7 rules for unincorporated Lake County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Lake County's residential zoning districts, fences and walls may reach 6 feet along interior side and rear lot lines, but only 3.5 feet in street (front) yard areas. Business/industrial districts allow up to 8 feet.
Lake County UDO No. 2560, 154-16-020.C
Fences and walls up to 6 feet in height are permitted along interior side and rear lot lines and in interior side and rear yards. Fences and walls up to 3.5 feet in height are permitted in street yard areas, but they may not be located within existing or planned street rights-of-way.
In unincorporated Lake County, erecting a fence is exempt from site plan review, but fences must still comply with UDO standards and are subject to building permit review. Requirements differ inside incorporated cities and towns.
Lake County UDO No. 2560, 154-17-090.B.2
The site plan review procedures of this section do not apply to the following, but such activities are subject to the regulations and standards of this UDO and building permit review: ... Construction or erection of accessory buildings, fences, hedges, or walls.
Unincorporated Lake County does not set a private good-neighbor or 'finished side out' rule, but its UDO makes property owners responsible for fences in easements and requires clearance for drainage flow. Boundary disputes are civil matters under Indiana law.
Lake County UDO No. 2560, 154-16-020.E
Property owners are responsible for removing and replacing fences, walls, and other structures placed within easements whenever the county or utility service providers require access to work within the easement. ... When fences or walls are placed within drainage easements, at least 2 inches of clearance must be provided between the bottom of the fence/wall and the ground level below.
The Lake County UDO treats walls like fences for height and location, but requires walls to be opaque and built of durable masonry materials. Where grade changes, wall height is measured from the point of highest elevation.
Lake County UDO No. 2560, 154-14-070.C, .D.3
Walls must be opaque and constructed of brick, stone, cast stone, formed concrete or similar durable, low-maintenance materials. ... If there is an elevation difference between an area or object being screened and the street or adjacent property, the height of fences and walls must be measured from the point of highest elevation.
Unincorporated Lake County fences must stay out of street rights-of-way and off corner-lot visibility triangles. On corner lots, nothing may block sightlines between 3 and 10 feet high within a 20-foot triangle, though non-opaque fences are exempt.
Lake County UDO No. 2560, 154-16-040.B
An imaginary intersection visibility triangle is established on corner lots at the intersection of all streets. Nothing may be erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow between a height of 3 feet and 10 feet above the elevation of the center-point of the street intersection within the defined visibility triangle area. This prohibition does not apply to highway and traffic signs, and public u...
In unincorporated Lake County's residential zoning districts, barbed wire, razor and concertina wire, electric fences, and similar hazardous materials are prohibited. Business and industrial districts may add limited barbed wire above 8 feet.
Lake County UDO No. 2560, 154-16-020.C.3
Barbed wire, razor concertina, concertina wire, electric fences and similar hazardous materials are prohibited in residential zoning districts.
Where the Lake County UDO requires a fence for screening, it must be opaque and made of commonly used fencing material such as wood, composite wood, or recycled plastic wood. Supports may be masonry.
Lake County UDO No. 2560, 154-14-070.B
Fences must be opaque and constructed of commonly used fencing material such as wood, composite wood, and recycled plastic wood. Supports may consist of the same materials or brick, stone, cast stone, formed concrete or similar durable, low-maintenance materials.
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