Scranton, PA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Scranton folds its fence-permit trigger into the general zoning-permit rule at City Code § 445-74B(1), rather than giving fences a standalone section. Paragraph (a)[2] requires a zoning permit before the placement, erection, construction, improvement or alteration of any structure, explicitly including a fence, once that work has a fair market value exceeding $500. The mirror-image paragraph, (b)[1], exempts the identical category of fence work from the zoning-permit requirement when its fair market value is under $500, though the section notes a building permit could still be required even when no zoning permit is.

Both paragraphs carry the same override: regardless of the fence's dollar value, a zoning permit is required for any construction or development located in the Floodplain Overlay or the Airport Hazard Overlay district. Under § 445-74A, whoever applies for the permit has to submit enough data for the City to check the fence against every applicable provision of the zoning chapter and any other ordinance that applies, and the City can insist that submission be certified by a Pennsylvania-licensed professional engineer or registered surveyor if that level of review is needed.

Because the fair-market-value threshold is denominated in dollars rather than height or material, a modest wood picket fence and a costlier ornamental iron fence are treated identically once either crosses the $500 line.