Fitchburg, WI Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Fitchburg regulates residential fences as an accessory occupancy under § 22-56(10), which applies in the R-L Low Density District and, without modification, in the R-LM and R-M districts as well. A perimeter fence, defined as one located within five feet of the lot line, cannot exceed six feet in height and cannot stand forward of the front face of the house, except for the front-yard rule described below. Front-yard fences, whether perimeter or not, are held to a stricter standard: they must be decorative only, at least 50 percent open air space by bulk, and no more than four feet in height.

Construction quality is regulated too: fences must be kept in good repair, with decorative sides facing outward and supporting members or braces on the inside; if a fence has two faces, both must match in type and finish. Chain-link fencing is allowed, but the ordinance bars chicken wire, woven wire, barbed wire, razor wire, electric wire, and hazardous wire edges or similar materials, so a fence topped with barbed or razor wire around a residential yard is unlawful regardless of height. The R-R Rural Density District is the one exception: § 22-206(2) exempts R-R lots from the § 22-56(10) fence standards entirely, so rural-zoned properties are not bound by the six-foot perimeter or four-foot front-yard limits that apply everywhere else.