Southampton, NY Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard fence max (residential)
- 4 feet
- Side/rear yard fence max (residential)
- 6 feet
- Absolute residential fence ceiling
- 6 feet
- Nonresidential front/side max
- 6 feet within 10 ft of lot line
- Nonresidential rear max
- 10 feet within 10 ft of lot line
- Height measured from
- ground level to highest point
- Enforced by
- Town of Southampton Building Inspector
Summary
In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, Town Code § 330-109A caps residential fences and walls at four feet in a required front yard and six feet in a required side or rear yard, with six feet the absolute ceiling anywhere in a residence district; nonresidential lots may reach 10 feet in a rear yard within 10 feet of the lot line.
§ 330-109. Fences, walls, accessory driveway structures, and clotheslines. A. In residence districts. ... (1) No fence or wall in a required front yard shall have a height greater than four feet. (2) No fence or wall in a required rear or side yard shall have a height greater than six feet. (3) In no case shall any fence or wall have a height greater than six feet. ... ... B. In nonresidence districts. ... (1) No fence or wall within 10 feet of a lot line in a required front or side yard shall have a height greater than six feet. (2) No fence or wall within 10 feet of a lot line in a required rear yard shall have a height greater than 10 feet.
Full Breakdown
Section 330-109A sets the baseline for residence districts: no fence or wall in a required front yard may exceed four feet, no fence or wall in a required rear or side yard may exceed six feet, and in no case may any fence or wall in a residence district exceed six feet, a hard ceiling that overrides any other yard-specific allowance in the subsection. Corner lots, through lots and flagpole lots get narrower exceptions elsewhere in § 330-109A letting a front-yard fence reach six feet under specific setback and buffer conditions, but the four-foot and six-foot baselines are the default for every other residential lot.
Section 330-109B governs nonresidence districts separately and allows taller fencing near the interior of a lot: no fence or wall within 10 feet of a lot line in a required front or side yard may exceed six feet, and no fence or wall within 10 feet of a lot line in a required rear yard may exceed 10 feet, roughly double the residential rear-yard limit. Fence height itself is measured under § 330-109C from ground level at the base of the fence or wall to its highest point, a method that applies across both the residential and nonresidential limits in Subsections A and B.
Violations & Fines
A fence or wall built taller than its yard's limit is a violation of Chapter 330, enforced by the Building Inspector under § 330-186. A first conviction carries a fine up to $1,000 or up to six months in jail, or both; a second conviction within five years brings $500 to $1,500; a third or later conviction within five years brings $1,500 to $2,500; each week the oversized fence remains is a separate additional offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a fence be in a Southampton front yard?
What is the tallest fence allowed anywhere in a Southampton residence district?
Are fence height limits different for businesses than for houses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Southampton
How Southampton compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·New York rules heatmap·Compare Southampton to another location·View the New York fence regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Suffolk County handle height limits.