Fence laws in Louisiana
What Louisiana 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.
Louisiana fence laws at a glance
| Topic | What the record says | Figure | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fences on the property line | Stated | no figure | La. Civ. Code Art. 685 |
| Fence height | Silent | no figure | La. Civ. Code Art. 685 |
| Permits | Stated | no figure | La. R.S. 40:1730.28(A)(3)(a) |
| Pool barriers | Stated | no figure | La. R.S. 33:4875.1 |
| Spite fences | Silent | no figure | La. Civ. Code Art. 667 |
| 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 |
Fence laws in Louisiana, question by question
Who owns the fence between two properties in Louisiana?
StatedThe code gives a plain answer, and the line it appears on is quoted.
Louisiana treats a fence sitting on a property line as shared unless proof shows otherwise. When the land on both sides of the line is enclosed, one landowner can make the neighbor pay a share of the cost of building and repairing that common fence. When the adjoining lands are not enclosed, that right to split the cost exists only where a local ordinance creates it.
When adjoining lands are enclosed, a landowner may compel his neighbors to contribute to the expense of making and repairing common fences by which the respective lands are separated.
Also on fences on the property line in Louisiana
- StatedThe Louisiana Civil Code gives a landowner the plain right to fence in their own land. The article states that right in one line. It sets no height, no material and no setback, so those details come from parish and city law. La. Civ. Code Art. 684Louisiana · Statute
How tall can a fence be in Louisiana?
SilentThe documents were read and none of them cover it. The list of what was read is printed with the finding.
Louisiana sets no statewide limit on residential fence height. The Civil Code article on common fences, the statute that adopts the State Uniform Construction Code, and the statute on pool enclosure ordinances were all read, and none of them caps how tall a fence at a house may be. Height is set by parish and municipal ordinance.
Documents read before writing that:
- La. Civ. Code Art. 685Louisiana State Legislature
- La. R.S. 40:1730.28Louisiana State Legislature
- La. R.S. 33:4875.1Louisiana State Legislature
Do I need a permit for a fence in Louisiana?
StatedThe code gives a plain answer, and the line it appears on is quoted.
Louisiana adopts national model codes as the State Uniform Construction Code. For houses the state adopts the International Residential Code, leaving out Part I on administration and Part VIII on electrical. Because the administrative part is the part that carries the permit rules, permit questions in Louisiana are answered by the parish or city that enforces the code, not by this adoption statute.
International Residential Code, not including Part I-Administration and VIII-Electrical. The applicable standards referenced in that code are included for regulation of construction within this state.
Pool fence requirements in Louisiana
StatedThe code gives a plain answer, and the line it appears on is quoted.
Louisiana does not fix one statewide pool fence height by statute. The law instead lets parish and city governing bodies pass their own pool enclosure ordinances, and it says such an ordinance has to set a minimum height for the fence or wall and require gates that lock or limit access. The statute does not reach a parish or city that already has a pool fencing ordinance or that has a home rule charter.
The ordinance shall provide for minimum heights for fences or walls enclosing the pool and locking or limited access gates.
Also on pool barriers in Louisiana
- StatedThe Louisiana sanitary code sets a barrier rule for Class A and Class B public swimming pools. The barrier has to be at least 4 feet tall and offer no handholds or footholds from the outside. The closure has to be self closing and positive self latching, set at least 45 inches above the ground, with hardware for locking. The rule governs public pools rather than a pool behind a house. LAC 51:XXIV.705Louisiana · Agency guidance
Spite fence laws in Louisiana
SilentThe documents were read and none of them cover it. The list of what was read is printed with the finding.
Louisiana has no spite fence statute. The Civil Code article on the limits of ownership and the articles on enclosures and common fences were read, and none of them mention spite, malice, or blocking a neighbor light or view. A neighbor harmed by work on nearby land falls back on the general rule in Article 667, which turns on damage and reasonable care rather than on the motive for a fence.
Documents read before writing that:
- La. Civ. Code Art. 667Louisiana State Legislature
- La. Civ. Code Art. 685Louisiana State Legislature
How fence height is measured in Louisiana
Not researched yet for Louisiana. Nothing on this page states what the rule is, because nothing has been read that says.
Fence rules for corner lots in Louisiana
Not researched yet for Louisiana. Nothing on this page states what the rule is, because nothing has been read that says.
Retaining wall rules in Louisiana
Not researched yet for Louisiana. Nothing on this page states what the rule is, because nothing has been read that says.
Fence materials allowed in Louisiana
Not researched yet for Louisiana. Nothing on this page states what the rule is, because nothing has been read that says.
Livestock and boundary fence law in Louisiana
Not researched yet for Louisiana. Nothing on this page states what the rule is, because nothing has been read that says.
Documents behind this page
6 documents, each read on the date shown. Nothing on this page rests on a summary of one.
- Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana Civil Code, Article 685, Common fences
- Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana Civil Code, Article 684, Enclosures
- Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana Revised Statutes, Title 40, Section 1730.28, Mandatory adoption of certain nationally recognized codes and standards as the state uniform construction code; adoption by reference
- Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana Revised Statutes, Title 33, Section 4875.1, Exercise of police power; enclosure of residential and commercial swimming pools
- Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public HealthLouisiana Administrative Code, Title 51, Public Health - Sanitary Code, Part XXIV, Chapter 7, Section 705, Barriers
- Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana Civil Code, Article 667, Limitations on use of property
What this page does not cover
Everything above is state law. Fence height, setback, corner visibility and materials are set by city and county ordinance in almost every state, and a local rule can be far stricter than the statewide default. A parcel can also carry an easement, an overlay district, a fire hazard zone or a recorded HOA restriction, none of which appear in a statute.
This is general information drawn from published government documents. It is not legal advice, statutes are amended, and the date beside each finding is the date the document was read. How findings are made · What the terms mean