7 rules for unincorporated McHenry County, Illinois.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated McHenry County, the Unified Development Ordinance caps a solid fence (obscuring more than 50% of the view) at six feet. Open fences may reach eight feet if they meet principal-structure setbacks. Solid fences in a front/street yard are limited to three feet.
McHenry County Code § 16.56.050(H)(2)(a), (H)(3)(a)
Solid fences are limited to a maximum height of six (6) feet, unless a taller fence is otherwise required by this Ordinance. ... Open fences are limited to a maximum height of eight (8) feet, unless they meet the setback requirements for principal structures.
Building a solid fence in unincorporated McHenry County requires a building permit from the Department of Planning & Development. Open (see-through) fences are exempt, though work near a floodplain or wetland may trigger a stormwater review or permit.
McHenry County Code § 16.56.050(H)(2)(c), (H)(3)(c)
Construction of solid fences requires a building permit from the Department of Planning and Development. ... Open fences are exempt from building permits, however construction in or near a floodplain or wetland area may require a stormwater review or stormwater permit.
The McHenry County UDO requires the finished side of every fence to face away from your own lot, and posts must be placed on the inside. The whole fence must sit entirely within your property lines, not in the public right-of-way.
McHenry County Code § 16.56.050(H)(1)(a)
The finished side of all fences shall face away from the lot or parcel on which it located. All fence posts, excluding those for barbed wire fences, shall be placed on the inside of the fence.
The McHenry County UDO sets no separate height cap for retaining walls, but a 'fence or wall' must sit entirely within your lot lines. Structural retaining walls are reviewed under the adopted building code, and grading near water may trigger a stormwater permit.
McHenry County Code § 16.56.050(H)(1)(b)
A fence or wall, including all posts, bases, and other structural parts shall be located completely within the boundaries of the lot on which it is located. The installation of fencing by a private property owner in the public right-of-way is prohibited.
Every fence in unincorporated McHenry County must be built entirely within your own property boundaries, including posts and footings. Private owners may not install fencing in the public right-of-way. Solid fences also need a building permit and the finished side must face outward.
McHenry County Code § 16.56.050(H)(1)(b)
A fence or wall, including all posts, bases, and other structural parts shall be located completely within the boundaries of the lot on which it is located. The installation of fencing by a private property owner in the public right-of-way is prohibited.
In unincorporated McHenry County, barbed wire and aboveground electrical fences are prohibited, except to contain farm animals, in the B-3/I-1/I-2 districts when mounted at least six feet up, or as otherwise allowed by the UDO.
McHenry County Code § 16.56.050(H)(1)(c)
The use of barbed wire or aboveground electrical fences is prohibited, except: (1) For the purposes of containing farm animals. (2) On properties in the B-3, I-1, or I-2 districts, provided that it is mounted a minimum of six (6) feet above ground.
The McHenry County UDO defines a fence broadly as a barrier of wood, masonry, stone, wire, metal, or a combination. Most materials are allowed; barbed wire and aboveground electric fences are the key prohibited types outside farms and heavy-commercial/industrial districts.
McHenry County Code Title 16 (Definitions), FENCE
FENCE. A constructed barrier of wood, masonry, stone, wire, metal, or other combination of materials erected to fully or partially enclose or screen an area. An elevated deck railing is not a FENCE.
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