Taylor, MI Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Table 19.02 of the Taylor Zoning Ordinance lists the construction, relocation or erection of signs, retaining walls, fences, walls, waste receptacles, sidewalks, antennas, lights, poles, cooling/heating or other mechanical equipment as activities that require a Development Services Department (DSD) building permit, without needing site plan or sketch plan approval by the planning commission. Section 15.03 sets the substantive standards a fence permit must meet: fences cannot be erected within a public right-of-way, must not obstruct a motorist's vision exiting a driveway, and cannot carry barbed wire, razor wire, spikes, or an electric charge except as allowed for buried electronic pet fences.

In residential districts, fences in the side and rear yard are capped at six feet, decorative fences in the front yard cannot exceed 3½ feet or cover more than half the front yard, and any fence over 3½ feet must stay at least 10 feet from where a driveway meets the street right-of-way. Fences must be built of durable material such as wrought iron, decorative aluminum, cedar, pressure-treated wood, chain link, vinyl, brick, or stone. Nonresidential fences follow separate height and material rules in Section 15.03(c), including a six-foot side/rear limit and restrictions on chain link and barbed wire outside industrial districts.