Brockton, MA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Rear/side fence limit
- 6 feet
- Front fence limit
- 4 feet
- Street-side fence rule
- 4 ft for first 10 ft from front line
- Corner visibility triangle
- 3½ feet max within 20-ft sightline
- Related state law
- Spite fences over 6 ft: nuisance, MGL c.49 §21
Summary
Brockton caps residential fences at 6 feet on the sides and rear of a lot and 4 feet across the front, under § 27-20(5) of the zoning ordinance. Side fences starting at the front property line stay at 4 feet for their first 10 feet, and corner lots must keep anything over 3½ feet out of the sight-triangle where two streets meet.
On a corner lot no fence, wall or structure more than three and one-half (3½) feet high above the plane of the established grades of the streets shall be erected on a front or side yard herein established which is included within the street lines of the intersecting streets and a straight line connecting said street lines at points which are twenty (20) feet distant from their point of intersection, measured along said street line, and no trees, hedges or obstructions of any kind which will materially obstruct the view of a driver of a vehicle approaching the main street intersection shall be placed or maintained within such area. Fences shall not exceed six (6) feet on the rear and sides of the lot and shall not exceed four (4) feet on the front of the lot. Corner Lots shall be subject to the conditions stated in subsection 4. above. Any side yard fences that extend from the front property line are limited to four (4) feet in height for the first ten (10) feet of the fence, beginning at the front property line. After this ten (10) foot distance, the fence may return to the maximum height as noted above.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Section 27-20 treats a fence as an accessory structure and sets two separate height rules depending on where it sits. Under subsection 5, a fence anywhere on the rear or side of a lot may rise up to 6 feet, but along the front of the lot the limit drops to 4 feet. The ordinance also closes a workaround for side yards that run along the street: any side fence beginning at the front property line is held to 4 feet for its first 10 feet of length, and only past that 10-foot mark can it step up to the full 6-foot side-yard height.
Corner lots carry a second, stricter rule under subsection 4, aimed at keeping drivers' sightlines clear. Within the triangle formed by the two intersecting street lines and a line connecting points 20 feet out along each street from their intersection, no fence, wall or other structure may rise more than 3½ feet above the established street grade, and no trees, hedges or other obstructions that would materially block a driver's view of the intersection may be placed or kept there at all. That corner-lot visibility limit applies on top of, not instead of, the 4-foot front and 6-foot side/rear caps; wherever the two rules overlap, the lower 3½-foot triangle limit controls.
These are strictly local zoning limits: a fence that unnecessarily exceeds 6 feet and is maliciously built to annoy a neighbor is a separate matter, a private nuisance actionable in tort under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 49, § 21, regardless of whether it also violates Brockton's own height caps.
Violations & Fines
Building or maintaining a fence over the 6-foot side/rear or 4-foot front limit, or inside a corner lot's 20-foot sightline triangle at more than 3½ feet, violates § 27-20. Because a fence is an accessory structure, it needs the same building permit as any other accessory structure under § 4-1, and the inspector of buildings can deny the permit, or order an unpermitted or oversized fence altered or removed, until it conforms to the height limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my backyard fence be in Brockton?
I have a corner lot. Does a different rule apply?
Can my neighbor sue me over a tall fence even if the city permits it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brockton
How Brockton compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Brockton to another location·View the Massachusetts fence regulations overview
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