Somerville zoning limits fences to 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards, with corner-lot sight-triangle rules and special permit options for taller fences.
Somerville fence height is governed by the Somerville Zoning Ordinance. In residential districts, fences in the front yard are limited to 4 feet in height, while side and rear yard fences may rise to 6 feet. Corner lots must maintain a visibility triangle at intersections, typically keeping anything over 30 inches out of the sight area within 15 to 25 feet of the corner. Fences exceeding 6 feet require a special permit and are subject to design review in historic districts. The measurement is taken from natural ground level at the fence line. Walls, hedges, and other visual barriers are counted with fencing in some contexts. Lattice or decorative extensions on top of a 6-foot fence typically count toward height. Non-conforming fences installed before current zoning may remain but cannot be replaced in kind without bringing them into compliance.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Somerville, MA
Somerville restricts amplified music through its noise ordinance and entertainment licensing, with plainly-audible standards at property lines and stricter c...
Somerville, MA
Somerville limits construction noise to daytime and early-evening weekday hours with shorter Saturday windows and a full Sunday and holiday prohibition, refl...
Somerville, MA
Overnight street parking in Somerville requires a resident permit citywide. Snow emergencies trigger odd-even or posted-side bans.
Somerville, MA
Commercial vehicles over 2.5 tons cannot park overnight on Somerville residential streets. Loading zones are time-limited and signed by block.
Somerville, MA
Most Somerville streets are resident-permit zones. Non-residents are limited to 2 hours on posted blocks from 8 AM to 8 PM daily including weekends.
Somerville, MA
Traditional livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, sheep, and pigs are not permitted on residential lots in Somerville, which has no agricultural zoning di...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Middlesex County.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle height limits.
See how Somerville's height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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