By Quinten, Owner, Q&A Fencing
A fence permit is not one rule. It is a few dozen, and the one that applies to you depends on which side of a municipal line your house sits. Our general permit guide covers the City of Pittsburgh and the broad picture. This post goes township by township and borough by borough, using only what each municipality publishes on its own website, with a link to the page so you can check it yourself.
Two cautions before the list. These documents change, and several are older forms, so confirm with the office before you build. And where we could not read a municipality's fence rules online, we say so and tell you to call, rather than guess.
Towns with rules we could read
Peters Township and Venetia (Washington County). The township requires a fence permit and a plot plan or survey. Its fee ordinance sets the fence permit at a flat $55 for a fence under four feet high. Height and setback limits are in its zoning ordinance, which we could not read online, so call the Planning Department at 724-942-5005. Venetia is inside Peters Township. Sources: residential permits and Ordinance 920.
Upper St. Clair. A zoning permit is required for every fence, with a survey and a $25 fee on the township's application. Front yards allow an ornamental fence up to 4 feet, with no chain link. Side and rear yards allow up to 6 feet. Privacy fences, meaning more than 50 percent solid, are not permitted in required front or side yards. Source: township permit page.
Bethel Park. The municipality's fence guide says a back-yard fence up to 7 feet behind the front face of the house needs no permit, and neither does an ornamental front-yard fence up to 4 feet that is at least 50 percent open and set back 10 feet from the street. A fence over 7 feet and under 8 feet needs a building permit, and anything over 8 feet is not permitted. Source: Bethel Park fence guide.
Mt. Lebanon. A permit is required for a new, replacement, or relocated fence, with a sealed survey. Fences can be 6 feet, shadowbox only 4 feet, and none are allowed in front of the building line. Privacy fences are prohibited unless replacing a legal nonconforming one, and each panel must be at least 50 percent open. Source: Mt. Lebanon fence procedure.
Jefferson Hills. All fences need a Zoning Permit and a site plan. Rear and side yards allow fences at least 50 percent transparent up to 5 feet, and a privacy fence up to 6 feet only in the rear yard when attached to the house. Decorative front-yard fences go to 4 feet. Source: fence and shed packet.
Whitehall. A fence permit costs $25 and needs a survey and a plan. Fences are not permitted in the front yard, and the borough lists 4 feet as the maximum for functional fencing. Source: erecting a fence.
Green Tree. The shed and fence application lists a $50 fee and a 6 foot maximum height. Source: permit application.
Baldwin. A $50 fence permit and a lot survey. Front-yard fences stop at 38 inches and must be open-type. Rear and side yards allow up to 72 inches, solid included. Source: fence permit application.
Scott Township. A Zoning Permit is required for all fencing. Residential fences go only in a side or rear yard, up to 6 feet. Source: zoning ordinance, section 3-101.7.
North Huntingdon (Westmoreland County). Front yards allow 4 feet and side and rear yards 6 feet 6 inches. The township's list of work needing a permit does not mention fences, so confirm before you build. Source: township FAQ.
Rostraver (Westmoreland County). No permit is required up to 6 feet along the sides and rear and 4 feet along the front. A building permit applies at 6 feet to 6 feet 6 inches. Source: Rostraver fences page.
Permit required, details by phone
South Park lists fences among projects that need a permit (building requirements, 412-831-7000). Pleasant Hills says a permit is required and to call Zoning at 412-655-5035 (borough information). Elizabeth Township requires a Zoning Permit and a site plan (code enforcement, 412-751-2880, option 2).
Call the township
For the City of Pittsburgh, Canonsburg, Bridgeville, Finleyville, and Belle Vernon, the fence rules were not published online in a form we could read. Call the office: Pittsburgh, Canonsburg, Bridgeville, Finleyville, and Belle Vernon. Belle Vernon is in Fayette County, not Westmoreland. Our Pittsburgh permit guide covers the city.
What this means for your material
Open styles travel best across these rules. Aluminum fencing is open by design, so it meets the transparency and ornamental requirements in places like Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair, while a solid vinyl privacy fence may be limited to the rear yard or ruled out. Start with your town page, such as Peters Township, and price the job with the fence cost calculator. Allow 4 to 6 weeks of lead time for permitting and scheduling.
Frequently asked questions
Confirm it in writing before you sign. A good contractor handles the application as part of the job, and the fee is passed through to you.
No. HOA approval and municipal approval are separate, and you need both. HOA reviews often take longer, so start that application first.
Call Q&A Fencing at 412-337-1039 and we will walk through what applies to your address before anything starts.