Somerville restricts barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fencing in residential areas, with additional historic-district material and finish reviews for local historic district properties.
Somerville's zoning and building regulations restrict dangerous fence materials in residential districts. Barbed wire and razor wire are prohibited on residential lots, allowed only on certain industrial and utility properties with a special permit and minimum height placement (typically above 8 feet). Electrified fencing is not permitted in residential zones. Permitted residential materials include wood (cedar, pressure-treated pine, redwood), vinyl and composite, powder-coated steel or aluminum ornamental, chain link (though discouraged in historic districts), and masonry. In local historic districts, the Historic Preservation Commission reviews material, profile, color, and finish to maintain neighborhood character; typical approvals favor wood pickets and wrought-iron styles over vinyl and modern chain link. All materials must comply with 780 CMR for pool barriers where applicable. Non-compliant installations can be ordered removed at the owner's expense with fines beginning at 300 dollars.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Somerville, MA
Somerville restricts amplified music through its noise ordinance and entertainment licensing, with plainly-audible standards at property lines and stricter c...
Somerville, MA
Somerville limits construction noise to daytime and early-evening weekday hours with shorter Saturday windows and a full Sunday and holiday prohibition, refl...
Somerville, MA
Overnight street parking in Somerville requires a resident permit citywide. Snow emergencies trigger odd-even or posted-side bans.
Somerville, MA
Commercial vehicles over 2.5 tons cannot park overnight on Somerville residential streets. Loading zones are time-limited and signed by block.
Somerville, MA
Most Somerville streets are resident-permit zones. Non-residents are limited to 2 hours on posted blocks from 8 AM to 8 PM daily including weekends.
Somerville, MA
Traditional livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, sheep, and pigs are not permitted on residential lots in Somerville, which has no agricultural zoning di...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Middlesex County.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle material restrictions.
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