St. Louis, MO Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential front yard limit
- 48 inches
- Residential side/rear limit
- 8 feet
- Commercial zone limit
- 10 feet
- Permit fee
- $6/$1,000 cost, $15 minimum
- Barbed wire / electric fences
- Banned in residential zones
Summary
St. Louis requires a Miscellaneous Structures Permit for fences and sets height limits by zone: 48 inches in residential front yards, 8 feet on residential side/rear lines, and 10 feet in commercial zones.
No fence exceeding 48 inches in height shall be erected in front of the building line as determined by the guidelines and requirements set forth in the Zoning Ordinance, when constructed for uses in residential zones. All other fences in residential zones shall be permitted to be erected to a height not to exceed eight feet along side or rear property lines. Fences in commercial zones shall not exceed ten feet in height.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
Fences fall under the City's local amendments to the 2018 International Building Code (St. Louis Revised Code § 25.01.020). They're billed as a Miscellaneous Structures Permit under the fee schedule at $6.00 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost with a $15.00 minimum (§ 109.2.3, Table 109.3.1). Section 430, added to the Building Code, caps residential fences at 48 inches ahead of the building line and 8 feet along side or rear lines, caps commercial-zone fences at 10 feet, bans electrically charged fencing citywide, bans barbed wire and razor ribbon on residential fences, and keeps corner-lot fencing out of the sight-distance triangle. Pool fencing has its own requirement under Section 3109.
Violations & Fines
Building or altering a fence without an approved permit, or in violation of an approved plan or Section 430's limits, is a Building Code violation subject to a fine under § 25.01.030; each day the violation continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a fence in St. Louis?
How tall can my front-yard fence be in St. Louis?
Are electric or barbed-wire fences allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
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