ZoningVerdict

Fences in Rochester Hills, MI

What the Rochester Hills zoning ordinance says about fences, district by district. Section numbers link to the official ordinance.

All districts

On residential property, side and rear fences may be up to 6 feet tall. A fence may not extend closer to the front lot line than the front of the dwelling or the minimum front setback, whichever is less (§ 138-10.107.C.2). One caution: Municode's displayed text for this section appears to contain a typo ("of" instead of "or"), and the city's homeowner guide simplifies the rule to "the front of the building," so for a deep-set house, confirm exact fence placement with the City before building.

  • In front of the house, only fences up to 3 feet are allowed, and an obscuring fence over 3 feet is prohibited between the house front and the front setback line (§ 138-10.107.C.2, C.3).
  • Corner lots must keep the 25 foot sight triangle clear above 30 inches (§ 138-5.204).
  • Fabric fences are prohibited. Barbed and razor wire are prohibited on residential property. Electric fences are prohibited except approved animal containment (§ 138-10.107.C.4, C.5).
  • Hedges and shrubs placed to act as a barrier count as fences (§ 138-13.101).

Non-residential fences may reach 8 feet, and may not sit in a required front yard (§ 138-10.107.D).

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