State law

Fence laws in Iowa

What Iowa statutes and statewide codes say about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line.

14 findings
13 documents read
3 of 10 topics answered
Last read 13 September 2026

Iowa fence laws at a glance

Every question tracked for Iowa, what the statewide record says, and the citation it rests on.
Topic	What the record says	Figure	Citation
Fences on the property line	Stated	no figure	Iowa Code 359A.1A
Fence height	Silent	no figure	Iowa Code 359A.18
Permits	Stated	no figure	Iowa Code 103A.12
Pool barriers	Stated	no figure	Iowa Code 135I.2
Spite fences	Silent	no figure	Iowa Code ch. 359A
How height is measured	Not researched yet	no figure	none
Corner visibility	Not researched yet	no figure	none
Retaining walls	Not researched yet	no figure	none
Materials	Not researched yet	no figure	none
Agricultural fencing	Not researched yet	no figure	none

Who owns the fence between two properties in Iowa?

StatedThe code gives a plain answer, and the line it appears on is quoted.

Iowa treats a fence on a boundary as a shared job. When one owner asks in writing, the law requires each owner of the touching tracts to build and keep up the partition fence, or to pay a share toward it. The duty runs the whole year, not part of it.

The respective owners of adjoining tracts of land shall upon written request of either owner be compelled to erect and maintain partition fences, or contribute thereto, and keep the same in good repair throughout the year.

Iowa Code 359A.1AIowa Legislature · Read 13 September 2026

Also on fences on the property line in Iowa

StatedIowa hands boundary fence fights to local officials called fence viewers. The township trustees for the place where the argument starts serve as the fence viewers. They have the power to hear and settle every question in the dispute. Iowa Code 359A.2AIowa · Statute
StatedBefore the fence viewers hold a hearing, they send written notice to everyone in the dispute five days ahead. The notice gives the time and place and lists what will be decided. It also names the fence viewers and says whether any of them reported a conflict of interest. Iowa Code 359A.3Iowa · Statute
StatedAfter the hearing the fence viewers write an order. The order gives each owner the part of the fence to build, keep up, rebuild, trim, or pay for. It also fixes the value of that work and sets the deadline to finish it or pay. Iowa Code 359A.4Iowa · Statute
StatedIowa lets a fence sit right on the boundary. A person building a fence may lay it on the line so part of it stands on each side. The builder keeps the same right to take it down as if the whole fence stood on one lot. Iowa Code 359A.16Iowa · Statute
StatedIowa spells out six kinds of fence that count as a lawful fence. One kind is a wire, rail, or board fence whose bottom line sits sixteen to twenty inches off the ground and whose top line stands between forty-eight and fifty-four inches high. Fence viewers may also accept any other fence they judge equal to these. Iowa Code 359A.18Iowa · Statute

How tall can a fence be in Iowa?

SilentThe documents were read and none of them cover it. The list of what was read is printed with the finding.

Iowa sets no statewide limit on residential fence height. The fence chapter gives heights only as specs for a lawful farm fence, and the state building code as adopted deletes the permit sections and never mentions fences at all. Height for a yard fence is set by municipal ordinance.

Documents read before writing that:

Iowa Code 359A.18Iowa Legislature
Iowa Admin. Code 481-301Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing
Iowa Code 103A.12Iowa Legislature

Do I need a permit for a fence in Iowa?

StatedThe code gives a plain answer, and the line it appears on is quoted.

Iowa has a state building code, but it does not switch on by itself everywhere. It applies in a city or county only after the local governing body passes an ordinance accepting it and files a certified copy with the state commissioner. A place that adopted the code may later vote to withdraw from it.

The state building code is applicable in each governmental subdivision of the state in which the governing body has enacted an ordinance accepting the applicability of the code and has filed a certified copy of the ordinance in the office of the commissioner.

Iowa Code 103A.12Iowa Legislature · Read 13 September 2026

Also on permits in Iowa

StatedThe Iowa state building code adopts the 2024 International Residential Code for houses, duplexes, and townhouses up to three stories, plus their accessory structures. The state version of the International Building Code covers everything else. Iowa Admin. Code 481-301.8Iowa · Building code
StatedIowa strips the permit chapters out of the residential code it adopts. Sections R103 through R114 are deleted, and those are the sections that create the building department, the permit, and the list of work that needs no permit. The state building code text carries no fence permit rule and no fence height, so the permit question for a fence is settled by the local jurisdiction. The state version of the International Building Code deletes its sections 103, 104, and 105 the same way. Iowa Admin. Code 481-301.8(2)Iowa · Building code

Pool fence requirements in Iowa

StatedThe code gives a plain answer, and the line it appears on is quoted.

Iowa Code chapter 135I sets the rules for swimming pools, spas, and spray pads. It reaches pools run by state and local government, by businesses, and by private groups, and it names hotels, motels, camps, apartments, condominiums, and country clubs. A pool meant for one family at a home falls outside the chapter.

This chapter does not apply to facilities intended for single family use

Iowa Code 135I.2Iowa Legislature · Read 13 September 2026

Also on pool barriers in Iowa

StatedThe Iowa rules for pools covered by chapter 135I set a barrier height. A swimming pool is ringed by a fence, wall, building, or a mix of those, at least four feet high and built of lasting material. The rule leaves out a circulated wading pool that is drained when not in use, and it leaves out a spray pad. Iowa Admin. Code 481-485.4(4)Iowa · Agency guidance
StatedThe same Iowa rule limits the gaps in a pool barrier. No opening may let a four inch sphere pass, and the barrier cannot be easy for a toddler to climb. The gap between the ground and the lowest horizontal support reachable from outside is at least forty-five inches. Iowa Admin. Code 481-485.4(4)Iowa · Agency guidance

Spite fence laws in Iowa

SilentThe documents were read and none of them cover it. The list of what was read is printed with the finding.

Iowa has no spite fence statute. The fence chapter and the nuisance chapter never mention a fence built to annoy a neighbor, and neither sets a height that turns a fence into a legal wrong. Iowa Code 657.1 gives only a general nuisance test covering anything that blocks the free use of property, and Iowa Code 657.2 lists twelve named nuisances, none of them a boundary fence.

Documents read before writing that:

Iowa Code ch. 359AIowa Legislature
Iowa Code 657.1Iowa Legislature
Iowa Code 657.2Iowa Legislature