Fence laws in Peoria, Illinois
What the Peoria municipal code says about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line. Where Peoria sets no rule of its own, the Illinois rule is shown in its place and marked as such.
Fence laws in Peoria, Illinois, question by question
The short version
- Who pays on the line
- A Peoria fence may sit on the lot line, and the limit is that no part of it may protrude onto the neighbor or into the right of way, in full or in part.
- How tall
- Peoria does not set a low front yard height, it removes the front yard fence, and the answer turns on the yard, the district, and how much room there is between the fence and the houses. The figure is 6 feet, for fence in a residential rear or corner side yard.
- Permits
- Peoria states its aim in the fence section itself, which is unusual, and the approvals follow from it, and the answer turns on which yard the fence is in and how close it sits to the street. The figure is 5 feet, for closest a corner side fence may come to a thoroughfare.
- Pool barriers
- Peoria sets no statewide pool barrier rule. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide this one.
- Spite fences
- Peoria has no spite fence statute. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide this one.
- Measured from what
- Peoria measures from an established grade to the topmost section of the fence, and then adds a requirement rather than an allowance for sloping ground: where the grade forms a contour, the fence has to maintain the same contour. The figure is 25 percent, for how far a masonry pillar may rise above its fence.
- Corner lots
- Peoria states the corner obligation in the fence section and puts the geometry elsewhere.
- Retaining walls
- Peoria 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
- Every part of a Peoria fence has to be built of the same or harmonious material, and all vertical and horizontal supports and cross members face the interior of the lot, so the neighbor and the street see the finished side.
- 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 Peoria?
Compare fences on the property line across all 50 states
Peoria answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
A Peoria fence may sit on the lot line, and the limit is that no part of it may protrude onto the neighbor or into the right of way, in full or in part. A through lot follows the ordinary rules, except that where every principal structure in the block faces the same street and there is no vehicle access from the other street, the fence on that other side may be built to the interior lot rear yard standard instead. An existing front yard fence that predates the ordinance may be maintained but never replaced, provided it is no more than four feet, at least forty percent open, of harmonious material, with supports facing inward and the sight triangle observed.
A fence may be located on a lot line, but no such fence shall protrude in full or part on adjacent property or right-of-way.
3.1(e)(2)(a), (e)(2)(g) and (e)(3)(f)
Also on fences on the property line in Peoria
- 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 Peoria?
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Peoria answers this, but the answer changes depending on the yard, the district, and how much room there is between the fence and the houses.
Peoria does not set a low front yard height, it removes the front yard fence. One is allowed only where the Zoning Board of Appeals grants a variance or the Historic Preservation Commission approves a Certificate of Appropriateness. A corner side yard fence sits at least ten feet back from the street property line, may be solid, and takes six feet in a residential district or eight in a non-residential one, with a five foot setback available along a thoroughfare if a fence permit is obtained. A rear yard takes six feet with no openness requirement. A side yard fence between two houses on adjoining lots is held to four feet where there is less than ten feet between the fence and both houses, and six feet where that ten feet exists, and it may never go up at all unless there are three feet between the fence and each house. The I-2 and I-3 industrial districts take eight feet in any yard.
Front yard fences shall not be allowed unless one of the following conditions occurs:
The answer turns on the yard, the district, and how much room there is between the fence and the houses.
- a front yard
- No fence, without a variance or a Certificate of Appropriateness.
- a rear yard, or a corner side yard set ten feet back
- Six feet in a residential district. 6 ft
- between two houses less than ten feet apart from the fence
- Four feet. 4 ft
- a non-residential district, or I-2 and I-3 industrial
- Eight feet. 8 ft
Also on fence height in Peoria
- 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 Peoria?
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Peoria answers this, but the answer changes depending on which yard the fence is in and how close it sits to the street.
Peoria states its aim in the fence section itself, which is unusual, and the approvals follow from it. The purpose clause says the section is intended to prohibit all front yard fences with limited exceptions and to instill aesthetics as a value and standard throughout the city, with flexibility available from the Zoning Board of Appeals or the Historic Preservation Commission where it is appropriate. So the front yard fence is a variance or a Certificate of Appropriateness rather than a permit. A fence permit is required in one narrower case: a corner side yard fence along a thoroughfare placed closer than ten feet to the property line.
This section is intended to prohibit all front yard fences with limited exceptions, promote land uses and designs which preserve existing aesthetic benefits in the City, create an attractive appearance for the City; and, instill aesthetics as a value and standard throughout the City.
The answer turns on which yard the fence is in and how close it sits to the street.
- a front yard fence
- A variance, or a Certificate of Appropriateness.
- a corner side yard fence on a thoroughfare, within ten feet of the line
- A fence permit, and no closer than five feet. 5 ft
Also on permits in Peoria
- 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 Peoria
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Peoria law has no rule about this. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide it instead.
Illinois 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.
This one is Illinois law, not Peoria law. All Illinois findings
Documents read before writing that:
- 210 ILCS 130/1Illinois General Assembly
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code 820Illinois General Assembly, Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
Spite fence laws in Peoria
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Peoria 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 Peoria 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 Peoria
Compare how height is measured across all 50 states
Peoria answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Peoria measures from an established grade to the topmost section of the fence, and then adds a requirement rather than an allowance for sloping ground: where the grade forms a contour, the fence has to maintain the same contour. That rules out the stepped fence that most codes accept on a slope, because a stepped panel would not follow the ground. A separate allowance lets masonry pillars on an ornamental iron fence rise twenty five percent above the fence they are attached to, provided they are no wider than twenty four inches.
Fence height shall be measured from an established grade to the top most section of the fence. Where the grade forms a contour, the fence shall be required to maintain the same contour.
25%how far a masonry pillar may rise above its fence
Also on how height is measured in Peoria
- 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 Peoria
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Peoria answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Peoria states the corner obligation in the fence section and puts the geometry elsewhere. A fence on a corner lot has to observe the sight triangle requirement as defined by Article 18 of the Zoning Ordinance, so the fence section gives no leg length and no reduced height of its own. Observing the sight triangle is also one of the five conditions an existing nonconforming front yard fence has to meet before it may be kept at all.
Fences on corner lots must observe the sight triangle requirement as defined by Article 18 of the Zoning Ordinance.
Also on corner visibility in Peoria
- 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 Peoria
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Peoria 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 Peoria 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 Peoria
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Peoria answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Every part of a Peoria fence has to be built of the same or harmonious material, and all vertical and horizontal supports and cross members face the interior of the lot, so the neighbor and the street see the finished side. Chain link and wire fences are excluded from front and corner side yards in every district except I-2 and I-3 industrial. Where a masonry pillar is combined with an ornamental iron fence it may rise a quarter above the fence and may be no wider than twenty four inches, which stops a row of pillars becoming a wall.
All portions of any fence must be constructed of the same or harmonious material. All vertical and/or horizontal supports and cross members must face the interior of the lot.
Also on materials in Peoria
- 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 Peoria
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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 Peoria 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 Peoria
- 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 Peoria itself. Each was read on the date shown.
- Illinois General AssemblyIllinois Compiled Statutes, Property, Fence Act
- City of PeoriaCode of Ordinances, Appendix B, Zoning Ordinance, Article 3, Section 3.1, General Residential and Non-Residential Fence Regulations
- 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 Peoria 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