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Vanderburgh County, IN Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Front yard, corner lot
3 feet maximum
Other front yards
4 feet maximum
Side/rear, residential
6 feet maximum
Side/rear, nonresidential
8 feet maximum
Junkyard/scrap yard fence
8 ft opaque, mandatory
Enforcing agency
Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan Commission

Summary

County zoning caps fences, walls, and hedges within required yard setbacks at three feet on front yards of corner lots, four feet on other front yards, six feet along side or rear lines of residential property, and eight feet along side or rear lines of nonresidential property. The limits apply countywide under Zoning Code Section 17.12.060, enforced by the Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan Commission.

City-specific rules exist: Evansville has its own height limits rules that differ from Vanderburgh County's county-level regulations. If you live in Evansville, check the city-specific page instead.

A. The height of fences, walls, or hedges in required yard setbacks may not exceed the following: 1. Three feet in all required front yards on corner lots, and four feet in all other required front yards; 2. Six feet along a side or rear lot line of residential property; and 3. Eight feet along a side or rear lot line of nonresidential property.

Full Breakdown

060(A) sets a sliding scale of fence, wall, and hedge heights based on which yard the barrier sits in and how the property is used. In a required front yard, the limit drops to three feet if the lot is a corner lot, reflecting the tighter frontage corner lots carry under the county's yard rules; every other required front yard allows four feet. Along a side or rear lot line, residential property is capped at six feet, while nonresidential property may go to eight feet, matching the taller barrier commercial and industrial uses often need for screening or security.

The same section separately requires junkyards, salvage yards, scrap yards, outside storage areas, and inoperative-vehicle storage tied to a repair shop to be completely enclosed by an opaque fence at least eight feet high whenever the storage abuts a residential area or is visible from a public thoroughfare, a stricter standalone standard layered on top of the general height limits. Because these are yard-setback height limits rather than a stand-alone fence-permit chapter, a homeowner planning a taller privacy fence along a rear property line in an R-1 district needs to confirm both this six-foot cap and the Table A setback for any accessory structure the fence is attached to. The Area Plan Commission administers and enforces Title 17 as a whole, including this chapter.

Violations & Fines

A fence that exceeds these limits is enforced the same way as any other zoning violation: the Area Plan Commission issues a Notice of Ordinance Violation under Section 1.14.040, and Section 17.36.150 sets civil penalties starting at up to $500 for a first offense and climbing to $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, and $7,500 for further violations within twelve months, payable to the County Treasurer within 30 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall can my fence be in Vanderburgh County?
Section 17.12.060(A) sets the height by yard: six feet along a side or rear residential lot line, four feet in most front yards, and three feet in a front yard on a corner lot. Nonresidential side and rear yards can reach eight feet.
Are corner lots treated differently for fence height?
Yes. A front yard on a corner lot is capped at three feet, one foot lower than the four-foot limit that applies to other required front yards, because a corner lot carries two street-facing front yards under the county's setback definitions.
What fence height applies to a business or industrial property?
Nonresidential property gets an eight-foot limit along side and rear lot lines under Section 17.12.060(A)(3), two feet taller than the six-foot residential limit. Junkyards, scrap yards, and outside storage areas tied to those uses must go further and install a completely opaque eight-foot fence.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Vanderburgh County

All Vanderburgh County rules

How Vanderburgh County compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Vanderburgh County to another location·View the Indiana fence regulations overview

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