Mount Vernon, NY Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Section 267-14B sets the fence standards a permit applicant must meet. In a required front yard, wrought iron or aluminum fencing and masonry walls of at least 25 percent open construction may reach four feet, while a solid masonry wall is capped at three feet whether used alone or combined with another fence type. Side and rear yard fences are capped at six feet, rising to eight feet if the lot exceeds 7,000 square feet, the frontage exceeds 75 feet, and the fence is at least 75 percent open construction.

Business districts allow six feet facing the street and eight feet elsewhere, industrial districts allow eight feet generally, and electrically charged or barbed-wire fencing is banned outright except limited razor wire in Industrial districts with City Council approval. Every fence must sit entirely inside the lot lines, and its more finished side must face the street or neighboring property. Under § 267-52, the Building Commissioner cannot issue a building permit for any structure, fences included, that would violate these standards, and Article IX requires the Zoning Board of Appeals to hold a public hearing before granting a variance for a taller or noncompliant fence.

A variance application can take up to 62 days to decide and, once denied, cannot be resubmitted for three years absent a material change in circumstances.