Irondequoit, NY Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Town of Irondequoit Code § 235-69 controls what a fence can be made of. Subsection B(4) requires fencing to be built of materials commercially available for fencing purposes and to be uniform in appearance. Barbed wire and electrified fences are not banned outright: B(10) makes them subject to Zoning Board of Appeals approval before the building permit is issued. Single strand wire fences, and anchoring any fence post with a guy wire or guy wires, are prohibited by B(11) with no appeal route written into that clause.

Front yards carry the strictest material rule. Subsection E requires open-type construction such as split rail or picket and bars solid or chain link fencing in the front yard. Subsection M(2) requires metal fences subject to rust to be painted with a protective covering that is uniform in appearance, and M(1) orders dilapidated, rotted, rusted and broken fences repaired, replaced or removed.

Two temporary or protective fence types have their own material lists. Snow fencing, allowed from November 1 to April 15, must be wooden slats woven together with wire strands, plastic mesh, or similar materials approved by the Code Enforcement Officer, and cannot exceed four feet in height. Deer protective fencing is open fencing meant to keep deer off vegetation. Acceptable materials are woven wire mesh, polypropylene mesh, or similar materials approved by the Code Enforcement Officer, and it cannot serve as perimeter fencing.

On nonresidential property, fencing along lot lines adjacent to residential districts must include visual screening elements such as privacy slats or integrated landscaping. Fencing that existed legally before the section was adopted in 1964 can continue while kept in substantial repair, but repair or replacement is allowed only in-kind.