Iowa Partition Fence Law and Shared Boundary Duties

Iowa's partition fence law in Chapter 359A applies to every landowner in the state except railroads and supersedes contrary local arrangements. Once one neighbor makes a written request, both adjoining owners must build and maintain a lawful fence and split costs equally. A lawful fence under section 359A.18 may be barbed wire, woven wire, hedge, or other listed configurations. If neighbors disagree, township trustees act as fence viewers under section 359A.2 to allocate responsibility, set specifications, and assess costs. The statute reaches back to before the 1851 Iowa Code and remains binding statewide.

Refusing to build, maintain, or pay for an apportioned share of a partition fence allows the requesting neighbor to petition fence viewers, who may order construction and assess costs against the property tax bill.