Do I need a permit for a fence in Texas?

Height limits by city.

• Houston: no permit up to 8 ft, unless the fence has masonry or concrete in it
• Dallas: permit over 4 ft in a front yard or over 6 ft elsewhere. Over 9 ft takes Board of Adjustment approval
• Fort Worth: permit for a solid fence over 7 ft. Front yard fences are capped at 4 ft and must be open, with no chain link
• San Antonio: 3 ft solid or 5 ft open in front, 6 ft at the side and rear, up to 8 ft in listed cases
• Frisco: 8 ft at the side and rear, 4 ft in front of the house
• McKinney: 8 ft 6 in at the rear, 48 inches in front and at least half open
• Cedar Park: 8 ft at the side and rear, 3 ft in the front setback

Replacing or repairing a fence.

Frisco counts a replacement fence as new, but repairing up to two sections or 16 ft needs no permit. San Antonio asks for a permit once you repair or replace more than 25% of a fence. McKinney asks for one when you change the fence's height, location or material.

Pool fences.

Pool barriers have their own rules. Frisco and Fort Worth want at least 48 inches. Frisco bans chain link around a pool, and McKinney wants outward-opening, self-closing gates with the latch at least 54 inches up. Dallas asks for a permit for every pool fence, whatever its height.

What the fence site plan shows.

The fence line on your lot, with its height and material, the gates, and the property lines and house. San Antonio wants each section's height and material labeled. Dallas adds easements, driveways, sidewalks, alleys and visibility triangles. McKinney accepts a survey or a hand drawing for a fence.

City by city.

• Houston: Houston has no zoning, but a shed over 120 sq ft, a raised or attached deck, or a fence over 8 ft still needs a permit and a to-scale site plan showing property lines, easements and building lines.
• Dallas: Dallas lets a detached shed or small freestanding deck of 200 sq ft or less go without a permit. An attached deck always needs one.
• San Antonio: San Antonio lets a shed of 300 sq ft or less go without a permit, but every new fence needs one, and so does a deck or patio cover over 300 sq ft or attached to the house.
• Fort Worth: Fort Worth asks for a permit for every shed, whatever its size, and for any deck more than 6 inches above grade.
• Frisco: Frisco asks for a permit for every shed and patio cover, with no size exemption, and for every new fence. The survey must show the distance to every property line.
• McKinney: McKinney exempts a detached structure under 120 sq ft with no electrical or plumbing work. Anything bigger, any attached patio cover, and every new fence needs a permit.
• Cedar Park: Cedar Park asks for a deck permit once a deck is 30 inches up, over 200 sq ft, attached or serving an exit door, and a shed permit over 80 sq ft. Fences need no permit.

Questions.

Does a masonry fence need a permit in Houston?

Yes, at any height, and it needs a structural section designed by a professional engineer.

Can I build a fence in a utility easement?

Sometimes. McKinney says wood fences are usually allowed in an easement. Dallas asks for written approval from the utility company first.

Does a corner lot change anything?

Yes. San Antonio checks corner-lot fences against its clear vision rules before issuing the permit, and Dallas asks for visibility triangles on the fence site plan.