Mount Prospect, IL Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Fence height in the Village of Mount Prospect is set by Section 14.318 B of the zoning chapter. Fences up to six feet are permitted in rear and interior side yards, provided the fence sits behind the front line of the principal building structure. Where a fence is not on a property line, enough access must remain between the fence and the line for maintenance. In an exterior side yard, open and solid fences also reach six feet if placed behind the front line of the principal building and set back one foot from the exterior side property line. If that exterior side yard abuts the front yard of an adjacent lot, the setback is one foot for an open fence and ten feet for a solid one.

Swimming pool fences and gates must be at least four feet but not greater than five feet, except for pools with a raised deck at least four feet above grade. Eight foot fences are permitted in industrial and commercial districts to screen accessory building material, equipment or vehicle storage yards, in residential districts along rear or side lines contiguous to railroad rights-of-way, and around public swimming pools. Open mesh chainlink up to twenty feet is allowed around tennis courts and athletic fields with the Community Development Director's approval.

Height is measured vertically from finished grade to the top of the fence. Posts, including caps, can exceed the limit by a maximum of eight inches, and the required drainage separation, a maximum of two inches, does not count toward height.

For corner visibility, Section 14.318 bars any fence greater than three feet in a sight triangle. Section 14.320 adds that nothing may stand between three feet and six feet above grade within a triangle on a corner lot, with legs of ten feet along the lot lines. In unique situations the Director determines the safe distance.