FENCE RULES – CAMPBELL (CITY), OHIO
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Campbell, subject to local regulations.
The City of Campbell does not publish a single consolidated residential fence chapter. Local standards appear in the Codified Ordinances, including Section 1145.03 for residential height and corner-lot visibility, Section 521.07 for electrically charged and barbed-wire fencing, stormwater and drainage-easement provisions in Chapters 975 and 977, and property-maintenance provisions in Chapter 1321. Building-code administration is provided by Mahoning County Building Inspection.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s code, ordinance, or zoning-resolution materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the controlling regulatory text does not specify one. If no local code, ordinance, or zoning resolution is available in the approved source packet, this page notes that the jurisdiction does not publish the relevant standard in the referenced published materials.
Compiled From Codified Ordinances of the City of Campbell, including Section 521.07 Fences, Chapters 975 and 977 stormwater-management provisions, Section 1145.03 Area Requirements Applicable in All Districts, Chapters 1149 and 1153 zoning administration and enforcement provisions, and Chapter 1321 property-maintenance provisions; City of Campbell Administration and Storm Water Management pages; Mahoning County Building Inspection About the Office, Applications, and Building or Buying a Home pages; Residential Code of Ohio Rule 4101:8-1-01; Ohio underground utility law; and OHIO811 homeowner and positive-response materials as of July 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The City of Campbell regulates residential fence height, corner-lot visibility, electrical and barbed-wire fencing, stormwater easements, and exterior-property maintenance through its Codified Ordinances.
Under Chapters 142, 1149, and 1153, the City Zoning Commissioner and Zoning Administrator administer zoning permits, zoning compliance, and enforcement. The current City Administration page identifies the City of Campbell Zoning Inspector as the public zoning contact.
Mahoning County Building Inspection is a state-certified building department that expressly serves Campbell for residential and commercial building-code administration. Its current applications page states that residential plans are reviewed under the 2019 Ohio Residential Code (with Amendments), effective March 1, 2024. Campbell City Hall is also identified as a local contact point for building and HVAC permit intake.
The City of Campbell Storm Water Management program and its engineering administration apply the City’s recorded stormwater, flood-control, and drainage-easement provisions where those site conditions exist.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Fence-Specific Permit Status: The City of Campbell does not publish a fence-specific application or an express requirement that a standard residential fence obtain a zoning permit or building permit in the referenced published materials.
• General Zoning-Permit Context: The Codified Ordinances authorize the City Zoning Commissioner to issue zoning permits and require zoning certification before a building permit is issued, but the ordinance does not explicitly state that standard residential fences require that zoning-permit or building-permit process.
• Building-Code Approval Context: Mahoning County Building Inspection administers the Residential Code of Ohio for the City of Campbell. The Residential Code of Ohio includes an approval exemption for fences not over 6 feet high. The City does not publish a separate local building-permit requirement for standard residential fences in the referenced published materials, and the 8-foot rear-yard zoning maximum does not itself state a building-permit trigger.
• Zoning Compliance: Building-code approval exemptions and certified residential building-department administration are separate from zoning, setbacks, subdivision, floodplain, restricted-floodway, stream, stormwater, drainage, historic, road, right-of-way, easement, utility, railroad, and plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, plat requirements, and site-specific limitations with the City of Campbell Zoning Inspector before construction.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Required Yards: Section 1145.03 states that the zoning yard requirements do not prohibit an otherwise lawful fence or wall, subject to the residential height and intersection-visibility standards.
• Property Lines: The zoning ordinance does not state a setback requirement for standard residential fences from property lines; however, fences must be located entirely on the owner’s property and must not encroach into rights-of-way or easements.
• Stormwater and Drainage Easements: Recorded flood-control, storm-drainage, water-quality, and related stormwater easements are restricted against fences, walls, and other obstructions that interfere with stormwater flow or the movement of inspectors and maintenance equipment.
• Utility Safety: Ohio law requires notice through OHIO811 before excavation where Ohio’s underground utility protection law applies. For covered fence work involving digging, drilling, augering, boring, grading, or other excavation, notice must be given at least two working days, not including the day of notification, but not more than 16 calendar days before excavation begins. For an owner personally excavating at property containing one through four dwelling units or another property category covered by the statutory owner-excavator provision, the notice requirement does not apply unless excavation is planned in a utility easement, a public right-of-way, or an area where utility facilities are known to serve the property; an excavator employed by the owner must comply. OHIO811 is a notification center and does not mark lines itself; participating utilities or their locators mark covered facilities and provide positive-response information. This statewide utility-notice framework is separate from local fence permitting, zoning certificates, development approval, easement limits, right-of-way approvals, floodplain review, stormwater review, drainage review, road or county-engineer review, historic or design review, HOA restrictions, and other applicable requirements.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Front-Yard Maximum: A fence or wall in a residential front yard may not exceed 6 feet in height.
• Side-Yard Maximum: A fence or wall in a residential side yard may not exceed 6 feet in height.
• Rear-Yard Maximum: A fence or wall in a residential rear yard may not exceed 8 feet in height.
• Corner-Lot Visibility: On a corner lot in a residential district, no structure, fence, wall, hedge, or other planting may be more than 30 inches above the curb line within the triangle formed by the street lines and a straight line joining points 20 feet from their intersection.
• Residential-Code Context: The 6-foot Residential Code of Ohio approval exemption is building-code context, not Campbell’s local maximum fence height. The zoning ordinance separately establishes the 8-foot rear-yard maximum.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Electrically Charged Fences: No person may erect or maintain a fence charged with electrical current.
• Barbed-Wire Fences Near Streets and Sidewalks: A barbed-wire fence may not abut or be adjacent to a public street or sidewalk.
• Barbed-Wire Strands Above Another Fence: The street-and-sidewalk restriction does not prohibit up to three strands of barbed wire on top of a fence other than a barbed-wire fence, provided the strands are at least 72 inches above the ground. The residential yard-height and visibility limits remain separately applicable.
• Other Residential Materials: The zoning ordinance does not specify a general list of permitted standard residential fence materials, a finished-side orientation rule, or a residential opacity standard.
• Exterior Surface Maintenance: Fences must be maintained in good condition. Exterior wood surfaces other than decay-resistant wood must be protected from the elements and decay, and metal surfaces subject to rust or corrosion must be coated to inhibit deterioration. Broken or dilapidated fences and walls are prohibited exterior-property conditions.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate independently from City of Campbell fence rules. HOA covenants, subdivision restrictions, deed restrictions, private easements, architectural-review covenants, private boundary agreements, and other recorded restrictions may be more restrictive than the City’s published standards.
Municipal zoning compliance or building-code approval does not establish compliance with a private restriction. Private requirements must be evaluated separately under the controlling private documents and agreements.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Height and Yard Location: Review may involve the 6-foot front- and side-yard maximums and the 8-foot rear-yard maximum.
• Corner Visibility: Corner-lot review may involve the 30-inch height limit within the 20-foot intersection triangle.
• Electrical and Barbed-Wire Conditions: Enforcement may involve electrically charged fencing, barbed-wire fences adjacent to streets or sidewalks, and the conditions for barbed-wire strands placed above another fence.
• Stormwater Easements: Site review may involve recorded stormwater, flood-control, or drainage easements that prohibit fences, walls, and other obstructions.
• Administrative Review: The City of Campbell Zoning Inspector is the current public zoning contact and enforces property-maintenance provisions; the City Zoning Commissioner and Zoning Administrator administer local zoning permits and compliance, while Mahoning County Building Inspection administers applicable residential building-code review. The referenced published materials do not state that every standard residential fence enters either permit process.
• Property Maintenance: Complaint-based enforcement may involve deteriorated, rusted, decayed, broken, or dilapidated fences and walls.
• Utility Safety: Covered excavation for fence posts remains subject to the OHIO811 notice and positive-response process.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Campbell, based on the referenced published materials as of July 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Ohio laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Ohio.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, zoning resolutions, permits, zoning certificates, development approvals, applicable building-code requirements, surveys, or professional guidance. Rules and interpretations may change, and application may vary based on zoning district, site conditions, easements, rights-of-way, floodplain status, restricted-floodway or stream conditions, stormwater requirements, drainage conditions, road or highway conditions, county-engineer jurisdiction, railroad adjacency, historic district status, design-review status, rural or agricultural context, livestock, partition-fence or preferred-partition-fence context, certified residential building-department status, contracted administration, pool-barrier use, OHIO811 utility-safety requirements, utility-clearance conditions, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants, deed restrictions, private agreements, recorded partition-fence agreements, or conservation easements. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with the City of Campbell Zoning Inspector and, where applicable, Mahoning County Building Inspection or City of Campbell Storm Water Management staff, along with any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, zoning resolutions, published guidance, or direction from the City of Campbell Zoning Inspector, Mahoning County Building Inspection staff, or City of Campbell stormwater staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.