Will County, IL Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Barbed/razor wire
- Banned in residential districts
- Electric fences
- Banned except E-1/E-2 livestock use
- Max fence height
- 7 ft in side/rear yards
- Permit needed
- No permit required for fences
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Will County only
Summary
Will County prohibits barbed wire, razor concertina, and electric wire fences in residential zoning districts and on lots abutting them, with a narrow exemption for electric fencing containing livestock in agricultural-estate districts.
Barbed wire, razor concertina, concertina wire fences are prohibited in residential zoning districts and on lots abutting residential zoning districts. Electric wire fences are prohibited in residential zoning districts and on lots abutting residential zoning districts, except in the E-1 and E-2 zoning districts when used for the containment of horses, farm animals, and micro-livestock as may be authorized by § 155-10.10.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Under Will County Code § 155-14.90(G), barbed wire, razor concertina, and electric wire fencing are banned in residential zoning districts and on any lot abutting one: covering the county's unincorporated subdivisions, not Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield, or Lockport, which zone under their own municipal codes. The only exception lets electric wire fencing stand in E-1 and E-2 agricultural-estate districts when used to contain horses, farm animals, or micro-livestock as authorized under § 155-10.10. Ordinary wood, vinyl, chain-link, and other conventional fencing up to seven feet remains permitted under § 155-14.90(A) without a permit.
Violations & Fines
The Zoning Administrator enforces the fence rules, can withhold or revoke permits, order work stopped, and pursue correction through the county's administrative adjudication process under Chapter 43.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a barbed wire fence in my Will County backyard?
Does this rule apply inside Joliet or Bolingbrook?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois fence regulations overview
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