Boone County, IN Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Boone County Code § 151.35(A) exempts certain structures from the building-permit requirement in § 151.24, including farm buildings used to confine animals or store farm equipment, and other farm-related structures like grain silos and on-farm fertilizer storage tanks; farm homes, garages and pole buildings not used for agricultural purposes still need a permit under § 151.35(B). Section 151.35(C) extends the exemption to residential uses, specifically fences under five feet in height and mini-storage barns under 80 square feet, and separately covers public utility installations, which need zoning approval but only need a building permit for buildings, not for unmanned structures like substations without buildings or pole placements.

Because the exemption is tied to height, once a fence reaches five feet, it falls back under § 151.24's general requirement that a building permit be obtained before construction begins, administered by the Boone County Area Plan Commission's Building Inspector, with the application filed at the Commission's Lebanon office under § 151.25. Section 151.35(D) further limits the exemption: 'Electrical permits may be required for all such exempt structures, however,' meaning an exempt fence, barn or farm structure can still trigger a separate electrical permit if it involves wiring.