Reading, PA Fence Regulations: Permit Requirements (2026)

Section 600-1301 is the permit threshold. Any fence, wall, or similar structure over three feet in height requires a zoning permit before construction; under three feet, no permit is required - but the structure still must comply with the rest of Chapter 600 (sight triangles at corner lots under § 600-606, the prohibited materials list in § 600-1304, and any historic-district overlay if the lot is in the Centre Park Historic District, Callowhill Historic District, or another designated district subject to Historical Architectural Review Board review). The permit application typically requires: (1) a scaled site plan showing the lot, structures, and proposed fence location with distances to property lines; (2) the proposed height and material; (3) the property owner's signature; and (4) a permit fee set by the City Council's annual fee schedule. Where the fence is on a shared boundary, Reading does not require neighbor consent, but Pennsylvania common law and the partition-fence rules (53 P.S. § 46202) impose separate civil-side obligations on cost-sharing for partition fences - the City permit does not resolve a partition-fence dispute, which is a magistrate-court matter. The Zoning Administrator may also require setback from the property line if the fence design (footings, brick piers) extends beyond the legal lot line. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code (UCC, 34 Pa. Code Ch. 401-405) generally exempts fences six feet and shorter from a separate UCC building permit, but Reading's local zoning permit under § 600-1301 still applies.