New York, NY Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

The principal material rule is in NYC Administrative Code (Building Code Article 18), Section 27-509 (Permitted heights), which expressly reaches fences 'whether of masonry, steel, wood, or any other materials' and limits all such residence-district fences to six feet (ten feet in non-residence districts, fifteen feet for nonresidence buildings and public playgrounds). The statute does not, by itself, prohibit chain-link, barbed wire, or razor wire citywide; those materials are instead restricted through specific Zoning Resolution provisions and special-district rules, which in certain contexts require fences to be at least 70 percent open and bar chain link, barbed, or razor wire. Construction (site) fences are governed separately by NYC Building Code Section 3307.7, which dictates their materials, height, and maintenance. Property owners installing decorative or security fencing should confirm whether their specific zoning district or a special purpose district imposes additional openness or material standards beyond the general 27-509 height cap.