FENCE RULES – UPPER ARLINGTON (CITY), OHIO

OVERVIEW

Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Upper Arlington, subject to local regulations. Properties located outside City of Upper Arlington municipal limits are regulated by the applicable township or municipality.

Local fence rules appear primarily in the Upper Arlington Code of Ordinances, including the Unified Development Code, § 6.09(D)(12) – Fences, the Fence Permit application, the Certificate of Zoning Compliance application, the Building Code, and related provisions on visibility, easements, drainage, right-of-way, pool barriers, and historic design context.

This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s adopted materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one.

Compiled From the Upper Arlington Code of Ordinances, Unified Development Code, Fence Permit application, Certificate of Zoning Compliance application, Building Code, and Ohio statewide utility-notice law as of June 2026.

GOVERNANCE

The City of Upper Arlington regulates residential fences through its Unified Development Code and fence-permit process. The principal fence standards are in § 6.09(D)(12) – Fences.

The Community Development Department administers the fence-permit process. The Director of Community Development administers Certificates of Zoning Compliance and related UDO development approvals. The Building Division administers the City’s Building Code and the Residential Code of Ohio where building-code review applies.

The City does not publish one standalone fence code. Fence rules are distributed across the fence section of the UDO, the Fence Permit application, the Building Code, stormwater and drainage provisions, floodplain provisions, historic/design guidelines, right-of-way and sewer provisions, and related definitions.

PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS

• Fence Permit: The City’s Fence Permit application states that any new or replacement fencing requires a Fence Permit. The UDO states that no fence, wall, or barrier, other than a temporary construction or snow fence, may be constructed, erected, installed, or substantially replaced on any property without an approved fence permit from the Community Development Department.

• Maintenance: Minor repairs and maintenance do not require a fence permit. The Building Code table for work not requiring permits also lists maintenance work on an existing fence as the fence-permit exception.

• Certificate of Zoning Compliance: The UDO requires a Certificate of Zoning Compliance before buildings, structures, excavation, or site improvements are commenced, and the Director of Community Development reviews CZC applications. For ordinary fence work, the City publishes a separate Fence Permit application rather than treating the fence rule as only a general CZC item.

• Building Permit – Retaining Walls: The Fence Permit application states that a dry-stacked stone wall or retaining wall requires a Building Permit if it is higher than 4 feet from base to top, or if it includes a footer or foundation.

• Pool Barrier Review: A fence used as a swimming-pool barrier is reviewed under the City’s swimming-pool fence and Residential Code of Ohio pool-barrier context. The Fence Permit application states that information about proposed gates, locks, and closing mechanisms is needed with pool-fence submittals.

• Grade and Drainage Context: The Certificate of Zoning Compliance materials state that changes to natural grade require a permit. Fence height is also affected when a fence, wall, ornamental feature, or hedge is built on a mound or raised surface.

FENCE PLACEMENT RULES

• Side and Rear Property Lines: The Fence Permit application states that fences may be installed along side and rear property lines and that there is no minimum fence setback requirement. The accurate determination of the property line is the responsibility of the property owner or contractor securing the fence permit. Issuance of a fence permit does not indicate City review or approval of the property-line location.

• Front Yard Placement: In the front yard, measured from the building setback line to the City right-of-way line, a fence may extend 15 feet forward of the building line if the fence does not exceed 3.5 feet / 42 inches in height.

• Street-Abutting Yards: For determining fence location and height, each yard abutting a street is considered a front yard on that street.

• Buildable Area: Fences or walls located completely within the buildable area are not subject to the UDO fence-height limitations.

• Right-of-Way: Fences, ornamental and entry features, retaining walls, and dry-stacked decorative stone walls must not be located in City right-of-way. An underground or invisible pet fence is not subject to the fence limitations, but it must not be located in City right-of-way.

• Easements and Plats: The Fence Permit application states that fences may be permitted in easements, but warns that the City or a utility company may need access to that area. The UDO separately states that fences must not be located in platted landscape preservation easements, do not disturb areas, planting strips, or drainage easements. Fences may be located in a reserve, unless otherwise noted on the subdivision plat.

• Public Sewer Manholes: No person may cover a public sewer manhole with earth, stone, fence, or anything else that conceals or obstructs its operation.

• Drainage Ditches: The code prohibits filling in or obstructing any drainage ditch in any street, alley, public way, or public place.

• Pool Fence Placement: For swimming pools, no part of the pool fence may be located between the building setback line and the street on which the lot or parcel abuts.

• Utility Safety: Ohio law requires notice through Ohio 811 / the protection service before excavation where Ohio’s underground utility protection law applies. For fence projects that involve digging, including fence post holes, notice must be given at least 2 working days, not including the day of notification, and not more than 16 calendar days before excavation begins. Working days exclude weekends and legal holidays. This statewide utility-notice requirement is separate from local fence permitting, zoning certificates, easement limits, right-of-way approvals, HOA restrictions, and other applicable requirements.

FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES

• Front Yard Height: A fence that extends into the front yard may extend 15 feet forward of the building line, but it must not exceed 3.5 feet / 42 inches in height.

• Side and Rear Yard Height: In side and rear yards, fences must not exceed 6 feet in height, measured above the surface of the ground at that point.

• Commercial or Planned District Abutment: If the side or rear yard abuts a Commercial or Planned District, the fence may extend up to 8 feet in height.

• Fence Posts: Fence posts may exceed the height of the fence by a maximum of 6 inches.

• Buildable Area Exception: Fences or walls located completely within the buildable area are not subject to the UDO fence-height limitations.

• Raised Ground or Mounds: If a fence, wall, ornamental feature, or hedge is constructed on a mound or raised surface, the permissible height is reduced by the height of the mound or raised surface.

• Intersection Clearance Zone: In an intersection clearance zone, no fence, snow fence, wall, ornamental landscaping or feature, mound, or hedge may exceed 32 inches in height above the grade of the pavement of the street gutter. The intersection clearance zone is measured on a corner lot between the curb line or edge of pavement of the intersecting streets and a diagonal line connecting points 30 feet from their intersection.

• Ornamental and Entry Features: Ornamental and entry features must not exceed 42 inches in height or 20 feet in total length. They may be located in any yard, but not in City right-of-way, and must conform to intersection clearance zone requirements.

• Retaining Walls and Dry-Stacked Decorative Stone Walls: Retaining walls and dry-stacked decorative stone walls must not be located in City right-of-way. They may be located in the front yard if they conform to intersection clearance zone requirements, and they must not exceed 36 inches in height if located in a front yard.

• Swimming Pool Fences: Every swimming pool must be completely enclosed by a fence of sturdy construction at least 48 inches high, measured on the side of the fence that faces away from the swimming pool.

• Residential Refuse Screening: If a fence is used to screen outdoor solid waste, recycling, or yard waste containers, the fence must have a minimum height of 42 inches.

MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS

• Prohibited Fence Materials: Fences or walls with wire, metal prongs, spikes, cutting points, cutting edges, or electric current are prohibited.

• Barbed Wire and Electric Barriers: The General Offenses Code also prohibits maintaining a fence or barrier composed in whole or in part of barbed wire, or one that has wire or metal spikes or prongs, or is charged with electrical current.

• Picket Fences: Picket fences must have points blunted.

• Chain Link Fences: Chain link fences must be coated with black, brown, or dark green vinyl, plastic, or similar material.

• Parallel Fences: No fence or fences may be constructed so that there are two more-or-less parallel fences in the same yard on one property unless there is at least 5 feet between the fences or their appurtenances. This rule does not prohibit adjoining property owners from erecting abutting fences along a shared property line.

• Finished Side / Supporting Elements: Fences or walls supported by posts on one side must be erected so that exposed posts and supporting cross elements face the property on which the fence or wall is being constructed. Adjacent property owners may file written consent with the Director of Community Development to have the posts and cross elements face their property. No exposed posts or supporting cross elements may face public property.

• Same-Both-Sides Fences: The supporting-element rule does not apply if the fence is the same on both sides, such as split rail or board and batten fences.

• Front Yard Wire or Rope Barriers: The code prohibits installing a front-yard boundary barrier made of one or more strands of wire, rope, cord, plastic, or other line stretched between stakes, poles, trees, or other supports. A temporary visible barrier may be used to protect newly planted lawn, hedge, shrubbery, or other planting for the time reasonably necessary to protect the planting.

• Pool Barrier Construction: When a fence is used as a swimming-pool barrier, the barrier must be at least 48 inches above grade, the maximum vertical clearance between grade and the bottom of the barrier must be 2 inches, openings must not allow passage of a 4-inch-diameter sphere, and access gates must be equipped to accommodate a locking device. Pedestrian gates must open outward away from the pool and must be self-closing and self-latching.

• Historic District Design Context: In the Upper Arlington Historic District, Article 7 states that landscape materials should reflect neighborhood character and that front yard fencing should be avoided to maintain continual visual character along the streetscape.

PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS

Private restrictions operate independently from City fence rules. These may include HOA covenants, deed restrictions, subdivision restrictions, architectural-review covenants, private easements, plat notes, conservation easements, private boundary agreements, and recorded agreements.

Private restrictions may be more restrictive than City rules. The City’s issuance of a fence permit does not determine private property-line rights, private easement rights, HOA approval, subdivision-covenant compliance, or private agreement compliance.

REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT

Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:

• Fence Permit Review: New, replacement, installed, erected, constructed, or substantially replaced fences, walls, and barriers are reviewed through the City’s Fence Permit process.

• Maintenance Exception: Minor repair and maintenance of an existing fence is treated separately from new or replacement fence work.

• Height and Yard Location: Review may involve the 3.5-foot / 42-inch front-yard limit, the 15-foot forward projection rule, the 6-foot side and rear yard limit, the 8-foot Commercial or Planned District abutment context, and the buildable-area exception.

• Visibility: Review may involve the 32-inch intersection clearance zone limit and corner-lot yards treated as front yards where they abut streets.

• Property Lines and Plats: Review may involve property-line responsibility, reserves, subdivision plat notes, and restrictions on platted landscape preservation easements, do not disturb areas, planting strips, and drainage easements.

• Right-of-Way and Utilities: Review may involve City right-of-way limits, underground/invisible pet fence placement, utility access, Ohio 811 notice, and work that affects public infrastructure.

• Drainage and Manholes: Review may involve drainage easements, drainage ditches, grading, stormwater facilities, and the prohibition on covering public sewer manholes.

• Materials and Construction: Review may involve prohibited barbed wire, electric current, spikes, prongs, cutting points, uncoated chain link, parallel fences less than 5 feet apart on the same property, and exposed support elements facing neighboring or public property.

• Pool Barriers: Review may involve 48-inch pool-fence height, gate, latch, lock, opening, and barrier-design standards when a fence serves as a swimming-pool barrier.

• Retaining Walls and Decorative Stone Walls: Review may involve the 36-inch front-yard wall limit, the intersection clearance zone, and the Building Permit trigger for retaining or dry-stacked stone walls higher than 4 feet or with a footer or foundation.

• Historic District Design Context: Review may involve Article 7 design-guideline context for the Upper Arlington Historic District, including the statement that front yard fencing should be avoided to maintain continual visual character along the streetscape.

USING THIS INFORMATION

This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Upper Arlington, based on publicly available source materials reviewed as of June 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, permits, zoning certificates, 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, stormwater or drainage requirements, road or highway encroachment, county-engineer requirements, historic district status, design-review status, rural or agricultural context, livestock or partition-fence context, railroad right-of-way context, pool-barrier use, utility safety requirements, 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 City of Upper Arlington Community Development Department and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, zoning resolutions, published guidance, or direction from City of Upper Arlington staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.