Parma, OH Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Maximum fence height
- 6 feet
- Where fences are allowed
- Rear yard only
- Corner lot sidewalk clearance
- At least 1 foot
- Snow fence season
- Nov 1 to Apr 1, max 4 feet
- Commercial/industrial lots
- Over 6 ft allowed with Planning Commission approval
Summary
Parma caps fences, hedges, trellises and retaining walls at six feet on residential lawns and confines them to the rear yard, no closer to the street than five feet past the side door. Corner lots must keep fences behind the house setback and at least one foot off the sidewalk.
No fence, hedge, trellis, retaining wall, or other device used to mark or establish boundary lines around property, or within the property line, exceeding six feet in height, shall be erected, altered reconstructed or relocated on any lawn adjacent to any boundary line of any lot or parcel of land, or any part thereof, in the City.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
23(a)(1) sets the baseline: no fence, hedge, trellis, retaining wall or other boundary-marking device on any residential lawn may exceed six feet in height, measured vertically from ground surface to the top of the fence under subsection (c). 25(b), and forbids extending a fence further toward the street than five feet past the side door or side-door steps of the house; if there is no side door, the fence may go no further toward the street than the rear of the house. Corner lots carry an extra visibility rule under subsection (d): a fence cannot start closer to the street than the house's own setback line, and must stay at least one foot off the sidewalk.
Subsection (e) protects sight lines at driveway-sidewalk intersections by limiting decorative shrubbery to three feet in height beyond fifteen feet of a driveway crossing, dropping to eighteen inches within fifteen feet of the crossing, and requiring tree branches within fifteen feet of such a crossing to be trimmed to at least five feet of ground clearance. Commercial, industrial and public-facility lots are treated differently under subsection (g): the Planning Commission may approve fences over six feet there to screen the lot from adjacent residential property.
Snow fences get their own carve-out in subsection (i): permitted from November 1 through April 1 at a maximum of four feet, kept at least four feet from any lot line.
Violations & Fines
Erecting, altering or relocating a fence over the six-foot limit, or violating the corner-lot sightline setbacks, is enforced by the Building Commissioner under Chapter 1529's general penalty provisions and can require the fence to be cut down or removed at the owner's expense before final approval is granted. Fences built without the required permit under subsection (b) are also non-compliant and subject to the same correction order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a backyard fence be in Parma?
Can I put a fence in my Parma front yard?
Are there special fence rules for corner lots in Parma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
How Parma compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Parma to another location·View the Ohio fence regulations overview
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Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle height limits.