Fence Regulations in Story County, IA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Story County, Iowa.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Unincorporated Story County caps fences and walls at eight feet in side and rear yards and four and a half feet in front yards in residential districts (A-1, A-2, A-R, R-1, R-2, RMH); other districts allow eight feet anywhere in the yard. Corner lots also have to keep a 150-foot sight triangle clear under § 88.06.
Story County Fence Height & Visibility Rules
Some RestrictionsStory County Code of Ordinances §§ 88.06, 88.07
In all districts, no fence, hedge, wall, sign, trees, or other obstruction shall be permitted which obstructs the view of approaching vehicles three and one-half feet above the traveled portion of a roadway within the area of a triangle formed by the center of the intersection and points 150 feet from the center of the intersection when measured along the centerlines of the intersecting roads. ...
Retaining Walls
Story County treats retaining walls and supporting embankments the same as fences for height purposes: the eight-foot side/rear and four-and-a-half-foot front-yard limits in § 88.07 apply to the ground surface of the retained embankment, with the same six-foot non-view-obscuring exception available in front yards.
Story County Retaining Wall Height Limits
Some RestrictionsStory County Code of Ordinances § 88.07(1)
A fence or wall not exceeding four and one-half feet in height is permitted within the limits of the required front yard setback (front setback area). In the case of retaining walls or supporting embankments, the above requirements shall apply to the ground surface of the retained embankment. The maximum height of the fence or wall within the limits of the front yard may be raised to six feet i...
Material Restrictions
In unincorporated Story County, razor wire, barbed wire and concertina wire cannot be used as fencing material on any lot in the A-R, R-1, R-2 or RMH zoning districts. The Land Development Regulations require any fence to sit inside the property line and stay maintainable from the owner's own land.
Story County Bans Barbed, Razor Wire
Some RestrictionsStory County Code of Ordinances § 88.07(4), (6)
In no case shall razor wire, barbed wire, or concertina wire be used for fencing materials in any A-R, R-1, R-2, and RMH District. Fences shall be located within the boundaries of the property and shall be able to be maintained from the same property upon which it is located. ... No regulation contained in this section shall apply for fences as governed by Chapter 359A of the Code of Iowa, as a...
All Story County ordinances
See every category we cover for Story County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Story County Ordinance Hub →