Short answer: a typical 6-foot wood fence in a back or side yard costs nothing in city fees in 19 of the 30 largest U.S. cities we cover, and $31 to $219 in the other 11. When a fence does need a filing, the city's own worked example runs from $31 in San Antonio to $3,310 in San Diego, and the median is $169. Seven are under $75: Albuquerque, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, St. Louis. Five are $75 to $149: Chicago, Houston, Louisville, New York, Tucson. Seven are $150 to $299: Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Jacksonville, Miami, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Sacramento. Eight are $300 or more: Dallas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle. Three issue no fence permit at all, so the only city fee their pages price is a variance or a zoning use permit: Charlotte, Indianapolis, Kansas City. Fourteen cities price the permit on the fence's value, ten charge a flat line, four price by length, and two (San Jose and Dallas) bill hours or build an estimate from other fee lines. Eight cities publish a fee to exceed the height limit that is often larger than the permit itself. This page covers the fee; for when a fence needs a permit at all, and the height limits, see Do You Need a Permit to Build a Fence? 30 Cities Compared. We read each city's fee schedule, exemption list and licensing rule and recorded the city's own reading.
Every row links to the city page that quotes the rule, so you can read the source language yourself. The table sorts by any column.
All 30 cities
| City | Fence that needs a filing | The city's own example | How the fee is priced | Typical 6 ft backyard wood fence | Who may pull it | Schedule the city cites, and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | Under $75 | $35 zoning Wall or Fence Approval (Minor) for a fence up to 6 ft, such as a 6 ft cedar fence along the back and sides. An 8 ft CMU wall adds a building permit, about $103 for 100 ft, on top of the zoning fee. | Flat zoning fee ($35) on the General Planning Fee Schedule. Over 6 ft add UAC Table 112-A on valuation times 0.50 plus 65% plan review. | $35: UAC 109.2.1 exempts fences up to 6 ft from the building permit, but the Zoning Counter requires the $35 wall permit for every fence. | Over 6 ft the building permit is issued only to the homeowner or a New Mexico GB-2 or GB-98 general contractor. The page does not say who may file the $35 zoning permit. | General Planning Fee Schedule; 2024 Uniform Administrative Code 109.2.1 and Table 112-A; IDO Table 5-7-1 A wall built without the zoning permit pays $90 instead of $35 and, if it needed a building permit, an investigation fee equal to the permit fee. Walls over 6 ft need certification by a New Mexico engineer or architect, usually the larger cost. Front and street-side yards are capped at 3 ft. |
| Baltimore, MD | Under $75 ⚠ | $52 for a typical 120-foot backyard fence: $25 fence fee + $2 permit tax + $25 application fee. 400 ft costs $67 ($40 + $2 + $25). | Sec. 109.6.1(g) of the city codes: $10 for each 100 linear feet or fraction, read with the $25 minimum in Sec. 109.3, plus a $25 application fee and the 5% Building Code Permit Tax rounded up. | $52 for a 6 ft wood privacy fence along 120 ft of rear and side lines: Baltimore did not adopt the model-code fence exemption, so every new fence needs a permit. | The code lets the owner, lessee, an agent or a licensed engineer or architect apply, but DHCD says work on 1-2 family homes requires an MHIC-licensed contractor. | Building, Fire, and Related Codes of Baltimore City 2024 Sec. 109.6.1(g), 109.3, 109.5.7, 109.7; Zoning Code Table 15-601 Building without the permit adds a surcharge of the greater of $1,000 or 50% of the permit fee. In a CHAP historic district CHAP approves the fence first and the permit is not issued over the counter. Zoning caps fences at 4 ft in front and corner-side yards and 6 ft in rear yards. |
| Charlotte, NC | No fence permit ⚠ | $330 for a City zoning use permit if the City requires one for the fence (the FY2025 figure; the FY2026 sheet was not reachable). The County charges $0 because no building permit is issued. | Flat zoning use permit fee on the City's residential zoning fee sheet, no County fee. A retaining wall pays the County valuation table ($59.70 minimum plus $12.19 per $1,000 over $3,000, plus a $3 technology charge). | $0 from the County. Whether the City also wants a zoning use permit for a 6 ft side or rear fence (UDO 17.1.D) is the page's open question. If so, $330 on the FY2025 sheet. | Any fence company or homeowner may build a fence. A general contractor license is needed only for work costing $40,000 or more. | Mecklenburg County Residential Construction Handbook (NC Residential Code R101.2.2); City FY2025 residential zoning fees; UDO 17.1.D UDO 17.2.D heights: 5 ft in the front setback, 6 ft in the side setback, 8 ft in the rear setback. A retaining wall holding more than 48 in of fill needs a County permit and engineer-sealed plans. A fence in the right-of-way needs a CDOT or NCDOT encroachment agreement. |
| Chicago, IL | $75 to $149 ⚠ | $75 for a non-masonry fence over 5 ft and up to 6 ft, no drawings (express permit, paid at issuance). A fence over 6 ft or any masonry wall is $300 and needs drawings and a zoning review. | Flat stand-alone fee line in Table 14A-12-1204.2 as amended by the 2026 Revenue Ordinance (SO2025-0021719): $75 up to 6 ft (cut from $150), $300 over 6 ft or masonry. | $75 express permit: a fence is permit-free only up to 5 ft, so a 6 ft backyard wood fence needs it. | An individual may act as general contractor on their own primary residence once per calendar year (Form 401 and an ID). A masonry wall also needs a Chicago-licensed mason. | Table 14A-12-1204.2; SO2025-0021719 (adopted 2025-12-19); Express Permit Program fence instructions Drawing-based applications pay a non-refundable $600 deposit at submission with any balance at issuance, and the department may add a $25 review fee online. Zoning limits residential fences to 6 ft and a solid front-setback fence to 54 in. A stop work order carries a penalty of $1,000 or more and the permit fee is usually tripled. |
| Cincinnati, OH | $150 to $299 ⚠ | $158.55 for a Zoning Certificate of Compliance for a new fence up to 6 ft ($151 plus surcharges). A fence over 6 ft needs a variance and a valuation-based building permit, about $246 ($173 up to $4,000 + $49 processing + surcharges). | Flat zoning certificate fee on the schedule effective 2026-07-01. A building permit is needed only over 6 ft, on a valuation schedule ($173 up to $4,000) plus a $49 processing fee. | $158.55: no building permit for a 6 ft privacy fence in a rear or interior side yard, but every new fence needs the Zoning Certificate of Compliance. No inspection follows. | A homeowner may build a fence on a one- to three-family home without a contractor registration. A fence company needs a City registration ($131.25 a year). | Cincinnati B&I fee schedule (eff. 2026-07-01); Cincinnati Building Code 1101-17.1(16); Zoning Code 1421-33 In a local historic district a Certificate of Appropriateness at $158.55 replaces the certificate. A fence on a commercial or 4+ unit property, and a gate that swings over the sidewalk, needs a building permit at any height. Front and corner yards are capped at 4 ft and 50% open. |
| Dallas, TX | $300 or more ⚠ | About $321 for an 8 ft side-yard fence: $181 single-family alteration base + $125 inspection fee per trade + $15 technology fee. If the department also charges its residential plan review fee ($0.046 per sq ft, $577 minimum) the page puts the total at $898. | No fence fee line exists. The page builds an estimate from the Chapter 52 Table B-II single-family alteration base ($181), the fee schedule's $125 inspection fee per trade and a $15 technology fee. | $0, no filing: Chapter 52 exempts fences up to 4 ft in a front yard and 6 ft elsewhere unless the fence is a pool enclosure. | A homestead owner may act as contractor on fence construction and repair by signing the homeowner affidavit (no one else paid). Otherwise a fence or general contractor registered with the city. | Chapter 52 Sec. 301.2.1 item 6 and Table B-II; Planning and Development fee schedule eff. 2025-07-01; fence checklist Maximum fence height is 9 ft. A front-yard fence over 4 ft needs a Board of Adjustment special exception, filed at $600 for single-family cases or $900 for other appeals. A pool fence needs a permit at any height. Editing an application costs $30 each time. |
| Fort Worth, TX | $150 to $299 ⚠ | About $168.95 for an 8 ft solid wood fence: $119.00 one-trade fee + $33.08 application fee + $16.87 technology fee. A solid 4 ft front fence needs a Board of Adjustment special exception at $866 (a variance is $591). | Charged by the trade work involved, not by length or value (Texas bars value-based residential fees): one trade is $119.00 under Fee Ordinance 26-28781, effective 2026-10-01. | $0, no filing: fences not over 7 ft, and open wire fences without slats up to 8 ft, are exempt. | A building contractor registered with the city, or an owner-occupant with a homestead permit. | Fee Ordinance 26-28781 (eff. 2026-10-01); Administrative Code 105.2; city Accela tutorial Front-yard fences are limited to 4 ft of open design, and chain link is banned there. A variance hearing takes about 1.5 months. A permit expires after 180 days without an approved inspection. A fence cannot go on a lot with no primary use. |
| Houston, TX | $75 to $149 | About $147 for a 150-foot masonry fence, the usual fence that needs a permit: $91.06 permit fee (the minimum) + $22.77 plan review + $33.56 admin. A 400-foot fence is about $179. | Priced by length on the 2026 fee schedule: $73.85 for the first 100 lineal ft plus $11.41 per additional 100 ft, $91.06 minimum, plus a $33.56 admin fee and 25% plan review. | $0, no filing: a non-masonry, non-electrified fence up to 8 ft needs no permit. Houston has no zoning code. | The owner, an agent or a contractor may buy the permit. Houston does not license general contractors. | 2026 Building Code Enforcement fee schedule; Residential Permitting 101; HPC Residential Fencing (HPWCODE 1145) A fence over 8 ft of any material and any masonry or concrete fence needs a permit. There is no citywide height cap: deed restrictions and plat building lines limit fences, and the city enforces the restrictions. Plan review takes 10 days. |
| Indianapolis, IN | No fence permit | $579 only to ask for a height variance (a fence over 6 ft in a side or rear yard, or over 3.5 ft in front): $550 plus $29 per standard, with a public hearing. A compliant fence has no permit, no zoning sign-off and no fee. | No fence permit fee line. The only city fee is the flat variance of development standards on the Metropolitan Development Commission fee schedule. A retaining wall over 4 ft needs a structural permit ($290 to $390). | $0, no filing: Sec. 536-201(b)(13) exempts a fence that conforms to zoning, and the zoning ordinance requires no Improvement Location Permit for it. | You can build it yourself: no permit means no Statement of Intent and no inspection. A hired fence company must be a listed Marion County contractor (Sec. 875-101). | Sec. 536-201(b)(13); Zoning Ord. 740-801.A.3.e and Table 744-510-2; Metropolitan Development Commission fee schedule A noncompliant fence is enforced after the fact under Sec. 744-510: a $100 fee for a first offense plus the cost of cutting the fence down. Heights: 3.5 ft in front (4 ft if 30% opaque or less), 6 ft side and rear. A historic-district certificate of appropriateness has no fee for fencing. |
| Jacksonville, FL | $150 to $299 | About $261 for a $6,000 block wall (masonry walls are priced as new construction): $112.50 BID fee + $1.80 + $13.50 + $37.50 Development Services + $5.40 + $90 plan review. Ordinary wood, vinyl and chain-link fences have no fee line. | Subsection (4) of Ordinance Code Sec. 320.409, per $1,000 of estimated cost ($1.88 BID fee, $0.30 resource management, $0.63 Development Services, $0.90 debris, landscape fee 12% of the BID fee), with minimums that usually decide the total. | $0, no filing: the city's fencing guidelines say fencing does not require a permit, and the fee schedule has no line for a residential fence. | Not stated on the page. | Ordinance Code Sec. 320.409 subsection (4); Planning and Development fencing guidelines; Zoning Code 656.402(b) Zoning caps a residential fence at 8 ft and 4 ft in the required front yard, and going higher takes an administrative deviation at $966. A historic district fence needs a Certificate of Appropriateness whether or not a permit applies. A pool barrier is part of the pool permit. |
| Kansas City, MO | No fence permit ⚠ | $174 filing fee for a Board of Zoning Adjustment special exception to exceed the height limits (a fence over 6 ft, or over 48 in in a front yard). There is no fence permit and no permit fee. | No fence permit line. The only city fee is the flat BZA special exception filing fee under Sec. 27-11 of the fences and walls code. | $0, no filing: Sec. 18-16(b)(1)e exempts fences of any size from a building permit, and there is no separate fence or zoning permit. | Not stated on the page. | KC Building and Rehabilitation Code 18-16(b)(1)e; Chapter 27 Sec. 27-10 and 27-11; IB 129 Chapter 27 caps a residential fence at 6 ft and a front yard at 48 in, and violations carry a daily fine. Neighbors are mailed notice 13 days before the hearing. Retaining walls over 4 ft need a building permit. |
| Long Beach, CA | $300 or more ⚠ | About $590 for a 40 ft, 8 ft wood fence along an alley (valued at $1,690): permit $137 + plan check $154 minimum + zoning plan check $146 + $115 processing + small state and records fees. A 60 ft, 6 ft block wall is about $975. | Valuation per lineal foot of 6 ft 6 in fence (IB-077: $42.25 wood, $195 masonry block) on a permit table of $101 for the first $500, $3 per $100 to $2,000 and $149 plus $16 per $1,000 to $20,000, plus 85% plan check ($154 minimum) and a zoning plan check. | $0, no filing: wood, vinyl, chain-link or wrought-iron fences up to 6 ft 6 in need no building permit, though Planning height and location rules still apply. | The permit is issued to a CSLB-licensed contractor with a Long Beach business license, or to the homeowner of a one- or two-family home under IB-029. | IB-077 minimum valuations; LBMC 18.04.020.B.4; Zoning Table 43-1; BU-041 The code text exempts non-masonry fences to 7 ft but the handouts say 6 ft 6 in, and masonry over 4 ft needs a permit. Walls on the common property line need a notarized FORM-013 agreement. A permit is void if work has not started within 90 days. |
| Los Angeles, CA | $300 or more | About $338 for a $5,000 masonry wall over 3.5 ft, the usual fence that needs a permit: permit $200.65 + plan check $136.85 per the LADBS calculator, surcharges included. A $10,000 wall is about $463. Credit cards add 2.7%. | Valuation-based permit fee with plan check at 90% of the permit fee, plus surcharges. The valuation table prices masonry walls at $10 per sq ft of wall and concrete at $14. | $0, no filing: wood, vinyl, chain-link or iron fences up to 10 ft need no building permit. Zoning height limits still apply. | A homeowner can build an exempt fence with no paperwork and can sign an owner-builder permit for a block wall. Hired work needs a CSLB license for a job of $1,000 or more or any job that needs a permit. | LAMC 91.106.2 item 13 (2026 Los Angeles Building Code); LADBS Permit Fee Calculator; IB P/BC 2026-096 A 6 ft block wall built to the standard detail in IB P/BC 2026-096, outside the front yard, can be an express permit with no plan check. Pool barriers are carved out of the exemption and need a permit. Front-yard fences in R zones are capped at 3.5 ft. |
| Louisville, KY | $75 to $149 | $75 for a fence over 7 ft: a $6,000 fence calculates to $65 and is raised to the $75 minimum. A $20,000 fence pays $100. | LMCO 150.096 (revised 2024-02-06) for structures other than buildings: $50 plus $2.50 per $1,000 of estimated cost, $75 minimum. | $0, no filing: Kentucky Residential Code R105.2 exempts fences up to 7 ft from a building permit. | Not stated on the page. | LMCO 150.096; Kentucky Residential Code R105.2; Land Development Code 4.4.3 Zoning allows a solid side or rear fence up to 8 ft, but anything over 7 ft also needs the permit. A fence that breaks the zoning limits needs a Board of Zoning Adjustment variance, $200 for a single-family home. Some small cities in Jefferson County keep their own zoning codes. |
| Miami, FL | $150 to $299 ⚠ | About $180 for a $6,000 wood privacy fence: $110 minimum + $40 application fee + $26 minimum solid waste surcharge + about $4 state surcharges, before a county surcharge the code does not quantify. A $30,000 masonry wall is about $260. | City Code 10-18: 0.50 of estimated construction cost with a $110 minimum ($45 flat only under $2,500), plus a $40 application fee. | About $180: Miami has no fence exemption, so a wood fence at the sides or rear needs a building permit (the page's $6,000 example). | Owner-builders of a one- or two-family home they occupy may file under FS 489.103(7) by appearing in person. Otherwise a contractor with a Florida license or a Miami-Dade certificate of competency. | City Code 10-18 as amended; City Code 10-5(b); Miami 21 5.3.2 The solid waste surcharge is $0.22 per $100 of cost with a $26 minimum and $600 maximum, and state surcharges are 1% and 1.5% of the permit fee. An up-front fee of $2.80 per $1,000 is 80% credited. Replacing a never-permitted fence after work has begun costs double the fee plus $110. |
| Milwaukee, WI | Under $75 | $60.40 for any fence at a 1-2 family home: $25 fence fee + $0.40 training and technology surcharge + $35 processing fee. Starting before the permit may quadruple the fee, making the $25 line $100. | Flat fee line in MCO 200-33-14.5 plus a $35 processing fee. The price does not depend on length, height or cost. | $60.40: Milwaukee has no height below which a fence is permit-free, and replacement fences need a permit too. | Yes. The application has a box to check if the owner will install it. A hired installer must list a City of Milwaukee Home Improvement Contractor License number. | MCO 200-33-14.5; DNS residential fence requirements sheet (updated March 2026); MCO 295-505-4-f Heights: 4 ft in the front yard (6 ft ornamental if 50% open), 4 ft in the side yard (6 ft if open above 4 ft), 6 ft in the rear. Opaque fences are limited to 3 ft inside the vision triangle. A fence in a local historic district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness first. |
| Minneapolis, MN | $150 to $299 ⚠ | $207.42 for a $3,000 fence over 7 ft (8 ft is the zoning maximum): $124.80 permit + $81.12 plan review + $1.50 state surcharge. Pool barrier fences of any height also need a building permit. | Valuation: $104.20 for the first $2,000 plus $20.60 per additional $1,000 ($84.20 minimum), plus 65% plan review and a state surcharge of 0.0005 times the value. | $0 building permit. Every fence still needs zoning approval, but the page found no fence line in the zoning fee table. | Not stated on the page. | Minnesota Rules 1300.0120; Minneapolis building permit fee schedule; zoning fee table Sec. 525.230 Zoning caps are 4 ft and open in the required front yard, 6 ft along the rear lot line and 8 ft anywhere. A fence projecting into the public right-of-way needs an encroachment permit first. |
| New York, NY | $75 to $149 | About $138 to file an $8,000 fence that needs a DOB permit (over 6 ft at a 1-2 family home): the $130 minimum covers the first $5,000 of job cost, plus $2.60 per additional $1,000. A $20,000 fence files at about $169. The PE or RA fee is separate. | DOB alteration filing under Table 28-112.2 (as amended by L.L. 128 of 2024): $130 minimum for the first $5,000 at a 1-3 family home, then $2.60 per $1,000. Other buildings under 7 stories: $225 for the first $3,000 plus $10.30 per $1,000. | $0, no filing: a fence 6 ft or less at a 1- or 2-family home needs no DOB permit. | Homeowners may install their own exempt fence. A fence over 6 ft is filed as an alteration by a PE or RA in DOB NOW, and a hired installer needs a DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license. | Admin. Code Table 28-112.2 (L.L. 128 of 2024); 1 RCNY 101-14 Table 1 item 2; DOB Fences and Backyard Sheds page Zoning caps a residential front yard at 4 ft and a corner-lot side at 6 ft, so a 6 ft front fence is exempt from DOB but still a zoning violation. A permanent fence at a building other than a 1-2 family home may need a DOB filing, and landmarked properties need LPC approval first. |
| Philadelphia, PA | Under $75 ⚠ | $50 zoning permit for a front-yard fence between 4 and 6 ft (or more than 50% solid) on a 1-2 family lot, with a $25 filing fee also listed. A fence over 6 ft needs both permits: $50 + $69 + $7.50 surcharges = $126.50. | Flat lines: $25 filing fee, $50 zoning permit and a $69 building permit, with $3 city and $4.50 state surcharges on building permits only. | $0, no filing: a wood, metal or vinyl fence up to 6 ft in a side or rear yard needs no permit. | Under a permit the work may be done by an owner who lives in the building, a licensed Philadelphia contractor or a registered PA Home Improvement Contractor with a Commercial Activity License. A fence that needs no permit can be built by anyone. | L&I fence permit page and fee table; Zoning Code 14-706 via L&I fence FAQ Masonry or concrete walls over 2 ft need a building permit, and a front-yard masonry wall needs a zoning permit. A building permit is always required on Historic Registry or 100-year floodplain properties. Because zoning caps fences at 6 ft, a taller fence gets a refusal and a ZBA appeal. Other sites pay $100 filing, $139 building and $253 or $632 zoning. |
| Phoenix, AZ | $150 to $299 | About $219 for 100 ft of wood fence over 3 ft (a $2,400 valuation): Table A charges $195 on the first $1,000 plus $12 per additional $1,000. 40 ft of wood ($960) pays the $98 minimum, and a 150-foot block wall is $267. | Table A of the 2026 Development Fee Schedule on a per-foot valuation ($24.00 wood or chain link, $30.85 wrought iron, $42.30 masonry). Residential fences valued at $1,000 or less pay a $98 minimum. | $219 for 100 ft of wood fence ($98 minimum if the valuation is $1,000 or less). Only fences 3 ft or lower are exempt, so a 6 ft fence needs a permit reviewed for zoning and city code only. | Owner-occupants may build under ARS 32-1121.A.5. Otherwise an ROC-licensed contractor. | 2026 Development Fee Schedule Table A; 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code 105.2; TRT 00181 and TRT 00349 Permits valued at $1,000 or less include two inspections. Plan review equal to the permit fee applies on jobs over $5,000 only if plan review is actually required. A pool barrier always needs a permit, and a fence over 7 ft needs structural design. |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Under $75 ⚠ | $50 zoning review for a fence of 6 ft or less (the $1.00 per $1,000 rate gives $6 on a $6,000 fence, so the $50 residential minimum applies). A 7 ft privacy fence valued at $6,000 runs $291.50: $130 + $2 + $4.50 + $5 + $50 + $100. | Zoning review at $1.00 per $1,000 of project cost with a $50 minimum, charged even at $0 value. Fences over 6 ft add PLI building review at $6.00 per $1,000 ($130 minimum) plus $11.50 in fixed fees. | $50: PLI lists fences of 6 ft or less as a Building and Development Application with zoning review only, at the $50 residential minimum. | PLI lets a homeowner do the work on a primary residence, or hire a licensed City of Pittsburgh contractor or a registered Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor. | PLI Work Not Requiring a Permit page; City Planning zoning fee schedule; PLI 2026 fee schedule; Zoning Code 912.04.K Front fences must be open and ornamental and no taller than 4 ft. A taller fence needs a $100 Administrator Exception that adds at most 1 ft. A technology fee starting at $2 is listed, and any fence in a historic district goes to zoning review. |
| Portland, OR | $300 or more | About $597 for an 8 ft cedar privacy fence declared at $8,000: permit $304.31 + plan review $197.80 + Development Services fee $58.18 + 12% state surcharge $36.52. A 4 ft pool barrier declared at $3,500 is about $483. | Valuation-based building permit table ($220.85 for the first $2,000 plus $13.91 per additional $1,000) plus 65% plan review, a Development Services fee and a 12% Oregon surcharge. The minimum permit fee is $167. | $0, no filing: wood fences up to 7 ft need no building permit. A zoning permit is optional. | Homeowners may build their own fence. Contractors must list an Oregon CCB license. | Portland City Code 24.10.072; PP&D building permit and Development Services fee tables; Zoning Code 33.110.275 Every fence enclosing a swimming pool needs a permit at any height. A $125 zoning inspection fee may be added if planning staff review the permit and is not in the $597. The $167 minimum permit comes to about $317 with the other fees. Masonry is exempt only up to 4 ft, and a fence over 8 ft needs an Oregon-licensed engineer. |
| Sacramento, CA | $150 to $299 ⚠ | About $291 for a $3,500 screen fence taller than 7 ft: permit $179 + plan review $75 + technology $25.40 + General Plan $9.10 + green building $1 + strong motion $0.50 + operations tax $1.40 = $291.40. If Planning reviews it as a new project the page adds 15% of plan review with a $263 minimum, about $554. | Valuation row of the 2026 residential fee schedule (the $3,999 row; contract price or ICC value, whichever is higher), plus technology, General Plan, green building and strong motion surcharges. | $0 building permit: fences 7 ft or lower are exempt. The page states no Planning fee for them, and every fence must meet City Code Chapter 17.620. | Not stated on the page. | 2026 residential fee schedule; Building Division exempt work list; City Code Chapter 17.620; Resolution 2026-0121 Building exemptions do not apply in a design review or preservation district or at a landmark. An electrified fence is an administrative permit at $789. A pool barrier is part of the pool permit, and a retaining wall over 4 ft needs a permit. |
| San Antonio, TX | Under $75 ⚠ | $31.05 for a new fence filed online: the flat $28.75 Residential Fence fee + two 4% surcharges. A paper application processed by staff adds an $11.50 convenience fee for $42.55, and cards add 3%. | Flat Residential Fence Fee of $28.75 on the FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule (revised Sept. 2026), whatever the length or material. | $31.05: any new fence, or replacing more than 25% of one, needs the Residential Fence permit. Repairing 25% or less of a fence up to 6 ft is exempt. | Homeowners may apply with proof of ownership through the BuildSA portal. | FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule (revised Sept. 2026); UDC 35-514; City Code 10-6(e)(1)b; IB 223 There is no fence inspection. Building first and permitting later costs double. Heights: 3 ft solid or 5 ft open in front, 6 ft side and rear (8 ft under UDC 35-514(c)(2) exceptions), and a fence over 6 ft also requires DSD to contact abutting owners. |
| San Diego, CA | $300 or more | About $3,310 for 100 ft of fence over 7 ft: $2,031.00 plan check + $529.71 inspection + $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee + $12.16 mapping fee. 200 ft is about $4,634. A fence built to a City standard drawing is a cheaper line ($1,148.29 plan check and $353.13 inspection per 100 ft). | IB 501 Table 501C per linear foot: plan check $2,031.00 for the first 100 ft plus $970.52 per additional 100 ft, inspection $529.71 plus $353.13 per additional 100 ft, billed at the greatest height. | $0, no filing: SDMC 129.0203(a)(2) exempts fences of 7 ft or less that are not pool barriers. | Owner-builders may file with the Owner-Builder Verification Form DS-3042. Otherwise a licensed contractor files the Building Construction application. | IB 501 Table 501C; SDMC 129.0203(a)(2); IB 222; IB 100 Fences over 7 ft need plans and calculations by a design professional licensed in California. State fees and a $17.11 collection charge are added at issuance. A fence of 7 ft or less built to the IB 222 designs is exempt and not inspected. |
| San Francisco, CA | $300 or more | About $1,150 for a typical 8 ft backyard fence (60 ft valued near $4,000): DBI plan review about $367 + issuance about $283 + Planning's $504 building-permit fee. A 10 ft fence valued near $8,000 is about $1,300. | DBI Table 1A-A (eff. 2026-07-12): plan review $310 for the first $2,000 plus $28.35 per $1,000, issuance $266 plus $8.56 per $1,000, on a 6 ft wood fence valuation of $49 per linear foot interpolated upward. | $0, no filing: a fence of 6 ft or less at the side or rear lot lines is exempt, and so is any fence of 3 ft or less. | Property owners may pull the permit and do the work personally, or hire a licensed contractor. An unlicensed installer may take only a job under $1,000 that needs no permit. | DBI Table 1A-A; DBI cost schedule; Planning building-permit application fee; Building Code 106A.2 Planning's fee is $504 for work under $10,000, or $516 plus 5.274% of cost above $10,000. A fence over 10 ft in the buildable area adds neighborhood notification at $121 plus $4.25 per envelope. Lights or a powered gate need an electrical permit ($305 for up to 10 outlets). |
| San Jose, CA | $300 or more | About $585 for a Tier 1 fence permit: $211 processing + $210 inspection tier (40 minutes at $315 an hour) + $162.50 plan check (30-minute minimum at $325 an hour). | Hourly schedule effective 2026-07-01: a $211 processing line, building permit billed at $315 per hour of inspection time in tiers of 40, 70, 130 or 250 minutes, and plan check at $325 per hour. | $0, no filing: SJMC 24.02.120 exempts fences up to 7 ft other than pool barriers. Zoning Table 20-80 caps the front setback at 3 ft. | A homeowner may build under California's owner-builder exemption. A contractor hired for a job of $1,000 or more must hold a state license. | FY2026-27 Schedule of Fees and Charges (eff. 2026-07-01); SJMC 24.02.120.A.2; Zoning Table 20-80 A fence that exceeds Table 20-80 needs a Chapter 17.24 variance, whose Planning fee the page could not find. Building without a required permit costs two times the plan review and inspection fees. A pool barrier fence is permitted as part of the pool permit. |
| Seattle, WA | $300 or more | About $602 for a $6,000 fence that needs a permit (taller than 8 ft, masonry over 6 ft or in a flood-prone area): index $405 + 40% plan review $162 + $28.35 technology fee + $6.50 state fee = $601.85. A $10,000 fence is $695.93. | Table D-1 of the 2026 SDCI Fee Subtitle on the value of the work: permit at 100% of the Development Fee Index plus 40% STFI plan review ($116.75 minimum), a 5% technology fee and a $6.50 state surcharge. | $0, no filing: a fence up to 8 ft with no masonry or concrete above 6 ft needs no permit unless it is in a flood-prone area. | Not stated on the page. | 2026 SDCI Fee Subtitle Table D-1; Seattle Residential Code R105.2 item 4; SDCI Fences page The smallest possible value-based permit (a job under $1,000) is still about $484. Fees rose 18% for 2026. Zoning separately caps a fence at 6 ft plus 2 ft of arbor or trellis, and 4 ft in a front or street-side setback. |
| St. Louis, MO | Under $75 | $65 for a $4,000 6 ft privacy fence along the side and rear lines: $25 application fee + $40 permit fee. An $8,000 fence is $105. | Building Division fee table on estimated cost: $25 application fee plus $19, $23 or $30 up to $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000, then $10 per $1,000 or fraction above that. | $65 for the page's $4,000 fence: every new fence needs a building permit, and only like-for-like replacement in a rear or side yard is exempt. | The owner, a lessee or an agent may apply, and an owner-occupant may draw the plans. | Building Division fee table and Permit Cost Estimator; Ord. 70795 Sec. 105.2 item 6; Building Code Sec. 430 The application fee is due at filing and the rest when the permit issues. Fees are not refundable and the plan examiner sets the final figure. Building before the permit adds a $30 to $90 surcharge. A fence in a City Historic District needs Cultural Resources Office approval, and a front fence over 48 in needs a $200 Board of Adjustment appeal. |
| Tucson, AZ | $75 to $149 ⚠ | About $108 for 150 ft of wood fence: $39.32 + $50 plan review (half an hour at $100 an hour) + $18.54 filing fee. 150 ft of 6 ft block wall is about $153 and 300 ft about $220. | By length or wall area on the fee schedule effective 2026-07-01: wood or metal $28.08 plus $5.62 per 100 linear ft, masonry $16.85 plus $33.70 per 500 sq ft of wall face, plus plan review and a 1% digital filing fee ($18.54 minimum). | About $108 for 150 ft of wood fence: every fence and wall needs a Fence/Wall permit for zoning review, whatever its height. | A homeowner who will occupy the home may apply and build after filing the Owner/Builder Affidavit (A.R.S. 32-1121.A.5). Rental properties need a licensed contractor. | PDSD FY27 fee schedule (eff. 2026-07-01); Unified Development Code; TDC Online Fence/Wall permit Fences are in PDSD's Fast Lane with a 15-day review target. A wall over 7 ft or retaining soil needs a building permit with an engineered design, so treat the figures as the floor. A fence in a Historic or Neighborhood Preservation Zone adds a $33.44 NPZ review. |
The status is the band of the city's own worked example for a fence that needs a city filing: the total the page states for the ordinary fence it prices, including every city fee the example bundles (the building permit, plan review, surcharges and any zoning or planning line the page folds into the total). The fence differs by city and the cell says what it is: a taller fence than the exempt height in most, a masonry wall in Los Angeles, Houston and Jacksonville, a wood fence the city permits in every case in Miami, Baltimore, Milwaukee, St. Louis and San Antonio, a zoning filing in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Albuquerque and Tucson, and a variance or special exception filing in Indianapolis and Kansas City, where no fence permit exists. A lower or higher figure the page gives only for another fence or a contingency is noted in the cell, not used. Contractors' prices, engineers' and architects' drawing fees and surveys are never included. The backyard column reports what the page says a typical 6 ft wood fence in a back or side yard costs in city fees, so compare that column when the examples describe different fences. The fee-basis column sorts a flat line first, then a rate per length, then a valuation table, then itemized or hourly pieces. The backyard column sorts by dollars, and the who-pulls-it column sorts an owner first, then limited or conflicting, then licensed contractor only, then not stated. A flag marks a row where the city's own documents disagree or the page calls a figure an estimate or says to confirm it. Download the table as CSV.
What the comparison shows
The city's own example is under $75 in 7 cities and $300 or more in 10
Under $75: San Antonio $31, Albuquerque $35, Philadelphia $50, Pittsburgh $50, Baltimore $52, Milwaukee $60 and St. Louis $65. $75 to $149: Chicago $75, Louisville $75, Tucson $108, New York $138 and Houston $147. $150 to $299: Cincinnati $159, Fort Worth $169, Miami $180, Minneapolis $207, Phoenix $219, Jacksonville $261 and Sacramento $291. $300 or more: Dallas $321, Los Angeles $338, San Jose $585, Long Beach $590, Portland $597, Seattle $602, San Francisco $1,150 and San Diego $3,310. The median of those 27 is $169; Indianapolis, Kansas City and Charlotte issue no fence permit and are left out of the bands. The examples are not the same fence. Seattle prices a $6,000 fence, Portland an 8 ft cedar fence declared at $8,000, Dallas and Fort Worth 8 ft fences, Sacramento a $3,500 screen fence taller than 7 ft, Louisville a fence over 7 ft, New York an $8,000 fence over 6 ft, San Diego 100 ft of fence over 7 ft and San Francisco an 8 ft backyard fence. Los Angeles prices a $5,000 masonry wall, Houston a 150-foot masonry fence and Jacksonville a $6,000 block wall. Miami prices a $6,000 wood fence, Baltimore 120 ft, St. Louis a $4,000 fence, Tucson 150 ft of wood and Phoenix 100 ft of wood. Indianapolis and Kansas City have no fence permit, so their figures are a variance and a special exception filing fee, and Charlotte's $330 is a City zoning use permit the page cannot confirm is required. San Diego's $3,310 is a $2,031.00 plan check line, a $529.71 inspection fee and a $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee for 100 ft of fence over 7 ft, and San Francisco's $1,150 includes Planning's $504 building-permit fee. Most of the eight at $300 or more are priced on a fence taller than the exempt height.
A 6-foot wood fence in the back yard costs $0 in 19 cities and $31 to $219 in the other 11
Nineteen pages say a typical 6-foot wood fence in a back or side yard needs no city fee: New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Portland, Dallas, San Diego, Philadelphia, San Jose, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Fort Worth, Louisville, Kansas City and Long Beach. Eleven charge something, in order of cost: San Antonio $31, Albuquerque $35, Pittsburgh $50, Baltimore $52, Milwaukee $60, St. Louis $65, Chicago $75, Tucson $108, Cincinnati $159, Miami $180 and Phoenix $219. The median among those eleven is $65. Five require a building permit for every new fence: Miami, San Antonio, Baltimore, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Four require a zoning filing for every fence even though the building permit is exempt: Tucson, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Albuquerque (Tucson's $108 is for 150 ft of wood fence). Two have an exemption line below 6 ft, so a 6-ft fence is over it: Chicago exempts only up to 5 ft ($75 express permit) and Phoenix only up to 3 ft ($219 for 100 ft of wood fence, a $98 minimum for the smallest jobs). Three of the $0 cities need a caveat: in Minneapolis and Sacramento the building permit is $0 but zoning or Planning approval is still required and the pages found no fee for it, and in Charlotte the County charges $0 while a City zoning use permit ($330 on the FY2025 sheet) is left open. Philadelphia's $0 is for a side or rear yard; a front-yard fence over 4 ft or more than half solid needs a $50 zoning permit.
14 cities price the permit on the fence's value, 10 charge a flat line, 4 price by length
A valuation table sets the fee in New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, Miami, Portland, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Louisville, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Long Beach. The valuations differ: $24.00 per ft for wood in Phoenix, $42.25 in Long Beach and $49 in San Francisco; $42.30 per ft for masonry in Phoenix and $195 for block in Long Beach; Miami works from 0.50 of estimated cost with a $110 minimum, Louisville from $50 plus $2.50 per $1,000 with a $75 minimum, St. Louis from $10 per $1,000 above $3,000 and Pittsburgh from $1.00 per $1,000 with a $50 zoning minimum. A flat line is used in Chicago, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Albuquerque: Chicago $75, San Antonio $28.75, Philadelphia $50 zoning plus $69 building, Charlotte's $330 zoning use permit, Fort Worth $119.00 per trade, Milwaukee $25 plus a $35 processing fee, Albuquerque's $35 zoning approval, Cincinnati's $158.55 certificate, and the flat variance and special exception filings in Indianapolis and Kansas City. Length sets the fee in Houston, San Diego, Baltimore and Tucson: Houston's $73.85 for the first 100 ft, Tucson's $28.08 per 100 ft of wood, Baltimore's $10 per 100 ft and San Diego's IB 501 table at $2,031.00 plan check plus $529.71 inspection for the first 100 ft. San Jose bills $315 an hour of inspection time and $325 an hour of plan check, and Dallas has no fence line at all, so the page builds an estimate from other lines (Dallas and San Jose). Fort Worth cites Texas law barring value-based residential fees.
8 cities publish a fee to exceed the height limit, often larger than the permit
In eight cities the page prices the relief you need to go beyond the limit, and in several it costs more than any permit the same fence would need. Indianapolis charges $550 plus $29 per standard for a variance, $579 for one height variance, while a compliant fence costs nothing. Kansas City charges a $174 filing fee for a Board of Zoning Adjustment special exception. Louisville charges $200 for a single-family variance. Jacksonville charges $966 for an administrative deviation. Fort Worth charges $866 for a special exception and $591 for a variance on an owner-occupied home. Dallas lists Board of Adjustment filing fees of $600 for single-family special exceptions and variances and $900 for other appeals. St. Louis charges a $200 Board of Adjustment appeal for a front fence over 48 in, and Pittsburgh a $100 Administrator Exception that adds at most 1 ft. San Jose has a Chapter 17.24 fence variance, but its Planning fee was not reachable. For the height limits these fees relax, see the fence rules page.
Plan review, surcharges and fixed add-ons are often most of the total
Plan review is a share of the permit fee in several cities: 25% in Houston, 40% in Seattle, 65% in Albuquerque (over 6 ft), Minneapolis and Portland, 85% in Long Beach and 90% in Los Angeles, while Tucson charges a half hour at $100 an hour ($50) and Sacramento's example has a $75 plan review line. Phoenix charges a plan review fee equal to the permit fee only on jobs over $5,000 where plan review is actually required. Fixed charges add to the base: a $25 application fee plus a 5% permit tax in Baltimore, a $40 application fee and a $26 minimum solid waste surcharge in Miami, a $33.56 admin fee in Houston, a $33.08 application fee and $16.87 technology fee in Fort Worth, a $35 processing fee in Milwaukee, a $211 processing line in San Jose, two 4% surcharges in San Antonio, a 12% Oregon surcharge plus a Development Services fee in Portland and a 5% technology fee plus a $6.50 state fee in Seattle. The biggest add-ons are San Diego's $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee, Planning's $504 in San Francisco, Sacramento's possible Planning review at 15% of plan review with a $263 minimum, and Dallas's possible $577 minimum plan review fee, which would take its $321 estimate to $898. An unpermitted fence can cost more: Baltimore adds the greater of $1,000 or 50% of the permit fee, Chicago usually triples the fee, San Antonio doubles it, and Milwaukee may quadruple it.
Who may pull it: the owner in 22 cities, nobody limited to licensed contractors
Twenty-two pages say an owner may pull the permit or build the fence, usually with a condition: Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, San Diego, Philadelphia, San Jose, Charlotte, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Tucson, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Albuquerque and Long Beach. The conditions include living in the home in Phoenix, Tucson, Miami and Philadelphia, a primary residence in Pittsburgh, an affidavit in Tucson and Dallas, a verification form in San Diego, once per calendar year in Chicago, a registered contractor in Fort Worth unless the owner holds a homestead permit, and a listed Marion County contractor for hired work in Indianapolis. Houston does not license general contractors, so the owner, an agent or a contractor may buy the permit, and Charlotte requires a general contractor license only for work costing $40,000 or more. No page limits the permit to licensed contractors alone. Two are limited or conflicting: New York and Baltimore. New York lets a homeowner install an exempt fence but files a taller fence through a PE or RA, and Baltimore's code lets an owner apply while DHCD says an MHIC-licensed contractor is required. Six pages do not say who may pull the permit: Seattle, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Louisville and Kansas City. Hired installers carry licensing rules of their own in New York (a DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license), Milwaukee (a City Home Improvement Contractor License), Cincinnati ($131.25 a year) and Dallas (registered with the city).
Where the city's documents disagree or the page calls the figure an estimate
Chicago: The page says a $600 deposit and a $25 online review fee may apply and tells readers to confirm the total in the portal before paying. Miami: The rate is printed as 0.50 with no percent sign and read as 0.5%, and the county code-compliance surcharge rate is not printed in the City Code. Dallas: Dallas publishes no separate fence fee, so the $321 is the page's estimate and a plan review fee could take it to $898. The page also says to confirm which Board filing fee ($600 or $900) applies. San Antonio: DSD's fence FAQ still shows an older $26.50 online price, and the page says to expect the current schedule figure at checkout. Philadelphia: The page's totals ($50 and $126.50) leave out the $25 filing fee that it also lists, and it does not say whether the filing fee is credited to the zoning fee. Charlotte: The page says the City's own fence page could not be reached, so whether a zoning use permit applies is unresolved and the $330 is the FY2025 figure to confirm. Minneapolis: The page says the zoning fee table has no line for fence review and tells readers to ask Development Review how zoning approval is given, so the $0 backyard cost is unconfirmed. Sacramento: The $554 figure applies only if Planning reviews the fence as a new project, and the page could not retrieve the Chapter 17.620 text, so zoning heights and any Planning fee for an exempt fence are unconfirmed. Baltimore: The page reads the code's general $25 minimum into the fence line (the line names none) and says DHCD confirms the figure at intake. The code lets an owner apply while DHCD says an MHIC-licensed contractor is required. Fort Worth: The page calls $168.95 its estimate and says to confirm the exact charge in Accela. Zoning Ordinance Section 5.305 (back yard height) could not be opened. Tucson: Two city pages set the engineering trigger differently (over 7 ft on the Residential Permits page, over 6 ft on the exemptions page), and the page calls its fee figures the floor. Kansas City: The code's editor note says the $174 reflects fees as of April 2013 and the city manager may adjust it, so the page says to confirm the current fee before filing. Pittsburgh: PLI's permitting page puts attached 1-2 family houses in the commercial category with a $605 minimum base fee, so the page says to confirm which category the portal assigns. Cincinnati: The page says the code exempts repair or replacement of a fence from a permit while the ordinance requires a zoning certificate for all new fences, and tells readers to confirm with Zoning whether a full replacement counts as new. Long Beach: These are the fees before 2026-10-01; the Council approved a new schedule on 2026-09-08, effective 2026-10-01. The code text (7 ft) and the handouts (6 ft 6 in) also disagree on the exemption. The table flags these rows rather than resolving them.
Method
The 30 cities are the ones whose BuildPermitGuide pages have been rewritten from primary sources as of October 2026: the city's adopted code and exemption list, its permit page or bulletin, its current fee schedule or ordinance and its contractor and owner-builder rules, each fetched and quoted on the city's fence permit page. The status in the table is the band of the city page's own worked example for a fence that needs a city filing, using the total the page states for the ordinary fence it prices and every city fee the example bundles; the fence's height, length or value differs by city and the cell says what it is. Where a page also gives a figure that depends on a reviewer's waiver, a contingency or a fee the city does not publish, the cell notes it and the status does not use it. The backyard column is what the page says a typical 6 ft wood fence in a back or side yard costs in city fees, with $0 meaning the page states no filing or fee; where the building permit is exempt but a zoning approval is required and the page names no fee, the cell says so. The pricing and owner columns are the page's fee section and scenario table, and the owner counts come from its licensing paragraph. Contractors' own prices, engineers' and architects' drawing fees and surveys are never included. Nothing in this table is taken from a model code or another city's schedule; where a city's documents disagree or a page calls a figure an estimate, the row carries a flag instead of a resolution. Each city page carries the date its sources were last verified, and the change log records when a cited document changes.
BuildPermitGuide, “How Much Does a Fence Permit Cost? 30 Cities Compared” (2026), https://buildpermitguide.com/research/fence-permit-fees/Questions, corrections or a city you want added: contact us.
Frequently asked questions
The city pages behind this table
Each page quotes the code section, exempt-work list and fee schedule it relies on and records the date they were last verified.
- Albuquerque, NM
- Baltimore, MD
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Fort Worth, TX
- Houston, TX
- Indianapolis, IN
- Jacksonville, FL
- Kansas City, MO
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, OR
- Sacramento, CA
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
- St. Louis, MO
- Tucson, AZ
Related: Do you need a permit to build a fence · Fence Permit Guide · How much does a building permit cost · Shed permit fees compared · Fence permits in all 50 cities · Which cities changed their permit fees in 2026 · Permit fee change log · Open data exports