Tarrant County has no good-neighbor fence ordinance. Disputes are governed by Texas common law. Boundary fences on the property line are typically jointly owned with cost sharing negotiated between neighbors.
Unincorporated Tarrant County has no fence-side or good-neighbor regulation specifying which side of a fence must face outward or how neighbors must share costs. Texas common law governs boundary fence disputes. Under Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 143, Tarrant County is a closed-range county for livestock, meaning livestock owners must fence in their animals, but there is no statewide residential fence-sharing mandate. Boundary fences straddling the property line are typically considered jointly owned, with maintenance costs shared by mutual agreement. If a neighbor builds a fence entirely on their own property, they are its sole owner and responsible for upkeep. Disputes over encroachment or shared maintenance go through Tarrant County Justice of the Peace or small claims courts.
No county fence-side ordinance exists. Civil trespass claims for encroachment are filed in Justice of the Peace courts (small claims under $20,000) or district court.
See how Tarrant County's neighbor fence rules rules stack up against other locations.
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