McHenry County, IL Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

The UDO (Title 16 definitions) describes a fence as 'a constructed barrier of wood, masonry, stone, wire, metal, or other combination of materials erected to fully or partially enclose or screen an area,' and clarifies that an elevated deck railing is not a fence. So wood, vinyl, masonry, stone, chain-link and ornamental metal are all acceptable materials. The material restrictions live in § 16.56.050H.1.c, which bars barbed wire and aboveground electric fences except for farm-animal containment or in B-3/I-1/I-2 districts mounted six feet up. Whether a fence is 'solid' (over 50% obscured, six-foot cap, permit) or 'open' (under 50%, eight-foot cap) depends on the material's opacity, not the type.