a civil-law state, so boundary-fence rights come from the Louisiana Civil Code, not common-law line-fence statutes. A fence on the boundary is presumed common (owned jointly) unless proven otherwise, and neighbors can be compelled to share fence costs on enclosed lands.
In unincorporated Jefferson Parish, the height of a chain, retaining, or low masonry wall is counted as part of the fence height when a fence sits on top of it. Fence height is measured from the lowest elevation of adjacent soil, so a wall plus fence together cannot exceed the
Jefferson Parish CZO § 40-743.5
Fence height shall be measured from the lowest elevation of soil adjacent to the fence and shall include the height of chain, retaining or low masonry walls.
Fences in the unincorporated parish must be set back at least one foot from sidewalks and cannot block clear-vision (sight) areas at intersections. Section 40-665 requires clear vision of 25 feet at street intersections and 15 feet on reverse corner lots, so corner-lot fences are limited near the corner.
Jefferson Parish CZO § 40-743.5
Fences shall be setback a minimum of one (1) foot from sidewalks.
In unincorporated Jefferson Parish, fences along street rights-of-way must be built with the finished side facing out: nondecorative posts, horizontal rails, cross-members, and similar unfinished components must be oriented inward toward the owner's lot. Screening fences required by permit must be opaque wood, brick, or masonry.
Jefferson Parish CZO § 40-743.5
Along street rights-of-way, except freeways and interstates as defined by the Jefferson Parish Thoroughfare Plan, all nondecorative posts, horizontal posts, cross-members, and similar unfinished components shall be oriented inward to the lot on which the fence is located.
Jefferson Parish zoning does not ban common fence materials outright, but it dictates orientation (finished side out), caps column size at 18 inches, and requires opaque wood, brick, or masonry for mandatory screening fences. Suburban (S-1) district common lot lines require an opaque or living fence at least six feet
Jefferson Parish CZO Art. V, § 40-76 et seq. (S-1)
An opaque fence, living fence or any combination thereof shall be provided at a minimum height of six (6) feet along common lot lines.
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