Fences · Fort Worth
Fort Worth fence and retaining wall rules
In a Fort Worth front yard, a fence can be 4 feet tall, open design, never chain link. Behind the front setback line, a fence around a house can be 8 feet. A solid fence over 7 feet needs a building permit, and so does a retaining wall over 4 feet.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803
From the City of Fort Worth’s zoning ordinance (Section 5.305, Fences) and its Residential Permitting page, read November 6, 2026.
The heights
How tall can a fence be in Fort Worth?
It depends on where the fence stands. In the front yard, 4 feet at most, and only an open design you can see through: no solid fence, no chain link. Behind the front setback line, up to 8 feet around a house. On a corner lot, nothing taller than 2 feet inside the triangle at the corner.
- The front yard · 4 feet, open design
- On some corner lots, the side yard along the street (the City’s projected front yard) · 4 feet, open design
- Behind the front setback line · 8 feet
- The corner triangle, 20 feet each way · 2 feet
- Front setback line
- Street
| Where it stands | How tall | What kind | Section |
|---|---|---|---|
| The front yard, or a corner lot’s projected front yard | 4 feet | Open design only: wrought iron, tubular steel, picket or similar, no more than 50% in density, without blocking the view. No chain link. No solid fence or wall. | Section 5.305(b)(2)a, b |
| Columns in a front yard fence | 5 feet 6 inches | Section 5.305(b)(2)d | |
| Behind the front building setback line | 8 feet | Any fence around a house | Section 5.305(b)(7) |
| The corner triangle, 20 feet each way from the property corner at the intersection | 2 feet | Any fence | Section 5.305(b)(8) |
| A through lot whose back faces an arterial street | Over 4 feet | A screening wall or fence in the yard that works as the back yard | Section 5.305(b)(6) |
The City measures a fence from the highest ground next to it, along the fence line, to the top of the fence or any gate.
Planning a full backyard build? The fence line goes in the plan.
The permit
Do you need a permit for a fence in Fort Worth?
For a tall one. The City requires a building permit for a solid fence over 7 feet and an open fence over 8 feet. Every fence still has to meet the heights above, permit or not.
7 feet
the height above which a solid fence needs a building permit
What the City’s permit page says
- A solid fence over 7 feet
- A building permit
- An open fence over 8 feet
- A building permit
- A home in a historic district
- Possibly more approval, per the City. See Fort Worth’s historic district rules
Behind the front setback line, the ordinance allows no fence over 8 feet around a house, and a building permit doesn’t change that.
A fence in an easement with underground utilities needs a release, signed by the owner or occupant, holding the City harmless for removing or damaging the fence to repair or replace the utilities.
The City’s page says: “Permit applicants must be a registered building contractor or must meet the requirements for a homestead permit, which include working on a building owned and occupied by them solely as their primary residence.”
So a homeowner can pull the permit for the house they own and live in.
Adding on, or building out the backyard? Talk the lot through with us first.
The front yard
Can you build a taller front yard fence in Fort Worth?
A solid front fence, or an open one over 4 feet, takes a special exception from the City’s board of adjustment. Without one, a front yard fence stays at 4 feet and open, with columns up to 5 feet 6 inches. The through-lot row in the table above is the one front yard the ordinance sets differently.
- A solid front fence or wall
- Up to 4 feet, by special exception
- An open front fence
- Up to 5 feet, by special exception, if it fits with the properties next door and you get the consent of the owners next to you and the owner directly across the street
Where your front yard ends is a setback question: Fort Worth setback requirements
On the large outdoor builds we design and build: patios, retaining walls, and walkways, built with the base and drainage Fort Worth’s clay soil needs, so they don’t heave or crack.
Pool and outdoor living (Small landscaping and fence-only jobs aren’t us.)
Retaining walls
Does a retaining wall need a permit in Fort Worth?
Yes, once it’s taller than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. The same City page says all accessory structures need a building permit, a list that “may include” retaining walls, so ask the City about a shorter wall before you build.
- Over 4 feet, footing to top
- A building permit
- In a public drainage easement
- The City’s stormwater approval first. See Fort Worth drainage and grading rules
- In the street’s right-of-way
- The City’s Infrastructure Plan Review Center, not a parkway permit. See Fort Worth driveway and sidewalk permits
- Next to a public right-of-way
- Kept in good condition and no more than 18 degrees out of plumb unless built that way, under the City’s minimum building standards
Building a house or a full backyard on a slope? Start with an estimate.
Before you build
How to check a fence or wall in Fort Worth before you build
Find where your front yard ends, check the height against the rules for that spot, and pull a permit if the fence or wall needs one.
-
Find your front yard. Your survey shows your lot lines, and your zoning and the block set the front setback. On a corner lot, the side along the street can count as a front yard too.
-
Check the height and the district. Hold the fence to the table above, measured from the highest ground next to it. In a historic district, check for an added approval first.
-
Pull the permit if it needs one. A solid fence over 7 feet, an open fence over 8, or a retaining wall over 4 feet takes a building permit, and every permit can be applied for online.
Building out the backyard with us? Start with the walk-through.
Questions
Fort Worth fence and retaining wall questions
Planning a full backyard build? Bring these questions to us.
How tall can a fence be in Fort Worth?
4 feet in the front yard, and only an open design you can see through. Behind the front setback line, a fence around a house can be up to 8 feet. On a corner lot, nothing over 2 feet inside the triangle that runs 20 feet each way from the corner of the property at the intersection.
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Fort Worth?
The City requires a building permit for a solid fence over 7 feet and an open fence over 8 feet. Any fence still has to meet the zoning heights, and a fence in a historic district may need more approval.
Can I have a chain link or solid fence in my front yard in Fort Worth?
Not chain link. A solid front fence or wall, only by special exception: up to 4 feet, from the board of adjustment. Otherwise it’s open design, up to 4 feet.
How tall can a fence be on a corner lot in Fort Worth?
Inside the corner triangle, which runs 20 feet each way from the corner of the property at the intersection, nothing over 2 feet. The side of the lot along the street can also count as a projected front yard, where the 4-foot open design rule applies.
How is fence height measured in Fort Worth?
From the highest ground next to the fence, along its line, to the highest point of the fence or any gate.
Does a retaining wall need a permit in Fort Worth?
Yes, once it’s taller than 4 feet from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. The same City page says all accessory structures need a building permit, a list that “may include” retaining walls, so ask the City about a shorter wall before you build. A wall in a public drainage easement needs the City’s stormwater approval first.
Can I build a fence in an easement in Fort Worth?
Where the easement holds underground utilities, the City’s fence section requires the owner or occupant to sign a release holding the City harmless for removing or damaging the fence to repair or replace those utilities.
Every rule on this page is quoted or paraphrased from the City of Fort Worth’s zoning ordinance (Section 5.305, Fences, and Section 6.101(f)) and its Residential Permitting page, read November 6, 2026.
Your lot
Plan the backyard as one build
A backyard built as one plan puts the walls, the walks and the fence line where the City’s rules already allow them. Walk your house with a designer and a builder first, and start with an honest estimate. No charge, no obligation.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803