Rapid City, SD Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

G states plainly that a building permit is required for all fences over 6 feet in height, tying the permit trigger to the height limits set elsewhere in the same section. 1, with front yards limited to 4 feet and second front yards on corner or double-frontage lots allowed up to 6 feet when set back at least 10 feet from the property line. Commercial districts under subsection C allow up to 8 feet, industrial and mining districts under subsection D also cap at 8 feet, and the airport district under subsection E permits fences up to 12 feet, so the permit threshold effectively applies whenever a fence exceeds the district's normal cap and an exception has been granted.

H additionally requires City Engineer approval in writing before a fence or wall goes into a designated easement, and bars fences in the public right-of-way except as approved by the Common Council. Height itself is measured under subsection A as the vertical distance from the top rail, masonry unit, board, or wire to the ground directly below, or to the uphill grade when the fence sits atop a retaining wall.