Taunton, MA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Section 383-2 of the Taunton Code covers posts, grade or width changes, and fences at the edge of public ways together, reflecting the ordinance's real target: protecting the City's right-of-way from encroachment, not regulating every backyard fence citywide. Work covered by the section must be done under the supervision of, and to the satisfaction of, the Supervisor of Streets, and the Municipal Council or its designee is the permitting authority. The requirement to verify the true bounds first exists because a fence set even a few inches into a public way is an encroachment the City can later require removed at the owner's expense; having the City Engineer establish the boundary line before construction avoids that dispute.

The chapter does not print a fence-specific fine, so a violation falls back on the Revised Ordinances' general penalty clause, which applies to any chapter or section that does not set its own specific penalty. That default penalty is a flat fine, and because Taunton also allows noncriminal disposition of ordinance violations generally, the Municipal Council or its enforcement personnel can pursue a violation through that track as well rather than criminal prosecution. Property owners planning a fence anywhere near a sidewalk, street line or public way should apply to the Municipal Council and have the boundary confirmed by the City Engineer before construction begins, since the section conditions permit issuance on that survey step.