Fence contractor for Pennsylvania properties

How fence rules work in Pennsylvania

A fence in Pennsylvania answers to four things at once: the local zoning ordinance, the state building code, the utility locating law, and, on farm land, the Fence Law that governs shared line fences. None of them is hard to follow, but each one is handled by a different office. Knowing who answers what saves the most time.

We build farm, horse, wire, wood and chain link fence and gates in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Our base is in Bristolville, in Trumbull County, Ohio, and three Pennsylvania counties sit along the line: Mercer, Lawrence and Crawford. We do not promise service everywhere. The FREE estimate call confirms whether we reach a particular property.

The three Pennsylvania counties near our base

These county pages are written to differ, because each county has different offices and a different set of questions. Use the one nearest your property.

On the Ohio side, see Trumbull County and Mahoning County, the two Ohio counties that touch Pennsylvania where we are closest. The overview of both states is on the Ohio page and the service areas hub.

Zoning is local, so the municipality is your first call

Pennsylvania zoning runs through the Municipalities Planning Code, and the county does not zone. The code defines a structure as any man-made object with a fixed location on or in land, a definition broad enough that a fence can be covered even though the definition does not name fences. Read the ordinance for your borough, township or city to see if yours is covered and what it must look like.

In Mercer County, the Regional Planning Commission reports that 30 of 48 municipalities have zoning, which shows that even inside a single county the answer changes from one municipality to the next. Do not assume that a neighbor two townships over can tell you your rule.

1. Identify the municipalityYour tax bill names it. A mailing address often points to a different place than the one that governs the parcel.
2. Ask if the municipality has zoningSome do not. If it does, ask for the fence or accessory structure section.
3. Ask about height, setbacks and the front yardThese three limits shape most plans. Ask for the answer in writing if you can.
4. Ask about a permitAsk for zoning and building separately, because they are separate questions.
5. Check floodplain and HOAA mapped floodplain or a deed covenant can add rules the zoning office does not enforce.

The state building code and the 6 foot line

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code exempts residential fences no more than 6 feet high from a UCC permit, and exempts commercial fences not over 6 feet. Both exemptions hold only if the work does not violate a law or ordinance. A taller fence needs a UCC permit, and a municipality can still require its own zoning permit on any fence. More than 90 percent of Pennsylvania's 2,562 municipalities enforce the code locally, so the code official is usually someone at your township or borough office.

The Pennsylvania Fence Law and shared farm fences

Pennsylvania's Fence Law covers improved and occupied farm and ranch land, and generally has neighbors share the cost of a line fence equally unless they agree otherwise. Our source is a Pennsylvania Farm Bureau summary, a secondary source, so verify the current statute or ask an attorney before relying on any detail. The Farm Bureau summary notes that the law does not apply to typical suburban single-family neighborhoods and cites Fogle v. Malvern Courts for that point.

• Either owner can call fence viewers to judge whether a fence is sufficient, according to the Farm Bureau summary.
• No landowner can be required to build or repair a line fence from December through March.
• A written agreement between neighbors beats any default rule, so put the plan on paper.
• Pennsylvania follows a fence-in rule for livestock, so owners are expected to confine their animals.

For the Ohio side of the same questions, our fence laws guide and the post on line fence law compare the two states. Penn State points fence questions to its Center for Agricultural and Shale Law.

Calling 811 before the first post

Pennsylvania requires notice to PA One Call at least 3 business days, and no more than 10 business days, before digging. Complex projects need 10 business days and go through Coordinate PA. The call costs homeowners nothing when they dig on their own residential property. Dial 811 or 800-242-1776.

1. Decide who callsIf you hire a contractor, the contractor makes the call. If you dig yourself, you call.
2. Mark the dig siteHomeowners are asked to mark the proposed dig site in white, with chalk, paint or stakes, unless they give exact site information.
3. Wait for markingsUtility owners mark their lines. They mark within 18 inches horizontally of the outside edge, and prudent techniques such as hand digging are required inside that zone.
4. Dig carefully near marksMarks can be off, so hand dig near them.
5. Keep the markingsA site does not need a ticket update every 10 business days if markings are preserved and equipment has not been off site for more than 2 business days.

Ask any contractor for the 11-digit PA One Call serial number as proof the call was made. Our 811 guide covers Ohio and Pennsylvania in one place.

Other checks that catch people out

Which fence suits a Pennsylvania property

The use decides the fence. A pasture, a yard and a utility lot each want something different.

• Farm and ranch fence and field and woven wire fence for pasture lines and perimeters.
• Horse fence for paddocks where visibility and safety matter most.
• Wood privacy fence and picket fence for yards, kept to local height limits.
• Chain link fence for utility yards, pet runs and commercial lots.
• Gates and fence repair for the places a fence tends to fail first.

Our owner was raised Amish, and the work is built on Amish craftsmanship. Read more about us and the warranty page for how a 10 year workmanship warranty is described in writing with each estimate.

What to ask any fence contractor working in Pennsylvania

A good contractor answers these without hesitation. Ask them of us as well. Where an answer is a number or a date, ask for it in writing.

• Who makes the PA One Call request, and can you see the serial number before digging starts?
• Who checks the municipal rules and who applies for a permit if one is needed?
• How are corner and gate posts set, and how is the line braced?
• What does the estimate list separately: gates, corners, removal, clearing?
• What happens if utility marks or a permit delay the start?
• What does the workmanship warranty cover and exclude, and where are the terms written?

Winter, wet ground and timing a Pennsylvania job

Timing affects fence more than most owners expect. Wet ground slows digging and can leave soft spots around posts. Frozen ground makes holes harder to dig. We did not find an authoritative frost depth figure for these counties, so we do not state one here. Ask any contractor how post depth is decided and what the local code or practice says.

The Fence Law's December through March rule adds another reason to think ahead on shared farm lines. If a stretch of the line is failing in autumn, raise it with the neighbor then. A written plan agreed in October is easier to follow than an argument in February. Utility marking also takes time, so book the 811 call early enough that markings are ready when the crew arrives.

Mistakes to avoid in Pennsylvania

• Assuming the county sets the rule. Zoning is municipal.
• Reading the 6 foot exemption as permission to skip the zoning office.
• Treating a summary of the Fence Law as the statute.
• Skipping the 811 call because the posts are shallow.
• Planning a shared repair for January.
• Building a farm line fence without a written agreement with the neighbor.
• Letting a livestock fence fall behind, since owners are expected to confine animals.

Questions we hear