Royal Oak, MI Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Section 323-3 of the Royal Oak Fence Ordinance, Chapter 323, sets the citywide height standard. Subsection B caps any fence at six feet above the adjoining ground level of the owner's or lessee's property, dropping to four feet when the fence sits in a front yard as defined by Section 323-2 (the yard between the principal building and the front lot line, along the public road right-of-way). Where a shared property line carries two different height rules on either side, Subsection B applies 'the least restrictive regulation requirement.' Subsection C adds a corner-lot visibility rule: a sight-obscuring fence cannot rise above three feet within the triangle formed by the two intersecting property lines and a line drawn 10 feet from the point of intersection, measured from the lowest adjacent sidewalk or right-of-way level.

Subsection D applies the same three-foot cap within 10 feet of any driveway's intersection with a public sidewalk, alley, or right-of-way so a driver's view is not blocked. Privacy screens are treated separately under Subsection E: they may reach eight feet but only in a rear yard, and must sit at least six feet back from the property line. Height compliance is checked by the Chief Building Inspector under Section 323-5, with appeals and waivers available through the Zoning Board of Appeals.