Fence rules are set town by town, not by the state. Two houses a mile apart can face different height limits, different setbacks and different fees. Each page below says plainly what is confirmed and what is not, and gives you the number to call.
Ohio
- Toledo: $50 Certificate of Zoning Compliance for any fence, 6 ft side and rear, 3.5 ft front.
- Sylvania
- Maumee: permit for anything over 2.5 ft.
- Perrysburg: $25 permit, fence sits 4 in inside your line.
- Oregon: no permit unless there is a pool.
- Bowling Green and Wood County
- Findlay
- Fremont, Port Clinton and Sandusky
- Wauseon, Swanton, Napoleon, Defiance and Bryan
Ohio-wide: call 811 before digging (2 working days’ notice) and how deep fence posts go in Ohio.
Michigan
- Monroe, Temperance and Lambertville
- Dundee, Adrian, Tecumseh and Blissfield
- Ann Arbor
- Ypsilanti, Saline, Milan, Dexter and Chelsea
Michigan-wide: the Michigan rules in one place: MISS DIG 811, sales tax, frost depth, contractor licences and your right to cancel. Prices on that side of the line: what a fence costs in Ann Arbor.
What every town asks about
Three questions come up everywhere: whether you need a permit, how high the fence can be in each yard, and how close to the line it can sit. Corner lots usually have a fourth, a sight triangle at the street corner where nothing tall is allowed. Settle those before you order materials, because a fence built on the wrong side of a line or a foot too tall comes down at your cost.
Then see your price range for the fence you have in mind. The permit fee is not in the range; your installer adds it to the firm quote.
Questions people ask
Do I need a permit for a fence?
It depends on the town. Toledo wants a $50 zoning certificate for any fence, Oregon wants nothing unless there is a pool, and Maumee draws the line at 2.5 feet. Find your town below and read its page before you order materials.
My town is not listed. What do I do?
Call the zoning or building office at your city, village or township hall and ask three things: is a permit needed, what are the height limits by yard, and how far from the line must the fence sit. The estimator still works for your address.
Does the estimator include the permit fee?
No. Permit fees are small and vary by town, so they are listed on each town’s page instead. Your installer usually pulls the permit and adds the fee to the quote.