Janesville, WI Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Sec. 42-356 makes a fence permit the starting point for almost every fence project in the City. Subsection (a) states that no person shall cause or allow the installation, construction, erection, placement, or replacement of a fence in the City of Janesville without first obtaining a fence permit, with narrow exceptions for fences under 16 feet long, invisible pet fencing, decorative fencing under two feet, and chicken runs. Height limits then vary by yard and zoning district under subsection (f). In the front setback of residential districts, a semi-transparent fence, one providing 50 percent or greater visibility, cannot exceed four feet, while a privacy fence in that same front setback is capped at 30 inches regardless of district.

Interior side and rear setbacks allow taller fencing: up to six feet in residential districts, eight feet in business and office districts, and 12 feet in industrial districts. Corner side setbacks in residential and business districts allow six-foot semi-transparent fencing, rising to 12 feet in industrial zones. Subsection (g)(5) layers on a separate vision triangle rule: within the sight-line area described in Sec. 42-354, any fence must keep at least 50 percent visibility regardless of the height limits that would otherwise apply, to keep intersections clear for drivers.

Fences on properties in an Historic Overlay District need a certificate of appropriateness under subsection (d) on top of the standard fence permit, and existing fences lawfully built before June 25, 2019 are grandfathered unless they are altered, enlarged or replaced.