Fence height rules in Lexington, Massachusetts
Yes. Lexington's Zoning Bylaw lets you put a fence up to 6 feet high on or near a side or rear lot line, and up to 4 feet high on or near the front lot line, with posts allowed 6 inches above the fence. A taller fence inside a required yard must be set back from the lot line at least as far as it is tall.
| Max height at side/rear lot line | 6 feet [1] |
| Max height at front lot line | 4 feet (fences and retaining walls) [1] |
| Fence posts | May extend 6 inches above the fence [1] |
| Taller fences in a required yard | Height can't exceed distance from the lot line [2] |
| Sight lines | Must not interfere with safe stopping sight distance [3] |
| Stacked fences/walls | Measured as one structure if closer together than the taller one's height [4] |
Height limits
These rules come from the Zoning Bylaw PDF incorporating amendments through Annual Town Meeting 2025; the only later zoning change we know of (2026) was described as technical corrections.
Fences count as "structures" under Lexington's Zoning Bylaw, and the bylaw defines a fence as a barrier meant to prevent escape or intrusion or mark a boundary, not including a retaining wall [5]. Section 4.3.1 sets the limits [1]:
- Side and rear lot lines: a fence up to 6 feet high may be on or closer to the lot line.
- Front lot line: a fence or retaining wall up to 4 feet high may be on or closer to the front lot line.
- Posts may extend six inches above the top of the fence.
Taller fences
Any structure other than a building may sit in a required front, side or rear yard only if its height is no greater than its distance from the lot line [2]. So a fence taller than these limits has to step back from the lot line by at least its height (for example, an 8-foot fence at least 8 feet in). Structures other than buildings can't exceed the district's maximum building height, and the Board of Appeals may grant a special permit for a structure to exceed height limits (§4.3.4).
Corner lots and sight lines
The bylaw requires that structures not interfere with safe stopping sight distance on a street [3], which matters for fences near driveways and corners. It doesn't give a specific corner-lot triangle for residential fences.
Terraced fences and walls
If two or more fences or retaining walls are closer together than the height of the tallest one, they're treated as one structure and their heights are added [4]. This affects stacked retaining walls topped with a fence.
Permits and other rules
The sources we reviewed don't set a local fence permit requirement; under the state building code, fences 7 feet or lower generally don't need a building permit. Fences in the floodplain overlay or near wetlands may need additional review.
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Next steps
- Locate your property lines (a plot plan or survey) before setting posts.
- Keep the fence at or under 4 feet along the front lot line and 6 feet along side and rear lines, or set a taller fence back at least as far as its height.
- Make sure the fence doesn't block drivers' view at your driveway or a street corner.
- Check with the Building Office (781-698-4530) whether a permit is needed for a fence over 7 feet, a retaining wall, or work in a floodplain or within 100 feet of a wetland (Conservation Commission).
Common questions
- How tall can a fence be in Lexington, Massachusetts?
- Zoning allows a fence up to 6 feet high on or near a side or rear lot line, and up to 4 feet high on or near the front lot line, with posts allowed 6 inches above the fence.
- Can I build a taller fence in Lexington, Massachusetts?
- A taller fence inside a required yard must be set back from the lot line at least as far as it is tall.
- Do I need a permit for a fence in Lexington, Massachusetts?
- Check with the Building Office whether a permit is needed for a fence over 7 feet, a retaining wall, or work in a floodplain or within 100 feet of a wetland.
Massachusetts state rules on fences
Most fence rules in Massachusetts are local, set in your town's zoning bylaw and sometimes historic-district rules. A few state laws apply everywhere:
- Building permit: the State Building Code (780 CMR, 10th edition) does not require a building permit for fences 7 feet high or less. Taller fences need one. Zoning height limits and setbacks still apply, and many towns cap fences at 6 feet.
- Spite fences: under M.G.L. c. 49, §21, a fence that unnecessarily exceeds 6 feet and is maliciously put up or kept to annoy a neighbor is a private nuisance. The neighbor can sue for damages.
- Fence viewers: every town must appoint fence viewers each year (c. 49, §1). Where adjoining owners both enclose and use their land, they share the upkeep of the partition fence equally unless they agree otherwise. If one side won't repair their share, the other can complain to the fence viewers, who can order the repair (c. 49, §§3–4). By statute, a "legal and sufficient" fence is 4 feet high and in good repair (c. 49, §2).
- Pool fences must meet the state pool barrier rules (see Pools).
- Wetlands: fence work in a wetland or within 100 feet of one may need Conservation Commission review.
What the bylaw says
- §4.3.1(2)(b)-(d), Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 135 (incorporating amendments through Annual Town Meeting 2025), p. 12
b. A fence not greater than six feet in height may be located on or closer to a side or rear lot line; c. A fence or retaining wall not greater than four feet in height may be located on or closer to a front lot line; and d. Supporting posts for a fence may extend six inches higher than the top of a fence.
- §4.3.1(2), Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 135 (incorporating amendments through Annual Town Meeting 2025), p. 12
2. Structures other than buildings may be located in a minimum required front, rear or side yard provided the height of the structure is not greater than its horizontal distance from the lot line, except that:
- §4.3.1(4), Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 135 (incorporating amendments through Annual Town Meeting 2025), p. 13
4. Structures shall not interfere with safe stopping sight distance on a street.
- §4.3.1(5), Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 135 (incorporating amendments through Annual Town Meeting 2025), p. 13
5. Where two or more fences or retaining walls are separated by a distance that is less than the height of the highest such structure, all such structures shall be considered a single structure and their height shall be measured as the combined height of the structures.
- §10 Definitions, Fence, Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 135 (incorporating amendments through Annual Town Meeting 2025), p. 111
A barrier intended to prevent escape or intrusion or to mark a boundary, but not a retaining wall.