Scranton, PA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Barbed/pointed pickets
- Banned on street-facing fences
- Allowed materials
- Wood, chain link, stone, brick, wrought iron
- Banned materials
- Razor wire, plywood, sheet/corrugated metal
- Residential front height
- 4 feet maximum
- Street-fence penalty
- Up to $300 plus costs (§ 1-16)
- Zoning penalty
- Up to $500 civil judgment (§ 445-77)
Summary
Scranton bars any fence with sharp, pointed pickets or barbed wire on property abutting a street, and its zoning code separately limits every fence in the City to a defined list of durable materials, excluding items like razor wire, plywood, sheet metal, and corrugated metal.
No person shall erect or build on property abutting on any street, avenue, court or place a fence made of iron, wood or any other material that shall have sharp, pointed pickets or which has barbed wire. ... All fences must be constructed of wood, chain link, stone, rock, concrete block, masonry brick, brick, decorative wrought iron, or other material(s) which are similar in durability. Unacceptable fence materials include cast-off, secondhand, and other items not originally intended to be fencing (examples include plywood, particle board, paper, visqueen plastic, plastic tarp and similar materials, razor wire and other dangerous materials, sheet metal, roll metal, and corrugated metal).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4719898; v25 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Two separate chapters cover fence materials in Scranton. The older rule, § 412-1 in the Streets and Sidewalks chapter, is a flat street-facing ban: 'No person shall erect or build on property abutting on any street, avenue, court or place a fence made of iron, wood or any other material that shall have sharp, pointed pickets or which has barbed wire.' It applies citywide to any fence facing a street, court, or place, regardless of zoning district.
The zoning code layers a broader materials list on top of that for both residential and nonresidential districts. Section 445-23A(7), for Residential Districts, and the matching § 445-23B(5), for every other district, use identical language: fences must be built of 'wood, chain link, stone, rock, concrete block, masonry brick, brick, decorative wrought iron, or other material(s) which are similar in durability,' and the chapter spells out what doesn't qualify: 'cast-off, secondhand, and other items not originally intended to be fencing,' naming plywood, particle board, paper, visqueen plastic, plastic tarp, razor wire, sheet metal, roll metal, and corrugated metal as examples. Height rules run alongside the materials list: a residential front-yard fence panel tops out at four feet, side and rear panels at six feet (four feet along an alley), and stockade fences are barred from residential front yards outright, though the Zoning Hearing Board can grant a special exception for a taller fence where topography or a special use justifies it.
Violations & Fines
A street-facing fence with barbed wire or sharp pickets violates § 412-1, which carries no penalty of its own and so falls under the Code's general penalty at § 1-16: a fine of up to $300 per offense plus costs, with imprisonment of up to 90 days if the fine and costs go unpaid. A zoning-district materials violation under § 445-23 instead runs through Chapter 445's enforcement notice process, with a District Justice able to enter a civil judgment of up to $500 per violation under § 445-77C(2).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a barbed wire fence in Scranton?
What fence materials does Scranton allow?
Can I build a fence out of plywood or sheet metal?
What's the penalty for an illegal fence in Scranton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scranton
Compare Scranton to another location·View the Pennsylvania fence regulations overview
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