Fort Worth requires building permits for fences over 6 feet tall and for masonry fences. Standard wood or chain-link fences up to 6 feet (8 feet behind the front building line) generally do not require a permit, but all fences must comply with zoning Sec. 5.305.
Under Sec. 5.305 of the Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 5, Supplemental Use Standards), residential fences may be up to 8 feet tall behind the front building line and up to 4 feet tall in the front yard, where they must be of an open design with 50% transparency. Solid front-yard fences are prohibited. Wood or chain-link fences 6 feet or under typically do not require a building permit, but masonry/stone fences and any fence over 6 feet tall need a permit through the Development Services Department. Pool barriers must additionally comply with the pool barrier requirements in the building code.
Building or maintaining a fence without a required permit or in violation of Sec. 5.305 is a code enforcement violation prosecuted as a Class C misdemeanor with fines up to $500 per day. Non-compliant fences may have to be removed or modified at the owner's expense.
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