Fences

• City Code 25-2-899 - Fences as Accessory Uses

• If your property is not located in a floodplain hazard area, you do not need a permit to build an at or below 8' high fence for residential or 7’ for a commercial fence of any material, i.e. wood, metal or stone. If you are uncertain whether your property is located within a floodplain area, please contact the  Watershed Protection Department at 512-974-2843. Fences located in the wildland urban area with fences above 6 feet in height may require review and/or permitting.

• You cannot build a "solid" fence over 8 feet high without approval from the City of Austin Board of Adjustment. A fence considered "ornamental" may be built higher than 8 feet. Please see Section B of City Code 25-2-899 for the difference between "ornamental" and "solid."

• Under Section D of 25-2-899 you can build a solid a fence on the property line up to an average height of six feet and not exceed the maximum height of seven feet.

• Under Section E of City Code 25-2-899 you can build a "solid" fence up to 8 feet in height along a property line, the homeowner will be required to obtain written authorization from the adjacent property owners that are affected by the fence where the fence exceeds 6 feet in height. If the adjacent property owner is the City of Austin, you will NOT be able to obtain that authorization letter; you must go straight to the Board of Adjustments and ask for a variance or locate the steward of that property through City of Austin Real Estate Services and request authorization.

• Under Sections F and G of City Code 25-2-899, you can build a fence up to 8 feet with those specific requirements mentioned and no written authorization from the adjacent property owners is required.

• The City of Austin does not regulate, delegate, prevent or police the types of materials that may be used in the construction of a fence.

• If your property is on a corner lot, prior to building a fence you should contact the Transportation and Public Works Department (TPW) by phone (dial Austin 3-1-1 from anywhere in Austin), by mobile app, or online. TPW will help you determine if the fence would be a view obstruction following City Code §14-9-2 and design criteria and figures per the City’s Transportation Criteria Manual.

If you have additional questions about fences, please contact the Land Development Information Services at 512-978-4000.