Dallas County, TX Privacy & Surveillance: Privacy Screening (2026)

The City of Dallas has detailed fence regulations under SEC. 51A-4.602 of the Dallas Development Code. In residential districts, fences may be up to 9 feet in the rear yard, 6 feet in the side yard, and 4 feet in the front yard. Fences within the visibility triangle at intersections cannot exceed 2.5 feet to maintain traffic safety sight lines. The fence must be set back from the property line on the side facing the street. Barbed wire is prohibited on residential fences except where the residential property abuts a commercial or industrial use. Chain-link fences in front yards must have a 2-inch mesh or smaller. The City of Dallas does not require building permits for standard residential fences under 9 feet that are not masonry. Masonry or stone walls may require permits depending on height and structural requirements. Other municipalities within Dallas County have their own fence regulations — Irving, Garland, Grand Prairie, Mesquite, Richardson, and others each set their own height limits and material restrictions. For unincorporated Dallas County, fence regulations are minimal under the county's limited code authority.