Porter County, IN Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Section 5.16(G) of the Unified Development Ordinance requires a property owner to obtain an approved Improvement Location Permit, specifically the Fence permit type, before erecting a fence or wall in a residential zoning district. The same subsection carves out two exceptions: a landscape or retaining wall under 5 feet in height is exempt unless it sits within 5 feet of a property line, and a fenced dog-kennel area no larger than 300 square feet does not need the permit either. The identical permit-first rule appears for the county's other fence categories too: Section 5.14 requires it for general fences and walls and Section 5.17 (FW-03) for commercial fences, each stating that the owner shall have an approved Improvement Location Permit (Fence) prior to erecting a fence or wall.

The Improvement Location Permit process itself, detailed in Section 10.11, is administered by the Plan Commission Office. It requires the applicant to hold or have written authorization to act for the controlling ownership interest in the parcel, and it confirms the proposed fence meets the height, material, and vision-clearance standards found elsewhere in Chapter 05 before the fence goes up.