Royal Oak, MI Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)

Section 323-4 of Chapter 323, Fences, assigns maintenance duty rather than construction cost-sharing. Any person, firm, or corporation that owns or leases property on which a fence or privacy screen stands must keep it, and the ground immediately around it, in repair. For a fence built directly on a shared property line, the code does not default to a 50/50 split by agreement; instead it triggers only when ownership 'is joint or cannot be determined,' at which point each adjoining owner or lessee independently owes upkeep of that fence.

The Chief Building Inspector may inspect any fence under Section 323-5A to confirm it still complies with Chapter 323, and every owner or occupant must allow that inspection. A written notice from the inspector that goes unanswered is itself a separate violation under Section 323-5B. Because Section 323-3B lets 'the least restrictive regulation requirement' govern a fence on a shared line between differently regulated properties, a boundary fence dispute in Royal Oak often turns on both the height rule in Section 323-3 and the maintenance duty in Section 323-4 together.

Owners who disagree with an inspector's finding can appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals under Section 323-5C, and the Board may grant a waiver on a showing of practical difficulty under Section 323-5D.