Cleveland, OH Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

06(a) bans certain fence materials citywide, in every zoning district: no fence may be built of scrap materials, tires, canvas, cardboard, asphalt-style shingles, or chicken wire, and, outside General Industry and Unrestricted Industry Districts, corrugated metal or sheet metal is barred too. 04(c)(2). 05(b)(1)-(2) requires it to sit at least 4 feet from a public sidewalk (except in General and Unrestricted Industry Districts) and at least 4 feet from the property line of any Residential District, with the setback area planted with shrubs no more than 5 feet apart or trees no more than 20 feet apart, unless the fence predates the section or the setback is already 8 feet or more.

06(c) separately allows barbed wire to be added atop an otherwise conforming fence, but caps it at three strands with the lowest strand at least 6 feet above grade, and requires the support wires to angle away from the property line at no less than 45 degrees whenever the fence sits under 4 feet from a sidewalk or Residential District line. Any barbed-wire fence installed before these rules took effect had to be brought into conformity or removed by December 31, 2001.