Fence height rules in Natick, Massachusetts
Fences up to 6 feet are allowed. Anything taller needs a special permit. The fence must sit at least 1 foot inside your property line unless the abutter gives written permission, and the finished side must face the neighbor. On a corner lot, nothing within 15 feet of the intersection may be more than 3 feet high.
| Max height without a special permit | 6 feet (applies to front, side and rear) [1] |
| Setback from property line | At least 1 foot, unless the abutter gives written permission [2] |
| Finished side | Faces the abutter's property [3] |
| Corner lots | Max 3 feet high within 15 feet of the intersection [4] |
| Abutter waiver | Copy of the abutter's letter must be submitted to the Building Department [5] |
| Pool fence (Board of Health) | Minimum 5 feet high, self-closing, self-latching locked gates [6] |
Height
Natick's zoning bylaw says no one may put up a fence taller than 6 feet without a special permit (Sec. IV-A.8) [1]. The bylaw sets no lower limit for front yards. The Building Department's Fence Guide (updated 10/2024) repeats the 6-foot cap and points to the Special Permit Granting Authority for taller fences. For residential districts that's the Planning Board [7].
Where it can go
Under the general bylaws (Art. 72, §4), a fence must be at least 1 foot in from your boundary lines unless the abutters give written permission to build on the line [2]. The Fence Guide says to file a copy of the abutter's letter with the Building Department [5]. You can't use the strip between the fence and the line for storage or dumping, and you keep the right to reach the abutter's side for repairs. Zoning excludes fences when it measures setbacks from lot lines, so the building setbacks don't apply to fences [8].
Corner lots
On a lot at an intersection, no fence, shrub or other object within 15 feet of the intersection may be more than 3 feet above street grade (Art. 72, §5) [4]. The Fence Guide gives two options: set the fence back 15 feet from the right-of-way edge (up to 6 ft), or keep it 1 foot in from the line and no taller than 3 feet within that 15-foot area.
Finished side
The finished side must face the abutters, with the frame side facing your own property [3].
Pools, wetlands and floodplain
- A pool needs a permanent fence at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching, lockable gates, under Board of Health rules from 2003 [6]. See Pools.
- Under the Wetlands Protection Bylaw, fences aren't "structures" in the 15-foot No Build Zone [9], but work within 100 feet of a wetland or other resource area still needs Conservation Commission review.
The sources we reviewed don't say whether Natick requires a permit for an ordinary fence. Ask the Building Department before you build.
See how Natick compares with 8+ other Massachusetts towns on fences →
Next steps
- Find your property lines (a certified plot plan or survey helps) and plan the fence at least 1 foot inside them.
- If you want the fence on the line, get a signed letter from the abutter and submit a copy to the Building Department.
- For a fence over 6 feet, apply to the Planning Board for a special permit.
- Call the Building Department (508-647-6450) to confirm whether your fence needs a permit or inspection.
Common questions
- What is the maximum fence height in Natick, Massachusetts?
- Fences up to 6 feet are allowed in Natick. Anything taller needs a special permit, which in residential districts comes from the Planning Board.
- How far from the property line does a fence have to be in Natick, MA?
- At least 1 foot inside your property line, unless the abutter gives written permission to build on the line. A copy of the abutter's letter must be submitted to the Building Department.
- What are the corner lot fence rules in Natick, Massachusetts?
- On a lot at an intersection, no fence, shrub or other object within 15 feet of the intersection may be more than 3 feet above street grade.
- Which side of the fence faces the neighbor in Natick, Massachusetts?
- The finished side must face the abutters, with the frame side facing your own property.
- Do I need a permit for a fence in Natick, Massachusetts?
- The sources reviewed don't say whether Natick requires a permit for an ordinary fence. A fence over 6 feet needs a special permit, so ask the Building Department before you build.
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
- Sec. IV-A.8, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 153
8. No person shall erect a fence in excess of six feet in height without a special permit issued by the Special Permit Granting Authority having jurisdiction over the site.
- Art. 72, Section 4 Fences, Town By-laws Article 72 - Building Regulations (s.4 Fences, s.5 Height at Intersections) (Aug 2023 compilation), p. 1
Unless written permission is secured from the abutters to erect fence on property lines, fence must be erected at least one (1) foot in from boundary lines.
- Art. 72, Section 4 Fences, Town By-laws Article 72 - Building Regulations (s.4 Fences, s.5 Height at Intersections) (Aug 2023 compilation), p. 1
All fences shall be erected with the finished side of the fence facing the property of the abutters and the frame side of the fence facing the property on which it is erected.
- Art. 72, Section 5 Height Requirements at Intersection, Town By-laws Article 72 - Building Regulations (s.4 Fences, s.5 Height at Intersections) (Aug 2023 compilation), p. 1
In any lot which abuts an intersection of two or more streets, no fence, shrubbery or other object which is located within fifteen (15) feet of such an intersection, shall be maintained more than three (3) feet above the street grade measured at said intersection.
- Fence Guide (updated 10/2024), Building Department - Fence Guide (updated 10/2024), p. 1
A copy of the letter must be submitted to the Building Department.
- BOH Ch. 14A, 3.3 Enclosures, Board of Health Chapter 14A - Rules and Regulations Governing Residential Swimming Pools (adopted 1998, amended Feb 25, 2003), p. 3
The fence shall be chain link, stockade or equivalent and have a minimum height of 5 feet. Gates must be self- closing, self-latching, and provided with a locking device.
- Sec. VI-DD.1.a, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 201
i. The Planning Board shall be the SPGA in all Zoning Districts and Overlay Districts, except in the Limited Commercial (LC) Zoning District.
- Sec. 200 Definitions, Structure, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 37
However, for purposes of measuring setback from lot lines, structure shall not include fences, retaining walls, rip rapped areas, driveways, parking areas, utility lines or the like.
- Art. 79, Section 2 Definitions, Structure, Town By-laws Article 79 - Wetlands Protection (Aug 2023 compilation), p. 2
However, in reference to the No Build Zone, “Structure” shall not include fences, retaining walls, decks, patios, gazebos, lawn furniture, children’s toys such as sandboxes and swing-sets, rip-rapped areas, driveways, parking areas, or the like.