2025 Guide to Fence Laws in San Antonio, Texas

Unlock the secrets of San Antonio's fence height regulations and ensure your property's boundaries comply with local laws.

If you're looking to build a new fence in the city of San Antonio, there are city regulations you need to be aware of before starting your project. Residents of San Antonio also have unique conditions including historic districts that may impact the type of construction projects you can undertake. Here’s a summary of the most common fence laws in San Antonio:

Front-Yard Fence Height

• Maximum Heights
  
  • Open Fences (chain link or decorative wrought iron): 5 ft
  • Solid Fences (wood, masonry, precast concrete): 3 ft

Side- and Rear-Yard Fence Height

• Standard Maximum: 6 ft
• Exceptions (up to 8 ft):
  
  • Engineered permit under IB 223 Sec V for wind-load design
  • Sloped rear/side yard where top of fence remains level (≤ 8 ft at highest point)
  • Abutting multi-family, commercial, industrial, or park use

Authorized Materials

Permitted materials must be of similar durability to wood or masonry; prohibited materials include cast-off items or those not originally intended for fencing.

Shared Ownership & Placement

• Location: Fences may be built on or inside your property line
• Cost & Maintenance: Under Texas neighbor-law, co-owners have no legal obligation to share in the cost or upkeep of a fence erected by the adjoining landowner on the common line

Distance (Setback) from Neighbor

• Standard: No minimum lateral setback for residential fences built to the heights above—they may sit directly on the property line
• Accessory Structure Rule: Any fence (as an accessory structure) exceeding 30in (2.5 ft) in height must be located at least 5 ft from any side or rear property line per Unified Development Code, Division 7

Regulations and requirements governing fence permitting vary from city to city and between residential property and nonresidential areas. Fences built near floodplains, airports, or around pools have their own special regulations that you'll need to be familiar with. San Antonio, which is home to protected historic districts, may have special rules for these areas. Continue reading to understand the above laws and any special ones in detail: 

If you are working with a reputable fencing company, they will help you better understand any rules that apply to your fence installation project and whether or not you need to apply for a building permit.

In San Antonio, residential fence permits may be required. Since some rules vary by county, and San Antonio covers three different counties - Bexar, Comal and Medina - you should consult your county authorities to see what permit rules apply for your property. There are permit fees for your fence permit application, which you can find out more about here.

Below are a few examples of laws you need to be aware of for your fence project within they city limits of  San Antonio, Texas.

Fence Material

San Antonio regulates the types of materials that may be used in the construction of a fence on single family or mixed residential use lots. Allowed materials include wood, chain link fence, stone, rock, concrete block, masonry brick, brick, decorative wrought-iron, and other materials with similar durability.

Barbed wire and razor wire are prohibited for use in fences. Other types of materials that can't be used for fencing are cast-off, secondhand or items not intended to be used for constructing a fence as well as sheet, roll or corrugated metal.

Fence Height

Here is an overview of the maximum fence heights allowed in different areas of San Antonio, including front yards and backyards, helping you navigate the guidelines and make informed decisions for your fencing project.

Front yards

San Antonio's rules for front-yard maximum fence height vary slightly by county and below is a quick-reference table summarizing the differing front-yard fence height limits in the San Antonio area’s three main counties, based on available county regulations. Unfortunately, county-level ordinances aren’t centrally posted online, so you’ll often need to verify directly with each county’s or zoning district's permitting office. Please make sure you verify this information directly with us or your local fence contractor before beginning any fence installation project. For absolute certainty, always check each county’s permitting office or the official county code document before you build.

Back yards

For the backyard, there is a maximum fence height of six feet for a regular permit. However, you can build up to eight feet if you get a special, engineered permit. That's to confirm that the foundation and support structure are designed to sustain wind loads in accordance with the International Building Code.

There are some exceptions in which you can build a fence up to a height of eight feet, including:

• in a side or rear yard where a slope is present, the height of a fence can be adjusted so that the top of the fence is level and perpendicular to the support posts at a height greater than six feet as long as the height of the fence at its greatest elevation doesn't exceed eight feet.
• the ground floor elevation of the principal dwelling on either the property obtaining the permit or the next door neighbor is at least four feet higher than the elevation at the shared lot line
• the fence is on a side or rear lot line of a home that abuts a multi-family residential, commercial, industrial or park use

Side fences

For a fence on your side yard, you can build up to three feet on a side street and six feet on an interior side fence.

Retaining walls

Retaining walls less than four feet tall do not require a permit. 

Property Line Regulations

Fence setbacks are not needed in San Antonio. 

• That means you can build your fence directly on the property line. 
• Easements would require your neighbor's permission. 

Before you construct a new boundary line fence or remove an existing fence, it's advisable to make sure you have evidence of the legal property lines.

• Check your Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) with the City to see if property lines are on record.
• If not, hire a land surveyor to mark your boundary accurately.

Talk to Your Neighbor

• Discuss your site plans and agree on style, height, and cost sharing before construction.
• Prevent disputes over who maintains or pays for the fence.
• Decide in advance who will contribute to materials and labor.
• Opt for a “good neighbor” design—both sides look the same, so no one ends up with the “back” side.

Special Considerations

Historic districts

If your property is within a historic district, the historic preservation officer will need to review your fence plan in order to determine whether it is compatible with the district' provisions before a permit is issued for your fence.

Clear vision areas

San Antonio also regulates certain areas as "fence clear vision areas." These include:

• street intersections on residential corner lots where no fence higher than three feet can be constructed within the area formed by measuring twenty-five feet in each direction from the street curb
• driveway, accessway or alley intersections on residential lots where no fence higher than three feet can be constructed within the triangle formed by measuring fifteen feet in each direction from the point where a driveway, accessway, or alley intersects with the street curb

If you think your project could be built differently without impacting safety, and you can demonstrate that, you may be able to get an administrative exception from the development services department.

Neighborhood rules

If you belong to an HOA, contact them for their fence regulations, which could be different from those of the municipality.

Safety

State law in Texas requires you to contact Texas 811 before starting your fence project. 

• Mandatory 2-Business-Day Notice: Texas law requires homeowners (or contractors) to contact Texas 811 at least two business days (excluding weekends and holidays) before any digging, even in your own backyard
  
  
• Free Utility-Marking Service: This service locates and marks underground water, gas, electric, communication, and irrigation lines—preventing costly damage and dangerous accidents. 

While calling 811 addresses underground hazards, fence construction itself poses other risks, especially for inexperienced homeowners:

• Power Tools & Equipment: Nail guns, power saws, and post-hole diggers can cause injuries if not handled correctly.
• Heavy Panels & Posts: Fence panels can tip or fall during installation; removing old posts requires leverage and care to avoid strains or crush injuries.  
• Professional vs. DIY: If you lack experience with permits, utility marking, and safe equipment use, consider hiring a qualified fence contractor. Pros bring specialized tools, city code knowledge, and liability coverage

Next Steps

Before starting your fence project, make sure to review your city, state and neighborhood rules governing fence construction. Each city can have different regulations, and every HOA has the potential to have their own specific rules about fences. You'll need to be familiar with these to find out if the fence you want to build is allowed, or requires a permit or special review.

Check out Ergeon‚'s San Antonio page for how to get started! Interested in learning about North Texas fence laws? Discover our 2025 guide to laws and regulations in the region.