Medford, MA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard cap
- 4 feet, § 94-4.2.3.2
- Side yard near street
- 4 feet within 15 ft of street, § 94-4.2.4.5
- Side yard elsewhere
- 6 feet, § 94-4.2.4.5
- Rear yard
- Same 6-foot allowance, § 94-4.2.5.3
- Maximum fine
- $300 per day, § 94-11.3.2
Summary
Medford zoning caps fences, hedges and walls at four feet in a required front yard and within 15 feet of a street line in a side yard, rising to six feet elsewhere in a side yard, per §§ 94-4.2.3 and 94-4.2.4. The same six-foot allowance extends to rear yards through the cross-reference in § 94-4.2.5.3.
2.Front yard requirements shall not apply to terraces, steps, uncovered porches, or other similar features at or below the elevation of the floor of the first story, nor to fences, hedges, or walls less than four feet above the grade in the required front yard. ... 5.Side yard requirements shall not apply to terraces, steps or other similar features at or below the elevation of the floor of the first story, nor to fences, hedges, or walls less than four feet above the grade in the required yard within 15 feet of a street line, and not over six feet above the grade in the required yard in all other cases. ... 3.Such projections as are permitted by subsection 94-4.2.4 into side yards are also permitted into rear yards to the same extent.
Full Breakdown
Medford's dimensional-requirements article addresses fence height as an exception to the yard setback rules rather than as a stand-alone fence ordinance. Section 94-4.2.3.2 exempts fences, hedges or walls less than four feet above the grade from front yard requirements, meaning a fence under four feet can sit inside the required front setback without triggering a zoning violation; anything four feet or taller in the front yard is treated as encroaching on the setback like any other structure. Section 94-4.2.4.5 sets a two-tier rule for side yards: fences, hedges or walls stay exempt from side yard requirements up to four feet within 15 feet of a street line, the zone closest to the road where visibility matters most, but the exemption rises to six feet in all other cases, meaning the interior portion of a side yard away from the street.
Section 94-4.2.5.3 then extends the projections permitted by subsection 94-4.2.4 into side yards to rear yards to the same extent, so a rear yard fence gets the same six-foot allowance a side yard gets away from the street. There is no separate corner-lot visibility-triangle provision in the fence rule itself; corner lots are instead governed by § 94-4.2.4.2, which requires the side yard adjacent to a street on a corner lot to meet the same depth as a front yard.
Violations & Fines
A fence, hedge or wall exceeding the height allowed in its yard, four feet in a front yard or within 15 feet of a street line, six feet elsewhere in a side or rear yard, is treated as a structure encroaching on the required setback under Chapter 94. The building commissioner enforces this under § 94-11.3.1; conviction carries a fine of up to $300.00 for each day the violation continues under § 94-11.3.2, or the noncriminal ladder of $25 to $200 per offense under § 94-11.3.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my front yard fence be in Medford?
Can I build a six-foot fence in my side yard?
Does the six-foot fence rule apply to my rear yard too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medford
How Medford compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Medford to another location·View the Massachusetts fence regulations overview
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