New Bedford, MA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Section 2740, "Vision Clearance on Corner Lots in Residence Districts," targets the front and side yards of a corner parcel that sit inside the street lines of the two intersecting roads. It draws the regulated area as a triangle: starting at the point where the two street lines meet, it runs 20 feet out along each street line, then closes with a straight line connecting those two 20-foot points. " The section separately bars trees or hedges "which will materially obstruct the view of a driver of a vehicle approaching the street intersection" from being placed or maintained in the same area, so a tall hedge is treated the same as a solid fence for this purpose.

The rule is specific to corner lots in residence districts and to the 20-foot sight triangle itself; it does not set a separate citywide height limit for fences along ordinary front, side, or rear yards elsewhere on a lot, and other Section 2700-series yard provisions govern setbacks rather than fence height outside that triangle. A fence built right up to the property line on a corner lot, common on interior lots, would need to stay at or under 3½ feet for the portion that falls inside the 20-foot triangle even if the rest of the fence runs taller.