Do hedges count as fences in Rochester Hills?

Yes, when they act as a barrier. The zoning ordinance defines a fence to include hedges and shrubs placed to serve as a barrier (§ 138-13.101). The test is placement and purpose, not material. A row of arborvitae planted to screen a yard or mark a boundary is regulated as a fence.

That means the fence rules apply to the planting:

• Up to 6 feet in side and rear yards on residential property (§ 138-10.107.C.2).
• Up to 3 feet in required front and side-street yards (§ 138-10.107.C.3).
• No obscuring barrier over 3 feet between the front of the residence and the front setback line (§ 138-10.107.C.2).
• Within the 25 foot corner sight triangle, nothing over 30 inches (§ 138-5.204).

Ordinary landscaping not arranged as a barrier falls outside the definition.