Flint, MI Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Flint's fence ordinance bans two materials outright. Under § 17-4(a), barbed wire is prohibited on residentially A, B, or C zoned property: commercial and industrial zones are allowed limited barbed wire under § 17-4(b) and (c). Separately, § 17-4(f) prohibits charging or connecting any fence to an electrical current capable of transmitting a shock to a person, animal, or object that comes into contact with it, and that ban applies citywide, not just in residential zones. Both restrictions sit in the same fence chapter that requires a permit before construction and treats a dangerous or poorly maintained fence as a nuisance subject to abatement.