Berwyn, IL Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Table 1244.04-A of the Berwyn Code of Ordinances lists the accessory structures the City of Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois allows in each zoning district: C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, I, P, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4. The row for "Fence or Wall" carries a "B" in all ten columns. Under § 1244.04(B)(2), a "B" means the structure requires the approval of a building permit in accordance with Chapter 1443 (Permits and Certificates of Occupancy) and has to meet the use standards in the section. A blank cell would mean the structure is not allowed in that district, and a "P" would mean no building permit is required. Only rainwater cisterns and recreational equipment carry a "P" everywhere, so fences sit on the permit side of the line in every district.

Permit applications go to the Building Director under § 1443.01, on the written form the Director prescribes and with the fee set in Chapter 1444. The permit is only half the picture, because § 1244.04(C)(6) sets the design limits the plans have to meet. Fences and walls are prohibited in the front yard, have to sit completely inside the lot lines, and are capped at six feet, measured from the ground at the base. Materials are restricted too, and barbed wire, razor wire and exposed block are on the prohibited list.

Starting early costs money. Section 1444.02 says a person who begins permit-required work before the permit issues pays an additional fee before the permit can be released, and for a fence the additional fee is only double the permit fee. If the height, placement or location of a residential fence in a Residence District goes before the Commission, § 290.07(B) sets the filing fee at $75, plus the current cost of publishing the notice of hearing in a qualified newspaper. The zoning standards took effect September 22, 2017 under § 1240.08.