Kane County, IL Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Fence rules in unincorporated Kane County come from two zoning ordinance sections. Section 25-4-3-2, Permit For Certain Signs And Fences, requires a written permit before erecting 'fences which cannot be viewed through, and concrete, stone or masonry walls'; open, see-through fencing such as split rail or chain-link is not permit-triggering. A permit issued for a main building automatically covers accessory buildings built at the same time, and any authorized fence or use not started within 90 days needs a renewal permit. The county's building fee schedule, section 6-12(I), sets the fee for a fence that cannot be viewed through at $120.

Height and placement near intersections are governed separately by section 25-7-5-3, Minimum Setback For Fences And Hedges At Intersections: within 100 feet of the centerline of any intersecting road, street, or at-grade railroad crossing, no fence or hedge that cannot be seen through or over from a height of three feet above the roadway may be built or allowed to grow closer to the centerline than the dimensions set in section 25-7-5-2, the county's corner-lot setback table. This creates the county's functional clear sight triangle at intersections: a solid fence there must stay low enough, or far enough back, to preserve driver sightlines.

The same section flatly bans barbed wire, spikes, or any similarly hazardous device, and any electrically charged fence capable of causing shock, on any residentially used lot, regardless of location on the property. These rules have applied since 1978 and were last amended in 2002 by Ordinance 02-81. Because the ordinance does not set a blanket maximum fence height for side or rear yards away from intersections, height review outside the sight-triangle area turns on whether a fence is solid enough to require the section 25-4-3-2 permit.