World Fence News

58 • august 2016 • world fence news Visit Logical Decisions at www.ldi.com Your Gate Operator Specialist Find us on As part of an ongoing and long-standing series, World Fence News offers this "snapshot" of build- ing ordinances which affect fence in- stallations from municipalities across the United States and Canada, includ- ing those in historic districts, which often have their own requirements. This information was taken from offi- cial web sites, but you should always consult the appropriate building de- partments for specific requirements. • • • GARLAND, TEXAS A fence permit is required any- time a fence is being replaced or in- stalled on a corner lot; if you have a swimming pool in the rear yard; if you are changing the height, location, or materials of the fence (going from chain link to wood or from wood to wrought iron, etc.); or if you are in- stalling a fence where one has never existed before. Many subdivisions have specific requirements for fencing materials. Some of these rules are city ordinanc- es and some are private deed/HOA restrictions. The city will enforce city ordi- nances, but it is the homeowner's re- sponsibility to know and abide by pri- vate deed/HOA restrictions. In order to obtain a permit, the city requests that you bring a copy of your property survey (typically a legal-size sheet of paper that shows the shape of your lot, the shape of your house on the lot, any accessory buildings that were in existence when the survey was done, and distances to property lines marked from the house and ac- cessory structures; as well as the legal description of the home) which should be in with your closing documents. However, if you do not have a copy of the survey, we ask that you draw to scale (1" = 20') the shape of your lot, the shape of your house on the lot, any accessory buildings that are in exis- tence, and distances to property lines marked from the house and accessory structures. Whichever you provide, you will need to mark on the plan where you wish to install the fencing; addition- ally, mark the location of your gates. If you are installing a fence over your driveway and wish to install gates that swing open, you may not al- low those gates to swing into the right- of-way (or into the alley). Corner lots When installing a fence on a cor- ner lot with an alley (for fencing that you cannot see through, i.e., wood privacy fences, vinyl fencing, stone or brick fencing) or street to street ac- cess, you are required to install what we refer to as a visibility clip. Detailed specifications are given at the building inspection department when the permit is issued. Fence height Fences in a residential area may be as tall as eight feet. Fences are measured from grade (the ground) on the inside of the fence. Fences in the front yard A fence made of wood or wrought iron which is less than 3½ feet in height is allowed in the front yard. A minimum of four inch wide verti- cal space per each linear foot and a minimum of one foot wide horizontal space between horizontal portions of the fence are required. A fence made of brick or masonry (excluding cinder block) which is less than 2½ feet in height is allowed in the front yard. Permits are required, and the cost of the permit is the same as a fence in the rear yard or a retaining wall. Additional requirements – "Fence" shall mean any struc- ture which exceeds 12 inches in height above the nearest grade and which en- closes, partitions or divides any yard as defined in the zoning ordinance. – Permit required. Generally, a permit is required for all fences. The only exceptions are repair or recon- struction in whole or part of an exist- ing fence where the location or height does not change, you do not have a pool, you do not have an alley/street intersect and you do not change ma- terials. – Site plan. In order to obtain a permit for a fence, the following must be submitted to the building inspec- tion department: 1. A completed application form. 2. A site plan showing the loca- tion of the work being done. The site plan should show or ex- plain the following: a. Location of the property lines and location of structures on the lot. b. Location of the fence on the property. c. Location of all gates. d. Location of easements on the lot. e. Material and construction de- tails for fences in the front yard. f. Location of alley (if any). g. Location of pool (if any). – Swimming pools: Pools (above- ground or in-ground), spas, and hot tubs must be enclosed. Swimming pool barriers shall comply with the requirements set forth in the 2009 In- ternational Building Code and 2009 International Residential Code and in all code amendments. (Editor's note: Also see 2012 In- ternational Swimming Pool and Spa Code ™ (ISPSC ™ ) available from the International Code Council, shop. iccsafe.org.) – Underground utilities: Prior to any construction, contact the under- ground utility lines location service at the following number: 8-1-1. Fences within utility and mainte- nance easements must be constructed with metal posts and removable fence sections. – Height: No fence may be higher than eight feet on residential or 10 feet on commercial properties, as mea- sured from the top of the fence to the nearest grade from the applicant's side of the fence. If the fence is constructed on top of a retaining wall it shall be mea- sured from grade near the retaining wall. Masonry fences 4' in height or more shall be engineered. – Gates: Any fence built so as to enclose an area shall provide a gate or other opening in the fence at least three feet in width and with a mini- mum headroom clearance of six feet, eight inches. Any fence built along or near a rear property line, which ad- joins a street, alley or public easement, shall provide a gate or other opening giving direct access to the street, alley or public easement. Swimming pool gates have addi- tional requirements. – Access gates for vehicular use must be a minimum of 20 feet from the property line for all types of prop- erty other than residential. A gate may not swing over city right-of-way or a public easement. – Construction: Fences must be able to structurally support fencing materials for a 70 mph windspeed. Fence ordinances from across the country continued on page 61

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