Somerville fences must meet zoning, building code, and historic preservation requirements, with finished-side-out orientation, property-line setbacks, and permit and survey compliance.
A compliant Somerville fence meets several overlapping requirements. Zoning limits height to 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards in most residential districts, with taller fences by special permit. The finished side must face neighbors and the public way. Fences must sit fully on the owner's side of the surveyed property line unless a written shared-boundary agreement is recorded. Historic district installations need Historic Preservation Commission approval before a building permit issues. Somerville's progressive tree protection ordinance also requires tree-root zone protection during installation when mature trees are nearby, often mandating hand excavation or post-hole relocations. Material must resist the local freeze-thaw climate, and sonotube footings are typical for wood posts. Call DigSafe (811) at least 72 hours before installation, required statewide by MGL Chapter 82 Section 40.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle fence requirements.
See how Somerville's fence requirements rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.