Fence Installation in Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh needs zoning approval for a fence up to 6 feet, and anything in a front or side yard has to be open, ornamental and no taller than 4 feet.
Get a fence quote in Pittsburgh
Send the details and we will review your request and check provider availability.
You never pay us. Privacy.
Fence rules in Pittsburgh
| Permit | A fence 6 feet or less needs zoning approval, called a Record of Zoning Approval (ROZA), but no building permit. Historic districts may also need a Certificate of Appropriateness. (City of Pittsburgh, Zoning FAQ, checked 2026-10-26) |
|---|---|
| Front yard height | Section 912.04.K: in front or side yards only open and ornamental fences are allowed, no taller than 4 feet. (City of Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment, Zone Case 120 of 2025, checked 2026-10-26) |
| Back yard height | Elsewhere on the lot, fences may stand in the required setbacks up to 6 feet tall and may be solid. (Pittsburgh Zoning Code, fences, checked October 2026) |
| Corners and sight lines | The zoning pages we read set no separate corner rule. Ask the OneStopPGH counter or zoning@pittsburghpa.gov before building near a corner. (City of Pittsburgh, Zoning FAQ, checked 2026-10-26) |
| Pool barrier | No pool enclosure rule on the zoning FAQ. Raise it with zoning staff when you file the ROZA. (City of Pittsburgh, Zoning FAQ, checked 2026-10-26) |
| Before you dig | Call 811 at least three business days before any digging, as Pennsylvania law requires. (Pennsylvania PUC, PA One Call, checked 2026-10-26) |
| Who to ask | Applications start at the OneStopPGH portal. The counter at 412 Boulevard of the Allies is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and zoning questions go to zoning@pittsburghpa.gov. (City of Pittsburgh, Zoning FAQ, checked 2026-10-26) |
| Also good to know | In July 2025 the zoning board approved a 6 foot open metal fence in the front and side setbacks of a vacant Homewood North corner lot. It had gone up without city approval, so the owner had to ask the board after the fact, citing the 6 foot wood fence that stood there for years. (City of Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment, Zone Case 82 of 2025, checked 2026-10-26) |
How tall a fence can be in Pittsburgh
In Pittsburgh, a fence in a front or side yard that comes closer to the street than the house must be an open, ornamental style, no taller than 4 feet. (Pittsburgh Zoning Code, Sec. 912.04.K, checked October 2026)
Everywhere else on a Pittsburgh lot, fences and walls may stand in the required setbacks up to 6 feet tall and may be solid. (Pittsburgh Zoning Code, Sec. 912.04.K, checked October 2026)
A Pittsburgh fence over those limits can be approved through the Administrator Exception process, but by no more than 1 extra foot, and only if it does not harm neighboring properties or streets. (Pittsburgh Zoning Code, Sec. 912.04.K, checked October 2026)
Permits in Pittsburgh
A Pittsburgh fence 6 feet tall or less needs zoning approval, called a Record of Zoning Approval or ROZA, but no building permit. (City of Pittsburgh, Zoning FAQ, checked October 2026)
Where the fence can go
Barbed wire and razor edge are not allowed on a fence in any Pittsburgh zoning district. (Pittsburgh Zoning Code, Sec. 912.04.K, checked October 2026)
Pittsburgh allows fences, walls and retaining walls in residential districts as long as the finished side faces the neighboring property. (Pittsburgh Zoning Code, Sec. 912.02, checked October 2026)
Before you dig in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, homeowners and contractors must call 811 at least three business days before starting any digging, as state law requires. PA One Call then alerts the utilities so they can mark their buried lines. (Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, PA One Call - 811, checked October 2026)
Checking a fence company in Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires every contractor who does at least $5,000 of home improvement work a year to register with the state Attorney General's Office. (Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration, checked October 2026)
Vinyl, chain link and cost in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's zoning board enforces the open front yard rule. In a 2025 Beechview case it approved a 6 foot fence along a shared property line only on conditions: the solid privacy fence already built had to come down within 6 weeks, a replacement could reach 6 feet only with some open or ornamental element, it had to sit entirely on the owner's land, and the finished side had to face the neighbor. So in a front or side yard, price an open style. Fixr puts 4 foot galvanized chain link at $13.15 to $23.50 a foot installed and vinyl picket at $15 to $35. (City of Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment, Zone Case 120 of 2025, checked 2026-10-26) (Fixr chain link and vinyl costs, checked 2026-10-26)
National figures, not a Pittsburgh price survey. Price your own yard with the calculator, or see the vinyl, chain link and wood cost guides.
See how Pittsburgh's rules compare with the other cities we cover in the fence height and permit table.
Comparing companies?
We ranked 8 Pittsburgh fence companies on their Google ratings, years in business, insurance and emergency or storm repair work: best fence companies in Pittsburgh.
Areas served
Pittsburgh and nearby Mt. Lebanon, Bethel Park, Penn Hills, Ross Township, Monroeville, Shaler.