Troy, MI Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)

Chapter 83, Section 2 of the Troy Code opens the fence rules with the basic right and duty that governs boundary fences: the owner of any lot may construct and maintain fences between his own lot and the next adjoining lots, or along street or alley lines, in the manner set out in the rest of the chapter and elsewhere in the City Code. The same sentence makes every lot owner responsible for the rebuilding, care and upkeep of fences as defined in the ordinance, meaning the maintenance duty attaches to lot ownership rather than to whichever neighbor originally built the fence.

Section 1 defines a fence as a structure erected upon or near the dividing line between adjoining properties for separating, screening or protecting the land, which is the definition that triggers the shared-responsibility language in Section 2. That general right is immediately bounded by the height and material standards later in Section 2(A): residential fences must be an ornamental type of metal, wood or masonry, capped at 6 feet above grade generally and 30 inches in the front-yard setback area, with the Building Board of Appeals able to waive the height limits.

Section 5 requires a Building Department permit before any fence is constructed, tied to the Fee Schedule in Chapter 60, and bars issuance before final lot grading is approved or, for fences in an easement, before Public Works signs off.