Eagan, MN Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Eagan City Code Sec. 11.70, Subd. 16 governs fence construction citywide. Subdivision 16.A.1 ties every fence's condition to the building and structure safety and appearance standards in Chapter 10 of the City Code, and it singles out temporary fencing: a snow fence or erosion-control fence cannot stand on a property for more than 30 days unless the city approves a longer period for good cause. That 30-day clock applies to construction sites, turf establishment, and similar short-term uses, and property owners who need more time must go back to the city rather than assume an automatic extension.

Subdivision 16.A.2 limits above-ground electric boundary fences to the Agricultural (A) zoning district, and only where the property is an active farm; an electric fence around a suburban yard or a hobby lot outside the A district does not qualify. Subdivision 16.A.3 requires the finished side of a fence, the side without exposed posts or structural framing, to face away from the fence owner's own lot, so the smooth side faces the neighbor or the street. On the commercial side, Subdivision 16.C caps property-line fences in the city's business and industrial districts at eight feet, though the city council can approve a taller fence through a conditional use permit.

Eagan's Community Development Department administers these standards through its planning and code enforcement staff, and a fence built without regard to the Chapter 10 safety rules or left up past its approved temporary window is subject to the city's general code enforcement process under Chapter 1.