Before applying for a fence permit it is important to know the general fence details:
- The maximum height of a fence in the front yard or adjacent neighbor’s front yard is 42 inches.
- A fence over 42 inches in the front yard or over 10 feet in the side or rear yards will require a fence waiver.
A building permit is required for:
- Fences 42 inches or above (measured vertical to ground, even if fence is placed on top of wall)
- All fences, regardless of height, that are:
- Located in a proposed or designated Baltimore County Historic District
- On the Baltimore County Landmarks List
- Located in the floodplain
- Located in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area
Required Documents
You must provide the following when submitting your permit application:
- Site Plans—Required for both residential and commercial fences.
- If commercial, site plans must be a minimum of one inch equals 100 feet, engineer's scale.
- If residential, view the residential site plan.
Building Guidelines
Fences cannot be built within access easements. If a fence is erected within an easement and is required to be removed, it is done at the owner’s expense.
- Maximum height of 12 feet. Building’s Engineer may approve higher fence for dangerous, hazardous or athletic field.
- Electric and barbed wire fences are only permitted for the retention of livestock and when not a safety hazard to the public.
- No sharp or pointed projections on fences less than four feet high. Barbed wire and other retarding material may be on top of fence that is at least six feet, nine inches high.
Maximum height of 42 inches in front yard as determined by Baltimore County Zoning Regulations, and six feet in side and rear yards at the property line. Maximum height of 10 feet in side and rear yards, provided set back two feet for every vertical foot over six feet.
If in a side or rear yard that adjoins a residential front yard:
- If it is setback zero to 10 feet—Cannot exceed the specified height of 42 inches
- If setback is over 10 feet, there is no height limit. Exceptions include:
- 48-inch pool fences
- Houses more than 200 feet apart
On a corner lot, no fence or other obstruction to vision is permitted higher than:
- Three feet within 25 feet of the corner of the two streets
- 15 feet of a street and alley
- 10 feet of two alleys
Fences enclosing in-ground pools must be 48 inches high with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
About the Application Process
To learn more about the application process, read the steps and watch the videos below, or view the FAQ or full tutorial video playlist.
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Watch a video to learn how to create your account or follow the instructions below:
- Navigate to the online portal.
- Select the Create Account button.
- Enter your email address, select Submit.
- An email will be sent with a link to complete the account setup. (Note: If you don't see the email is not in your inbox, check the SPAM folder. If in SPAM, mark unread before selecting the link.)
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Prepare/gather all required documents as indicated above to upload when completing your online application. Be sure to name the documents appropriately—file names must follow Baltimore County naming conventions.
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Watch a video to learn how to create your application or follow the instructions below:
- Enter the applicant and owner information.
- Select the property address and enter the contractor information.
- In the Search and Add Contractors section, enter the contractor name in the search box.
- Select the contractor. The system will highlight the selected contractor in red.
- Select the Add button to select the contractor. The contractor will be listed in the Selected Contractors section.
- Describe proposed work.
- Answer all required questions and enter all information related to the project.
- Upload required documents.
- After accepting the Terms and Conditions, the Document Upload window opens.
- On the Plan Documents tab, scroll down and select the Browse button to select your files.
- Highlight the files to be added, select Open. The files are added to the Upload Documents window.
- For each file, select a discipline from the dropdown list to describe your uploaded document type.
- Select the Upload button.
- A disclaimer pop-up appears. Approve the disclaimer by selecting the Yes button.
- Select the Submit for Review button.
- When all files have been submitted, close out the Document Upload window.
- Submit the application.
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- Applications will be reviewed by the Permit Processing Staff. Watch a video to learn about the application review and revisions process. Staff may leave comments and revisions required for your permit. To view comments, follow the below instructions:
- Navigate to the online portal.
- Locate the permit on the My Dashboard page.
- Select the expand icon next to the permit. Select the Action (magnifying glass) icon, which opens the Permit Application Info page. There are two ways to view comments and revisions required for your permit:
- From the Plan Review section:
- Select the Open Plan Review button.
- From the Upload Documents screen, select the Review Documents tab
- Download the documents for review. Review the comments and feedback letter, documenting the required updates. Review the markups of submitted plans and documents.
- From the Tasks section:
- Scroll to the Tasks section. If there are comments for review, you will see an Action (magnifying glass) icon in the Comments field to the right of the task’s Date Completed field.
- Select the magnifying glass to see the comments.
- From the Plan Review section:
- If all required information and documents are submitted, the application will be completed and application fees will be calculated.
- Applicants will receive a notification that the fees are ready for payment. Watch a video to learn how to pay application fees or follow the instructions below:
- Navigate to the online portal. The My Dashboard page displays.
- Select the Applications with Fees Due box at the top-middle of the My Dashboard window.
- Scroll to the My Fees section, find the permit number and scroll to the right to the Actions section. You will see a magnifying glass icon and a credit card icon.
- To view details for the fees, select the magnifying glass icon.
- To pay the fees, select the credit card icon. (Note: Baltimore County only accepts Mastercard, Visa and PayPal electronic payments.)
- Once payment is received, the application will be sent to all reviewing departments for technical review. Watch a video to learn about the review and revision process.
- Once the reviews are completed and approved, the permit will be issued.
- Applications will be reviewed by the Permit Processing Staff. Watch a video to learn about the application review and revisions process. Staff may leave comments and revisions required for your permit. To view comments, follow the below instructions:
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Once the permit has been issued, the applicant will be notified via email. Watch a video to learn how to access the permit and approved plans in the applicant portal. Permits and approved plans must be available at the job site for inspections.
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All construction must be completed exactly as stated on the approved permit and approved construction plans. Watch a video to learn how to schedule inspections through the applicant portal.
Apply for a Permit
Once you have reviewed the process outlined above and have gathered your required documentation, apply for your permit online using the buttons below.