New Berlin, WI Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Sec. ' In residential districts, a front-yard fence cannot be located closer to the street than the base setback line and cannot exceed 50 inches in height, while any fence inside the vision clearance triangle, the sightline area at intersections and driveways, is capped at three feet above mean street grade regardless of where it sits. On a corner lot, the side facing the second street is also treated as a front yard, so the 50-inch limit applies on both street-facing sides, not just the address side.

Side- and rear-yard fences in residential districts may reach 74 inches, and on a double-frontage lot the side facing the rear street counts as a rear yard for this purpose. Nonresidential properties get a higher ceiling: Sec. 275-42 H(1)(b) allows fences up to 98 inches, more than eight feet, without the front/side/rear distinction that applies to residential parcels. A fence taller than these limits is not automatically prohibited, however: Sec. 275-42 H(4) lets a resident apply for Department of Community Development review to build a front-yard fence between 50 and 74 inches, or Plan Commission review to exceed 74 inches anywhere on a residential lot.