Hillsborough County does not regulate fence height. Under New Hampshire's home rule structure (RSA Title LXIV), fence height is set by each municipality's zoning ordinance under RSA 674:16-21. Nashua's Land Use Code Section 190-44 generally caps residential fences at 7 feet (with up to 14 feet allowed adjacent to the F.E. Everett Turnpike, requiring a building permit above 7 feet). Manchester sets fence rules in Chapter 155 (Zoning) - check your specific zoning district. State law RSA 473:1 also governs partition fences between abutting parcels.
Hillsborough County has no zoning or land-use authority. RSA 674:16 grants the local legislative body the power to adopt zoning ordinances 'in accordance with a master plan,' and RSA 674:17 authorizes regulation of 'the height, area, bulk, and location of structures.' Fences are treated as accessory structures regulated through the local zoning ordinance. Within Hillsborough County: Nashua's Land Use Code Section 190-44 (Fences), as amended by Ordinance O-23-065, provides that in residential districts fences shall not exceed 7 feet in height or interfere with traffic circulation. Parcels directly adjacent to the Frederick E. Everett Turnpike (F.E. Everett Turnpike) with residential uses may install boundary fences up to 14 feet, but any fence over 7 feet requires a building permit from the Nashua Department of Building Safety. Manchester's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 155 of the Manchester Code, with a new Land Use Code becoming effective March 1, 2026) sets fence height by district and yard - typically 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards in single-family residential districts; check the current ordinance because the city overhauled the Land Use Code in 2025-2026. Smaller towns (Bedford, Merrimack, Hudson, Goffstown, Milford, Amherst, Hollis, Litchfield, Mont Vernon, etc.) each maintain their own zoning ordinances under RSA 674. State law RSA 473 (Fences and Pounds) governs partition fences between abutting properties: RSA 473:1 makes adjoining owners responsible for an equal share of a partition fence, and RSA 473:13 lets the fence viewers (chosen under RSA 473:5) resolve disputes about repair and cost-sharing. RSA 472:1-a forbids 'spite fences' - a structure exceeding 5 feet built maliciously to annoy a neighbor is a private nuisance.
Building or maintaining a fence in violation of local zoning is enforceable by the municipal code official and zoning administrator under RSA 676:15-17. Penalties include fines up to $275 per day for a first offense and $550 per day for subsequent offenses (RSA 676:17), plus injunctive relief. A 'spite fence' under RSA 472:1-a may be abated as a private nuisance and the aggrieved neighbor may recover damages. Partition fence disputes are resolved by the town's fence viewers under RSA 473:5-13.
See how Hillsborough County's height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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