Eagan, MN Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

City Code § 11.70, Subd. 16.A.2 permits above-ground electric boundary fences only in the A (Agricultural) zoning district, and only when the property is an active farm, so an electric fence around a hobby lot or a non-farm rural parcel does not qualify even if the underlying zoning is agricultural. Subd. 16.B.4 separately bans barbed wire everywhere except non-residential zoning districts, meaning single-family, two-family, and multi-family residential lots cannot use barbed wire fencing for any purpose, security included. Both restrictions sit inside the same performance-standards subdivision that also sets fence heights and construction rules, and Subd.

16.A.1 requires every fence, whatever its material, to meet the building and structure safety and appearance standards in Chapter 10 and to be properly maintained. The practical effect is that a residential property owner in Eagan is limited to conventional fencing materials, wood, chain link, vinyl, or ornamental metal, for any yard fence, while an operating farm in the A district is the only property type allowed to run an above-ground electric boundary fence, and even a non-residential commercial or industrial lot can use barbed wire but not an electric boundary fence unless it is also an active A-district farm. Community Development's code enforcement staff handle complaints about noncompliant fencing materials the same way they handle other exterior code issues.