Fence laws in Orland Park, Illinois
What the Orland Park municipal code says about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line. Where Orland Park sets no rule of its own, the Illinois rule is shown in its place and marked as such.
Fence laws in Orland Park, Illinois, question by question
The short version
- Who pays on the line
- A perimeter fence in a side or rear yard that does not face a public right of way may go all the way up to the property line in Orland Park, and the answer turns on the yard, whether it faces a street, and whether the fence is ornamental. The figure is 5 feet, for setback for an ordinary corner side yard fence.
- How tall
- The starting rule in Orland Park is that no fence goes in a front yard past the front building line at all, and two exceptions reopen it, and the answer turns on the district, the yard, and whether the fence is open style. The figure is 4 feet, for ornamental fence in a front yard.
- Permits
- Orland Park issues a fence permit rather than folding fences into a general building permit, and no person may erect one in the village without first receiving it from the Building Department.
- Pool barriers
- A fence around a swimming pool, a spa or any other outdoor accessory structure holding water has to be at least five feet tall in Orland Park, which is above the four foot figure most pool codes settle on, and the answer turns on whether the pool is visible from a public right of way. The figure is 5 feet, for minimum height of a pool barrier.
- Spite fences
- Orland Park has no spite fence statute. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide this one.
- Measured from what
- Orland Park requires a gap under every fence rather than a fence that meets the ground. The figure is 12 inches, for how far an ornamental component may rise above the limit.
- Corner lots
- Orland Park draws no sight triangle for fences.
- Retaining walls
- Orland Park leaves retaining walls to the municipal or county residential building code, or the International Residential Code named in the construction contract. It reaches newly built homes only.
- Materials
- Orland Park runs two separate material bans, and the answer turns on the material, and how close to the lot line the fence stands. The figure is 5 feet, for distance from the lot line the material ban reaches.
- Livestock
- Illinois calls a fence legal at four and a half feet tall and in good repair. The figure is 4.5 feet, for height of a legal fence.
Who owns the fence between two properties in Orland Park?
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Orland Park answers this, but the answer changes depending on the yard, whether it faces a street, and whether the fence is ornamental.
A perimeter fence in a side or rear yard that does not face a public right of way may go all the way up to the property line in Orland Park. A side yard facing a right of way is different: an ordinary fence there comes back five feet, while an ornamental open style fence at five feet or less may sit as close as twelve inches. The finished side of every fence faces the street and the neighboring properties, and private fences and entry features have to sit wholly on private property. The village then departs from most of this state and expressly permits fences to be installed back to back, putting the duty to maintain any strip left between the line and the fence on the owner whose property it is. A fence on a vacant lot is only allowed where the lot adjoins an improved lot in common ownership, has to enclose both lots without a barrier between them, and the permission lapses a year after the two lots change hands separately.
Perimeter fences located in the side or rear yards not facing a public right of way shall be of any material and design allowed in section 6-310 (B) and (C), shall not exceed 6 feet in height, and may be located all the way up to the property line.
The answer turns on the yard, whether it faces a street, and whether the fence is ornamental.
- a side or rear yard not facing a street
- Right up to the property line.
- a corner side yard, ordinary fence
- Five feet back from the corner side property line. 5 ft
- a corner side yard, ornamental fence at five feet or less
- As close as twelve inches. 12 in
- two fences on a shared boundary
- Back to back is permitted.
Also on fences on the property line in Orland Park
- set in state lawIllinois makes both neighbors pay for a fence on the line between them, each one a fair share. Most of the section is about hedge fences. A hedge has to be cut back to four feet in the year after it turns seven, then trimmed to five feet at least every two years. An owner who has done the trimming can give the neighbor ten days written notice, do the work, and sue for the cost. Town officers called fence viewers settle the fights. 765 ILCS 130/3Illinois · Statute
How tall can a fence be in Orland Park?
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Orland Park answers this, but the answer changes depending on the district, the yard, and whether the fence is open style.
The starting rule in Orland Park is that no fence goes in a front yard past the front building line at all, and two exceptions reopen it. An ornamental open style fence may stand anywhere on the lot including the front, at four feet, provided it blocks vision no more than forty percent per lineal foot. An open fence around a patio in the front setback may reach five feet and extend only to the perimeter of the patio. Behind the front building line a perimeter fence of any permitted material reaches six feet, dropping to five for an ornamental fence set close to a corner side line. A non-residential fence may be solid or up to fifty percent open and reaches eight feet. Every fence in the Old Orland Historic District has to be a white picket fence and stops at five feet, and a subdivision entryway feature may reach nine.
Except as provided in subsections (2) or (3), below, no fence shall be constructed in a front yard past the front building line.
The answer turns on the district, the yard, and whether the fence is open style.
- an ornamental open style fence in a front yard
- Four feet, at least sixty percent open. 4 ft
- a perimeter fence behind the front building line
- Six feet. 6 ft
- the Old Orland Historic District
- A white picket fence, five feet at most. 5 ft
- a non-residential district
- Eight feet, solid or up to fifty percent open. 8 ft
Also on fence height in Orland Park
- no rule, documents checkedIllinois sets no limit on how tall a fence at a house can be. The Fence Act names four and a half feet, but that is a floor for a farm fence that holds animals, and the same section lets a town meeting or the county board pick a different number. The state housing law sets no height either. A yard fence height comes from city zoning. 765 ILCS 130/2Illinois · Statute
Do I need a permit for a fence in Orland Park?
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Orland Park answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Orland Park issues a fence permit rather than folding fences into a general building permit, and no person may erect one in the village without first receiving it from the Building Department. Applications go in on the department’s own forms with the fee. The permit then does more work than usual afterwards, because the maintenance rule requires the fence to be kept in good repair as originally designed and installed and as depicted and approved on the fence permit, so the approved drawing is the standard a later inspection is measured against. A swimming pool barrier needs its own permit from the Village Code Official before a pool is built, installed, enlarged or altered, and a public pool needs county or state approval in hand before the village application is even made.
No person shall erect a fence within the Village without first having received a fence permit from the Building Department.
Also on permits in Orland Park
- set in state lawIllinois has no one statewide permit rule for work at a house. Where a town or county has no building code of its own, the Residential Building Code Act makes the builder and the buyer name a code in the building contract, and the International Residential Code applies when they name none. A separate law, in force since January 1, 2025, also requires a city or county code to be at least as strict as a recent model code on how a building is built to hold weight. Illinois Residential Building Code Act, Sec. 15Illinois · Statute
Pool fence requirements in Orland Park
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Orland Park answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the pool is visible from a public right of way.
A fence around a swimming pool, a spa or any other outdoor accessory structure holding water has to be at least five feet tall in Orland Park, which is above the four foot figure most pool codes settle on. A pool on a corner lot, or in a side or rear yard abutting a public right of way, has a second requirement stacked on top: it has to be entirely screened from view by a six foot tall opaque fence, so the barrier height and the screening height are different numbers doing different jobs. The permit for the barrier is separate and has to be in hand before the pool is constructed, installed, enlarged or altered. Every application carries a letter signed by the landowner acknowledging responsibility for the barrier during construction as well as in final use.
Fences surrounding swimming pools, spas or other outdoor accessory structures that contain water shall be at least five (5) feet in height.
The answer turns on whether the pool is visible from a public right of way.
- an ordinary pool barrier
- At least five feet. 5 ft
- a pool on a corner lot or facing a right of way
- Entirely screened by a six foot opaque fence. 6 ft
Also on pool barriers in Orland Park
- no rule, documents checkedIllinois writes no fence rule for a pool at a private home. The Swimming Pool Safety Act covers pools built for public swimming, and it says plainly that a pool at a private home used by the owner and guests is left out. The state Swimming Facility Code leaves the same pools out. What a home pool needs comes from the city or county and from whatever building code that place has adopted. 210 ILCS 130/1Illinois · Statute
Spite fence laws in Orland Park
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Orland Park law has no rule about this. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide it instead.
Illinois has no spite fence law. The Fence Act covers who pays, what counts as a legal fence, and how hedges get trimmed. Nothing in it turns on why a fence was built. A fence put up to annoy a neighbor is fought in Illinois as a nuisance case in court, or under a city rule.
This one is Illinois law, not Orland Park law. All Illinois findings
Documents read before writing that:
- 765 ILCS 130/3Illinois General Assembly
- 765 ILCS 130/2Illinois General Assembly
How fence height is measured in Orland Park
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Orland Park answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Orland Park requires a gap under every fence rather than a fence that meets the ground. Three inches, measured from grade to the bottom of the fence panel, so surface water can run under it, with exceptions available for an open style fence and extra requirements possible where the fence crosses an overland flow route as the Director of Engineering determines. The village then closes the obvious way around a height limit and refuses to allow the existing grade to be altered before a fence goes up for the purpose of changing its height. Intermittent ornamental components such as decorative metal posts, masonry bases, columns and caps may exceed the allowed height by up to twelve inches, provided each ten foot length of fence still meets the open to closed ratio.
A fence shall be installed three (3) inches above the ground as measured from grade to bottom of fence panel to allow for natural surface water drainage.
12 inhow far an ornamental component may rise above the limit
Also on how height is measured in Orland Park
- left to the townIllinois never says where a fence height is measured from. The Illinois Municipal Code lets a city set the height and size of buildings, in one short line, and stops there. The Fence Act calls four and a half feet a legal fence and says nothing about the surface those feet start at. So the number and the way to measure it both come from the city. 65 ILCS 5/11-13-1Illinois · Zoning code
Fence rules for corner lots in Orland Park
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Orland Park answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Orland Park draws no sight triangle for fences. There is no leg length, no reduced height inside a mapped area and no band above grade to keep clear. What the code does instead is give the Development Services Inspector a power to move an individual fence: a perimeter fence may be required to be set back further from the property line if review shows the sight lines will be blocked by it. The fixed rules that protect a corner are ordinary setbacks rather than visibility rules, the five foot corner side yard setback for a standard fence and twelve inches for a low ornamental one, plus the general bar on a fence in a front yard past the front building line.
Perimeter fences may be required to be setback further from the property line if after review by the Development Services Inspector, if it is determined that the sight lines will be blocked by the fence.
Also on corner visibility in Orland Park
- set in state lawIllinois treats this as blocking the road. Under the Illinois Highway Code it is a petty offense to block a public highway, and running a fence onto one counts, unless the highway authority in charge gave permission. The fine runs from fifty to five hundred dollars, and more for each day the blockage stays after an order to take it out. That rule covers the road strip. A clear view triangle on private ground comes from city zoning. 605 ILCS 5/9-117Illinois · Traffic code
Retaining wall rules in Orland Park
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Orland Park does not set this. It leaves it to the municipal or county residential building code, or the International Residential Code named in the construction contract.
Illinois has no statewide building code for homes, so no state law sets a height at which a wall that holds back dirt needs a permit. Where a town or county has its own building code, that code answers it. Where there is none, the Residential Building Code Act makes the builder and the buyer name a code in the building contract, and the current International Residential Code becomes part of that contract when they name none.
This one is Illinois law, not Orland Park law. All Illinois findings
The home builder and the home purchaser may agree to adopt the International Residential Code or any municipal residential building code or county residential building code that is in effect on the first day of construction in any county or municipality that is within 100 miles of the location of the new home.
The code hands this to the municipal or county residential building code, or the International Residential Code named in the construction contract, which is not published in the code itself.
Fence materials allowed in Orland Park
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Orland Park answers this, but the answer changes depending on the material, and how close to the lot line the fence stands.
Orland Park runs two separate material bans. The first is village wide and about danger: barbed wire except at utility substations, electrical fences, spiked fences, fences with broken glass or sharp points imbedded, and anything else that could injure a person climbing over. The second applies only within five feet of a lot line and is about appearance: aluminum board, bramble or wicker, cloth based, mesh, netted, shake, slat based, reed, rod and wire fences are all prohibited there, with chain link exempted on residential property. Construction standards apply to whatever is left. Every fence has to resist a wind pressure of at least twenty pounds per square foot of its gross area less openings from any angle of approach, every post goes at least a third of its length into the ground, all parts and anchors of wood or other organic material get a chemical treatment against rot, and any paint has to be non-lead.
All fence parts, anchors, and shavings of wood or other organic materials shall be treated with a chemical treatment to protect them from deterioration when they are placed in or upon the ground.
The answer turns on the material, and how close to the lot line the fence stands.
- barbed wire, electric, spiked or glass topped fencing
- Prohibited anywhere, except barbed wire at a utility substation.
- mesh, netting, cloth, reed, slat, shake, rod or wire within five feet of a lot line
- Prohibited, with chain link exempt on residential property. 5 ft
- any permitted fence
- Built to resist twenty pounds per square foot of wind pressure.
- a snow, silt or erosion control fence
- Only during construction, and never longer than six months. 6 months
Also on materials in Orland Park
- set in state lawIllinois lists what a legal fence can be made of: rails, boards, stone, hedge, barbed wire, woven wire, or anything the town fence viewers judge just as good. The fence has to stand four and a half feet tall and be in good repair. 765 ILCS 130/2Illinois · Statute
Livestock and boundary fence law in Orland Park
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Illinois answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Illinois calls a fence legal at four and a half feet tall and in good repair. It can be rails, boards, stone, hedge, barbed wire, woven wire, or anything the town fence viewers judge just as good at keeping cattle, horses, sheep and hogs off the land next door. Voters at the yearly town meeting can set a different number for their own town. In a county with no townships, the county board sets it.
This one is Illinois law, not Orland Park law. All Illinois findings
Fences four and one-half feet high, and in good repair, consisting of rails, timber boards, stone, hedges, barb wire, woven wire or whatever the fence viewers of the town or precinct where the same shall lie shall consider equivalent thereto suitable and sufficient to prevent cattle, horses, sheep, hogs and other stock from getting on the adjoining lands of another
4.5 ftheight of a legal fence
Also on agricultural fencing in Orland Park
- set in state lawIllinois puts the duty on the animal owner, not on the neighbor. A separate act bans letting livestock roam loose anywhere in the state and tells owners to put up whatever it takes to hold them. The owner pays in court for the damage loose animals do. The one way out is showing the animals got out without the owner knowing, and that the owner had taken reasonable care to keep them in. 510 ILCS 55/1Illinois · Statute
Documents behind this page
10 documents, of which 1 was published by Orland Park itself. Each was read on the date shown.
- Illinois General AssemblyIllinois Compiled Statutes, Property, Fence Act
- Village of Orland ParkLand Development Code, Article 6, Development Regulations, Section 6-310, Fences
- Illinois General AssemblyIllinois Compiled Statutes, Property, Fence Act, Legal and sufficient fences
- Illinois General AssemblyIllinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois Residential Building Code Act
- Illinois General AssemblyIllinois Compiled Statutes, Health Facilities and Regulation, Swimming Pool Safety Act
- Illinois General Assembly, Joint Committee on Administrative RulesIllinois Administrative Code, Title 77, Part 820, Swimming Facility Code
- Illinois General AssemblyIllinois Compiled Statutes, 65 ILCS 5, Illinois Municipal Code, Article 11, Division 13, Section 11-13-1
- Illinois General AssemblyIllinois Compiled Statutes, 605 ILCS 5, Illinois Highway Code, Article 9, Section 9-117
- Illinois General AssemblyIllinois Compiled Statutes, Chapter 765, Fence Act
- Illinois General AssemblyIllinois Compiled Statutes, 510 ILCS 55, Domestic Animals Running at Large Act
What this page does not cover
A city ordinance is not the only rule that reaches a fence. The zoning district a parcel sits in can change the height allowed on it, and so can an overlay district, a recorded easement, a fire hazard severity zone or a coastal zone. A homeowner association can be stricter than the city and nothing in the municipal code will say so. None of those appear here.
The rules above are the ones Orland Park publishes, plus the Illinois rules that apply where the city sets none. Fence laws in Illinois has the state layer in full.
This is general information drawn from published government documents. It is not legal advice, ordinances are amended, and the date beside each finding is the date the document was read. How findings are made · What the terms mean