Marathon County, WI Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard residential max height
- 6 feet
- Road setback/corner yard max
- 4 feet
- Right-of-way clearance
- 2 feet minimum
- Barbed wire (residential)
- Prohibited, ag use excepted
Summary
Residential fences in unincorporated Marathon County towns can run up to 6 feet along most lot lines, but drop to 4 feet in the road setback or corner side yard, and can't sit within 2 feet of the right-of-way.
In residential districts, a fence, wall, hedge, or shrubbery may be erected, placed, maintained, or grown along a lot line on residentially zoned property or adjacent thereto to a height not exceeding six feet above the ground level, except that no fence, wall, hedge, or shrubbery which is located within the road setback, or corner side yard shall exceed a height of four feet. Additional considerations may be made at the discretion of the Zoning Administrator.
2. Materials. Barbed wire and other similar hazardous materials are prohibited in residential districts, except for agricultural uses.
3. Fences in shoreland areas refer to Chapter 22 Marathon County Shoreland, Shoreland-Wetland and Floodplain and NR 115.
B. Nonresidential Districts.
1. Location in Front Yards. In nonresidential districts and non-single-family lots in the U-R -District, fences and walls may be permitted in any front yard provided that the fence or wall does not exceed a maximum height of four feet.
2. Location in Side and Rear Yards. Fences or walls may be permitted in any required side or rear yard to a maximum height of six feet. In the case of fences/walls required to screen outdoor storage areas, the fence/wall height shall be one foot higher than the material to be screened, or 12 feet, whichever is lower.
C. General Requirements. All fences and walls shall comply with the following general requirements:
1. Materials.
a.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 59).
Full Breakdown
In residential districts, a fence, wall, hedge, or shrubbery can be built up to 6 feet high along a lot line, but any fence within the road setback or a corner side yard is capped at 4 feet. Barbed wire is banned in residential districts except for agricultural use. Fences near a corner clear vision area must stay at least 50 percent open between roughly 2.5 and 10 feet high so drivers can see, and no fence or wall may be erected within 2 feet of the public right-of-way. In nonresidential districts, front-yard fences top out at 4 feet, side/rear at 6 feet (or higher to screen outdoor storage). This governs only towns that adopted county zoning; shoreland-area fences follow Chapter 22 instead.
Violations & Fines
An oversized or improperly placed fence is a zoning violation, subject to a Zoning Administrator order to correct plus a forfeiture under Chapter 25.04 and prosecution costs, with each day a separate offense (§ 17.807).
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my backyard fence be in Marathon County?
Can I put a fence right up to the road?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marathon County
How Marathon County compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Marathon County to another location·View the Wisconsin fence regulations overview
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