Clark County, IN Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Max privacy fence height
- 8 feet
- Allowed materials
- Wood, rustproof metal, vinyl, synthetic
- Road setback (residential)
- 25 feet or house line
- Governing definition
- Sec. 156.05, FENCE, PRIVACY
- Civil penalty
- Up to $2,500 per Sec. 156.99
Summary
Clark County's zoning definitions limit what a privacy fence can be built from: Section 156.05 allows wood, painted rustproof metal, vinyl, or other commercially produced synthetic fencing material, so long as it stays durable, uniform, and attractive, and caps the fence at eight feet tall.
FENCE, PRIVACY. A fence of uniform construction which is no more than eight feet in height designed to obscure the area which it covers and defined by the commonly used understanding of the word as given by dictionary definition. A PRIVACY FENCE may be constructed of wood, painted rustproof metal, vinyl or other commercially produced synthetic fencing material so long as it is durable, uniform and attractive. No PRIVACY FENCE may be maintained or used in any condition which is detrimental to the property of others or which causes or tends to cause substantial diminution in the value of the other property in the neighborhood in which the fence is located.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2019 S-0: Code: Local legislation current through Ordinance 31-2014, passed 12-18-2014).
Full Breakdown
05. A privacy fence is defined as a fence of uniform construction no more than eight feet in height, built to obscure the area it covers. The definition names the acceptable materials specifically: wood, painted rustproof metal, vinyl, or another commercially produced synthetic fencing material, and requires whatever material is chosen to be durable, uniform, and attractive. The code adds a maintenance-based limit as well: no privacy fence may be kept in a condition that is detrimental to the property of others or that causes a substantial diminution in the value of other property in the neighborhood.
A related but separate term in the same section, FENCING, OPAQUE, covers any barrier built to screen a property from view, giving the example that a solid wall or a chain-link fence fitted with slats counts as opaque, while a chain-link fence without slats or a picket fence does not. 50(F), a privacy fence cannot be erected any closer to a public roadway than 25 feet or the front of the residence, whichever is farther, and it cannot obstruct a driver's sight line at an intersection regardless of that setback.
Violations & Fines
Building or maintaining a privacy fence that does not meet the material, height, or setback standards in Chapter 156 is a zoning violation under Section 156.99. The Plan Commission can pursue a civil penalty of up to $2,500, with each day the fence stays out of compliance treated as a new offense, and its attorney may seek a court order to remove or correct the fence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What materials can I use for a privacy fence in Clark County?
How tall can a privacy fence be?
Is barbed wire or an unfinished chain-link fence allowed as a privacy fence?
How close to the road can I put a privacy fence?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clark County
Compare Clark County to another location·View the Indiana fence regulations overview
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