Tonawanda, NY Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Section 215-25.6.F lists the materials the Zoning Law will not allow in any fence: unfinished metal, concrete block, plastic, fiberglass, or plywood. The only carve-out in the same subsection is for decorative concrete fences, which the code permits, but only in nonresidential districts, meaning a residential property cannot use even a decorative concrete fence in place of the banned materials. This materials list sits alongside a broader nuisance standard in § 215-25.6.A(5), which separately bars any fence, wall or similar structure that unduly or unnecessarily shuts out light or air, or that creates a nuisance or fire hazard, regardless of what material it is made from.

Read together, the two provisions mean a compliant Tonawanda fence has to clear both tests: it cannot be built from one of the five prohibited materials, and even an otherwise-legal material cannot be assembled in a way that blocks light and air or creates a hazard. Fences must also be oriented so that any structural posts face the interior of the lot rather than the neighboring property, unless the posts are an integral part of a decorative design, and the owner responsible for a fence must keep it structurally sound and free of overgrown vegetation around its base under § 215-25.6.A.

The Code Enforcement Officer, who administers fence approvals under § 215-25.6.D for non-lot-line fences, also fields complaints about a fence built from a prohibited material or one that functions as a nuisance.