New Bedford, MA Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Local office
- Two or more fence viewers, appointed annually
- Appointing authority
- Mayor, confirmed by city council, each April
- Term
- One year, until a successor is qualified
- Fee
- $5/day worked, $1 minimum per case
- Who pays
- The disputing neighbors, per viewers' certificate
- State law basis
- M.G.L.A. c. 49, §§ 1 and 20
Summary
Massachusetts law makes neighbors jointly responsible for partition fences on a shared property line, and New Bedford implements that system locally: the mayor appoints two or more fence viewers each April, confirmed by the city council, to serve one-year terms and resolve disputes between abutting owners over building or paying for a boundary fence.
Sec. 6-3. - Fence viewers—Appointment. The mayor shall annually in April, subject to confirmation by the city council, appoint two (2) or more fence viewers, to hold office for one year and until their successors are qualified.
Sec. 6-4. - Same—Compensation. Each fence viewer shall be paid at the rate of five dollars ($5.00) a day for the time during which such person is employed, but the fee for services in any case shall not be less than one dollar ($1.00). Such payment shall be made by all or by such of the parties in dispute, and in such proportions, as shall be determined by a certificate in writing under the hands of the fence viewers acting in each case.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19).
Full Breakdown
Sec. c. 49, § 1 for resolving partition-fence disputes between adjoining landowners. When neighbors cannot agree on the location, type, or cost split of a shared boundary fence, the fence viewers step in to adjudicate the dispute and set each owner's obligation by written certificate. Sec. c. 49, § 20; that fee is charged to "the parties in dispute" in whatever proportion the fence viewers specify. 5 feet within the sight-triangle near street corners, and Section 2755 allows a fence to be built up to a side or rear lot line, but the fence viewers' specific role under Sec. 6-3 and 6-4 is resolving the boundary-cost dispute itself, not setting general fence design standards.
Violations & Fines
The ordinance sets no separate criminal fine for ignoring a fence viewer's ruling. Enforcement instead runs through the cost-allocation certificate itself: the fence viewers issue a written certificate assigning each neighbor's share of the $5-per-day fee and, under the state partition-fence law it implements, of the underlying fence cost, which becomes a binding obligation between the parties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides who pays for a shared fence between two New Bedford properties?
How long do fence viewers serve and who appoints them?
How much does it cost to bring a fence dispute to the fence viewers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Bedford
Compare New Bedford to another location·View the Massachusetts fence regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Neighbor Fence Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bristol County handle neighbor fence rules.