La Grange, MO Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- before erecting or modifying any fence
- Application must include
- sketch, survey/location map, material
- Enforcement
- stop-work order or forced removal
- Cost of removal
- owner's expense
- Penalty for violation
- $10-$1,000 fine, Section 100.220
Summary
In the City of La Grange, City Code § 505.130(C)(1) requires a fence application and permit from the City before any fence is erected or modified. Skipping the permit lets the City order the work stopped or the fence removed at the owner's expense. The application must include a sketch, a location map or survey, and the fencing material.
1. A fence application and permit from the City is required prior to the erection or modification of any fence within the City limits. If a permit is not obtained prior to the erection or modification of any fence, an order to cease work or remove the fence, at the owner’s expense, may be issued. 2. Each fence application shall be accompanied by a sketch or diagram of the proposed fence, a location map or survey, and the type of fence material to be used.
Full Breakdown
Section 505.130(C), adopted by Ordinance No. 633 on July 27, 2020, makes a City permit a precondition to any fence work in La Grange: erecting a new fence or modifying an existing one both require an approved fence application first. Subsection (C)(2) spells out what the application must contain: a sketch or diagram of the proposed fence, a location map or survey of the lot, and the type of fence material to be used, which the City checks against the material list and the height, opacity and setback limits set out earlier in the same Section.
If work begins without an issued permit, Subsection (C)(1) authorizes the City to issue an order to cease work or to require the fence removed at the owner's expense, on top of any ordinance-violation penalty. The permit review effectively folds in every other fence standard: the six-foot rear/side and four-foot front-yard height caps, the 50 percent front-yard opacity limit, the ban on fences in the public right-of-way, and the construction rule that horizontal and vertical supports face the interior of the lot rather than a neighbor's yard or the street.
Once a fence is built, Subsection (E) keeps the permit obligation alive in a different form: the property owner must maintain the fence, and if the City finds it has become a nuisance to public health, safety or welfare, the owner must take it down. The Building Official administers the permit process, and because Chapter 505 carries no fence-specific fine, an ordinance violation for unpermitted fence work is punished under the Section 100.220 general penalty through Section 560.020.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or modifying a fence without an approved permit lets the City issue a stop-work order or require the fence torn down at the owner's expense under Section 505.130(C)(1). A conviction for the underlying ordinance violation is punished under the Section 100.220 general penalty: a fine of $10 to $1,000, up to three months in jail, or both, and each day the unpermitted fence remains is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace an existing fence in La Grange?
What has to be included in a fence permit application?
What happens if I build a fence without getting a permit first?
Who reviews fence permit applications in La Grange?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in La Grange
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