Wauwatosa, WI Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Wauwatosa's fence rules are codified in Title 15 (Buildings and Construction), Chapter 15.28, administered by the Building and Safety Division (414-479-8907). Side and rear yard fences up to four and a half feet in height may be installed up to the property line without a building permit. Rear yards that do not abut a public street may be fenced up to six feet in height pursuant to Ordinance O-13-10, which amended Chapter 15.28 to expressly authorize the increased rear-yard height. Front-yard fences require a permit, are capped at three feet in height, are limited in length to twenty percent of the lot width, and must be at least forty percent open to preserve sight lines. Wauwatosa defines the front yard as the narrowest portion of a lot facing a street, regardless of how the house is oriented, so corner lots have two front yards for fence purposes. Permitted materials include wood, vinyl, masonry, and metal; chain link is not allowed in front yards, and barbed wire, agricultural or poultry wire, snow fences, and electric fences are prohibited in residential districts. Fences in regulatory floodplains require a separate floodplain development permit even when no building permit is otherwise required. Title 24 zoning rules and Wisconsin Statute 62.23 further authorize the city to regulate fence placement, and Wis. Stat. Chapter 90 governs partition fences between adjoining rural-style properties.