7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated towns zoned by Waukesha County, a fence is not a regulated "Structure," so the county sets no general residential fence-height cap. The exception is vision-clearance corners and pool fences. Inside cities and villages, your municipality sets the limit.
Waukesha County Basic Zoning Ordinance, Vision Setback
In the Vision Setback area no Structure of any kind shall be permitted which exceeds a height of two (2) feet above the elevation of the center of the intersection, except for necessary highway and traffic signs, public utility lines, and open fences through which there is clear vision.
The county treats a fence as excluded from its "Structure" definition, so no county zoning permit is required for an ordinary fence in unincorporated towns. Fences within 75 feet of a lake or river are regulated under the Shoreland Ordinance. Cities and villages may require their own permit.
Waukesha County Shoreland & Floodland Protection Ordinance, Structure definition
The term "structure" does not include flag poles, mailboxes, fences (unless located within 75 ft. of the ordinary high water mark of a navigable waterway)...
Boundary-fence disputes in Waukesha County are governed by Wisconsin's partition-fence law, not the county. On adjoining farm or grazing land, both owners must build and maintain the line fence in equal shares. For residential lots, cost-sharing is usually a private matter unless a town fence viewer is involved.
Wis. Stat. 90.03
The respective occupants of adjoining lands used and occupied for farming or grazing purposes... shall keep and maintain partition fences between their own and the adjoining premises in equal shares.
Waukesha County regulates retaining walls as Structures. A wall five feet or greater from a lot line generally needs a Minor Grading zoning permit and an owner agreement; a wall closer than five feet to a lot line needs specific Plan Commission and County Zoning Agency authorization. Near water, walls
Waukesha County Basic Zoning Ordinance (Retaining Walls)
A Retaining Wall five (5) feet or greater from a property line, may be allowed pursuant to issuance of a Zoning Permit (Minor Grading Permit) and an agreement being made between the owner and the Town Planning Commission and the County Zoning Administrator.
Waukesha County does not require fences on ordinary residential lots. Fences are mandated in specific situations: a barrier of at least four feet around swimming pools, screening fences around off-street parking abutting homes, and secure fencing around commercial kennel runs and disposal sites.
Waukesha County Basic Zoning Ordinance (pool enclosure)
Walls or fences of at least four (4) feet in height shall be provided around the immediate area of the pool to act as a deterrent for unsupervised children gaining access.
Waukesha County's zoning code imposes no general fence-material palette for residential lots in unincorporated towns. Material rules appear only in specific contexts: refuse-disposal sites need a non-flammable fence, corner-vision fences must be open and see-through, and near water any fence is regulated as a shoreland structure.
Waukesha County Basic Zoning Ordinance (disposal-site fencing)
A non-flammable fence, with a gate which can be locked, must be erected to encompass the disposal site to prevent refuse disposal and scavenging during non-operating hours.
For residential fences in unincorporated Waukesha County towns, wood, vinyl, chain link, and ornamental metal are all allowed because the county does not regulate residential fence materials. Only vision-corner (open fences) and refuse-disposal (non-flammable) contexts specify a material. Municipalities set their own rules.
3 cities in Waukesha County have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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