Union, NY Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Section 300-53.15 of the Town of Union Code governs fence height. It sits in the Consolidated Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Union, Village of Johnson City, and Village of Endicott (§ 300-10.1), so the same standards apply in the Town of Union outside the Villages of Endicott and Johnson City and inside both villages unless the chapter says otherwise (§ 300-10.4). Subsection A says fences are not considered structures under the chapter and can be erected in any district, subject to the chapter's provisions. Subsection B bars any fence from being erected in or encroaching on a public right-of-way.

Height is measured from the average finished grade of the lot at the base of the fence (Subsection D). In residential districts the cap is six feet, with one exception: tennis or recreation courts, which can be 12 feet. In nonresidential districts, fences for nonresidential uses can be built up to 10 feet above the average natural grade, provided they do not create a traffic hazard (Subsection G).

Placement near the street matters as much as height. Under Subsection H, a solid fence must keep an eight-foot setback from the street property line or be no greater than three feet in height. Split-rail and similarly open fences are permitted inside that eight-foot strip as long as they do not create a traffic hazard or block visibility.

Corner lots carry a separate rule. Inside the triangle formed by the intersecting street lines and a line joining points 25 feet from the point of intersection, no solid fence over 24 inches is permitted, measured from the abutting top of curb or from the crown of the road if there is no curb (Subsection E). Section 300-53.14 repeats the 25-foot triangle, applies the two-foot height limit to shrubbery and to solid-barrier fences of masonry, wood or other material, and requires tree branches to stay at least 10 feet off the ground. An open fence of chain link wire, wrought iron or split rail can stand in the triangle if it does not obstruct visibility.

Under the building code chapter, a fence that is not part of an enclosure around a swimming pool is exempt from a building permit (§ 86-4(B)(3)). A fence that does enclose a pool is not exempt, and the pool barrier rules in § 300-53.16 apply to it.