Woodbury, MN Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)

Woodbury's Fence Ordinance Summary addresses several issues that commonly arise between neighbors. Fences may be placed up to the property line, but it is the owner's responsibility to verify the location of that line; the city does not survey and recommends a licensed surveyor when the boundary is in doubt. To keep the neighbor's view consistent, the side of the fence considered the face (the finished side) must face the adjoining property. All fences must be properly maintained with respect to appearance and safety, placing an ongoing upkeep duty on the fence owner. The city does not assign cost-sharing between neighbors or set a private-dispute process in the summary, so boundary disagreements, shared-cost questions and cosmetic complaints between neighbors are generally civil matters unless a clear ordinance violation (such as a prohibited material, excessive height, or a sight-line obstruction) is involved. Minnesota also has a general 'partition fence' statute (Minn. Stat. Ch. 344) addressing shared fences between adjoining occupied lands, which can apply in some rural or farm contexts but is rarely invoked in platted suburban neighborhoods. For a typical residential dispute, the practical path is to confirm the property line by survey and verify the fence meets Woodbury's height, placement, finished-side and maintenance rules.