Avondale, AZ Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Electric fence/razor wire
- banned citywide (Sec. 14-170(l))
- Exception
- livestock in approved zoning districts only
- Barbed wire setback
- 8 feet from street/sidewalk/ROW
- Minimum barbed wire height
- 6 feet
- First-offense fine
- $250 (Sec. 14-110)
Summary
Avondale bans electric fences and razor wire on private property citywide, allowing barbed wire only to contain livestock in approved zoning districts. Sec. 14-170(l) requires any livestock barbed wire to sit no closer than eight feet to a public street, alley, sidewalk or right-of-way and stand at least six feet tall.
No person shall erect, cause, allow, leave or permit to be or remain in or upon any private lot, building, structure or property any electric fence or razor wire except where the electric fence or razor wire is intended to contain livestock in approved zoning districts or as otherwise permitted by this Code. Barbed wire fence intended to contain livestock shall not be within eight (8) feet of any public street, alleyway, sidewalk or right-of-way or at a height of less than six (6) feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' The only carve-out is livestock containment in a zoning district that allows livestock. Barbed wire gets separate treatment: it is allowed to contain livestock, but the wire cannot sit within eight feet of any public street, alleyway, sidewalk or right-of-way, and the fence must stand at least six feet tall. Outside those setback and height limits, or outside a zoning district approved for livestock, barbed wire, electric fencing and razor wire are all prohibited residential fencing materials. The rule sits inside Sec. 14-170, the same 'land maintenance' section that separately regulates palm frond debris, weeds and landscaping blight, so a fence built with prohibited material is enforced the same way as any other land maintenance violation: a notice of violation from the Code Compliance Division, then a civil citation if uncorrected.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or leaving an electric fence, razor wire, or an out-of-setback barbed wire fence is a civil violation under Sec. 14-170, enforced through Sec. 14-110's base fines: $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third within 24 months. The Code Compliance Division issues a notice of violation first, giving the property owner time to remove or relocate the prohibited fencing before a citation is issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put an electric fence around my Avondale backyard?
Is barbed wire fencing allowed on residential property?
What happens if code enforcement finds an illegal fence on my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Avondale
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Material Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle material restrictions.