Dearborn Heights, MI Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- Building and Engineering Department
- Required before
- any fence construction in the city
- Application must include
- plot plan and specifications
- Fee
- set by City Council resolution
- Violation
- municipal civil infraction, Sec. 13-14(b)
Summary
In the City of Dearborn Heights, no fence may go up until the Building and Engineering Department issues a zoning permit under City Code Sec. 13-2. Applications need a complete plan set with a plot plan showing where the fence will sit, and a processing and inspection fee the City Council sets by resolution.
Fences described in this chapter shall not hereafter be erected unless and until a zoning permit shall be issued from the department prior to the commencement of any construction. All applications for zoning permits shall be accompanied by a complete and detailed set of plans and specifications, including a plot plan showing the proposed location of the fence or fences. All applications for such a zoning permit shall be accompanied by a fee to cover the cost of processing and inspection. The fee shall be as established by resolution of the city council from time to time.
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 13-2 bars erecting any fence covered by Chapter 13 until the Building and Engineering Department, defined at Sec. 13-1 as "the city's department of building and engineering," issues a zoning permit before construction starts. The application must include a complete and detailed set of plans and specifications, plus a plot plan showing the proposed fence location, and it must come with a fee that covers processing and inspection costs, with the fee amount fixed by City Council resolution rather than in the ordinance itself.
Chapter 13's own cross-reference note ties the fence rules to related code sections: buildings and building regulations at Chapter 7, planning at Chapter 23, signs at Chapter 26, subdivision regulations at Chapter 29, the separate swimming pool fence mandate at Sec. 30-5, and zoning at Chapter 36. Chapter 36's Sec. 36-4 independently lists fences among the improvements needing a zoning compliance certificate before work begins, so a Dearborn Heights fence project can touch both the Chapter 13 permit and the Chapter 36 certificate process depending on the department's review.
Sec. 13-14 puts the Building and Engineering Department in charge of enforcement, giving it "general supervision and control" over the chapter, including inspections. A property owner who erects a fence without first getting the zoning permit, or whose fence does not match the approved plans, is subject to enforcement action under this same chapter.
Violations & Fines
Building a fence without the Sec. 13-2 zoning permit, or without matching the plans the department approved, is a violation of Chapter 13. Sec. 13-14(b) makes any violation of the fence chapter a municipal civil infraction, and Sec. 13-14(a) gives the Building and Engineering Department the authority and duty to enforce the chapter, including inspecting fence construction, whenever it deems enforcement necessary for public health and safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit before building a fence in Dearborn Heights?
What has to be in a Dearborn Heights fence permit application?
What happens if I put up a fence without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dearborn Heights
Compare Dearborn Heights to another location·View the Michigan fence regulations overview
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Fence Permit Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle fence permit requirements.