ZoningVerdict

Fences in Royal Oak, MI

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

All districts

Fences are their own chapter of the city code, Chapter 323, amended in its entirety by Ord. 2022-06.

  • Maximum height is 6 feet generally, and 4 feet in a front yard (§ 323-3B).
  • Corner lots: no sight-obscuring fence over 3 feet within the triangle formed by the two property lines and a line connecting points 10 feet from their intersection (§ 323-3C). The same 3 foot limit applies within 10 feet of a driveway meeting a sidewalk, alley, or right-of-way (§ 323-3D).
  • Privacy screens up to 8 feet are allowed only in the rear yard, in the interior of the lot, at least 6 feet from property lines (§ 323-3E).
  • Materials: the chapter has no list of banned materials. Materials must be compatible in the judgment of the Chief Building Inspector (§ 323-3G), so a material call is a discretionary one. Confirm an unusual material with the Building Department before you buy it.
  • Fence permits come from the Building Department (§ 323-6). Appeals and waivers go to the Zoning Board of Appeals on a showing of practical difficulties (§ 323-5C to E).
  • The zoning chapter adds its own intersection rule: a 10 foot visibility triangle where landscaping must stay under 30 inches (§ 770-29).

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