Fence laws in Springfield, Massachusetts
What the Springfield municipal code says about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line. Where Springfield sets no rule of its own, the Massachusetts rule is shown in its place and marked as such.
Fence laws in Springfield, Massachusetts, question by question
The short version
- Who pays on the line
- Springfield is the only city on this site that bans the front yard fence outright, and it does so in its two lowest density districts, and the answer turns on which residential district the lot is in. The figure is 3 feet, for front yard fence in the B and C districts.
- How tall
- Springfield does not forbid a tall fence, it prices one, and the answer turns on the district, the height, and how close the fence is to a home. The figure is 6 feet, for height that triggers a special permit at home.
- Permits
- Springfield attaches an upkeep duty to every fence and gives it a clock, and the answer turns on whether the fence is new, tall, or in disrepair. The figure is 30 days, for time allowed to repair a fence after notice.
- Pool barriers
- Massachusetts sets a pool fence height in law, but only for public and semipublic outdoor inground pools. The figure is 6 feet, for fence height around a public or semipublic outdoor inground swimming pool. It reaches public and semipublic outdoor inground pools, not a pool at a home only.
- Spite fences
- Massachusetts has a spite fence law, and it is the best known one in the country. The figure is 6 feet, for height above which a maliciously built fence may be treated as a private nuisance.
- Measured from what
- The Springfield height allowances are stated above the finished grade, and the ordinance defines finished grade in a way that moves the datum away from the fence entirely.
- Corner lots
- On a corner lot in a Springfield residential district no building, fence or other structure may be built in the sight triangle at all, with necessary retaining walls the only exception, and vegetation is separately barred between two and a half feet and ten feet above the street surface, and the answer turns on the abutting lot setback and whether the obstruction is a structure or vegetation. The figure is 10 feet, for top of the protected band above the street.
- Retaining walls
- Massachusetts needs no permit for a wall that holds back dirt when it is four feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. The figure is 4 feet, for height at or below which a retaining wall needs no building permit. It reaches one and two family homes and townhouses up to three stories only.
- Materials
- Springfield writes its wire rule in two overlapping bans and neither one depends on the zone being residential, and the answer turns on which boundary the wire would stand on.
- Livestock
- Massachusetts calls a fence legal and sufficient at four feet tall and in good repair. The figure is 4 feet, for height of a legal and sufficient fence.
Who owns the fence between two properties in Springfield?
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Springfield answers this, but the answer changes depending on which residential district the lot is in.
Springfield is the only city on this site that bans the front yard fence outright, and it does so in its two lowest density districts. In Residential A-1 or A no fence at all may be built between the front foundation line and the street, or in a required front yard, so the open lawn frontage those neighborhoods are built around is protected by removing the option rather than by limiting it. In Residential B, B-1 or C the same stretch of ground allows a fence but nothing over three feet. The line the ordinance draws from is the front foundation line of the house rather than a setback dimension, so on a deep lot the restricted area is deep too. A general rule elsewhere in the ordinance says the same thing from the other end, prohibiting any building, pool or other structure between the front wall of the principal building and the street except necessary retaining walls and fences the fence section permits.
In a Residential A-1 or A district, no FENCE shall be constructed between the front foundation line and the STREET or in a required FRONT YARD.
7.4.23.A and B, with Section 5.2.50
The answer turns on which residential district the lot is in.
- Residential A-1 or A
- No front yard fence at all.
- Residential B, B-1 or C
- Three feet. 3 ft
- a gate anywhere
- It swings inward so it never crosses the sidewalk.
Also on fences on the property line in Springfield
- set in state lawMassachusetts splits a fence on the line in equal shares between the two neighbors. That holds as long as both of them are working their land, and any deal the two make instead wins over it. Massachusetts also still appoints fence viewers in every town to settle arguments about those shares. M.G.L. c. 49, § 3Massachusetts · Statute
How tall can a fence be in Springfield?
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Springfield answers this, but the answer changes depending on the district, the height, and how close the fence is to a home.
Springfield does not forbid a tall fence, it prices one. In any residential district a fence higher than six feet requires a Tier 3 Special Permit, which is a hearing rather than a counter transaction, and the same requirement reaches a fence over eight feet in a business district if it stands within ten feet of the property line of a residential use. So the trigger in a business district depends on what is next door rather than on the zone alone. Outside the residential districts the ordinance is permissive in the other direction, allowing a wall or fence of less than six feet above the finished grade in a required side or rear yard, which is a place a structure would normally not be allowed at all.
In any Residential District, a fence higher than six (6) feet shall require a Tier 3 Special Permit.
The answer turns on the district, the height, and how close the fence is to a home.
- a residential district above six feet
- A Tier 3 Special Permit. 6 ft
- a business district above eight feet near a home
- The same permit, if within ten feet of the line. 8 ft
- a side or rear yard outside a residential district
- Under six feet above finished grade is permitted.
Also on fence height in Springfield
- no rule, documents checkedMassachusetts sets no limit on how tall a fence at a house can be. The six foot figure in Chapter 49 is what turns a spite fence into a nuisance case, not a cap on height. Chapter 49 covers fence viewers, fences on the line and boundary fights, and nowhere limits an ordinary fence. Height comes from town zoning bylaws. M.G.L. c. 49Massachusetts · Statute
Do I need a permit for a fence in Springfield?
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Springfield answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the fence is new, tall, or in disrepair.
Springfield attaches an upkeep duty to every fence and gives it a clock. All fences, walls and vegetated barriers have to be properly maintained, and one in disrepair has to be removed or repaired within thirty days of a notice from the Building Commissioner. That is a shorter and more definite window than most cities give, and it applies to a hedge as well as to a fence because the ordinance treats a vegetated barrier the same way. The permit side of the section is the Tier 3 Special Permit for extra height, and the only other approval the fence rules mention is the one buried in the front yard landscaping requirement, where the required landscaped area between the house and the street has to be free of structural improvements except necessary retaining walls, two access sidewalks no wider than four feet each, and fences the fence section permits.
Any FENCE, wall or vegetated barrier in disrepair shall be removed or repaired within thirty (30) days upon a notice from the BUILDING COMMISSIONER.
The answer turns on whether the fence is new, tall, or in disrepair.
- a fence in disrepair
- Thirty days from the notice to fix or remove it. 30 days
- a fence above the height limits
- A Tier 3 Special Permit.
- the required landscaped area at the front
- Only walls, two narrow walks and a permitted fence. 4 ft
Also on permits in Springfield
- set in state lawMassachusetts runs one building code for the whole state, written by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards under this law. The board makes the rules on building work and on issuing permits. The tenth edition is built on the 2021 International Codes, and its chapter 51 adopts the 2021 International Residential Code with Massachusetts changes. The list of work that needs no permit sits in that code, not in the law itself. M.G.L. c. 143, § 94Massachusetts · Statute
Pool fence requirements in Springfield
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Massachusetts answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Massachusetts sets a pool fence height in law, but only for public and semipublic outdoor inground pools. Those need a six foot fence held down at ground level. A board or stockade fence may be five feet, and anything over five feet has to be chain link. The section does not reach a pool behind a house, which falls under the state building code instead.
This one is Massachusetts law, not Springfield law. All Massachusetts findings
Every public and semipublic outdoor inground swimming pool shall be enclosed by a fence six feet in height and firmly secured at ground level provided that any board or stockade fence or structure shall be at least five feet in height, but if over five feet in height, the fence shall be chain link.
6 ftfence height around a public or semipublic outdoor inground swimming pool
Spite fence laws in Springfield
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Massachusetts answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Massachusetts has a spite fence law, and it is the best known one in the country. A fence, or anything built like one, that goes over six feet for no reason and was put up or kept up out of spite to annoy a neighbor counts as a private nuisance. The neighbor can sue for money over the harm to the comfort or use of their property. Both the height and the spite have to be there.
This one is Massachusetts law, not Springfield law. All Massachusetts findings
A fence or other structure in the nature of a fence which unnecessarily exceeds six feet in height and is maliciously erected or maintained for the purpose of annoying the owners or occupants of adjoining property shall be deemed a private nuisance.
6 ftheight above which a maliciously built fence may be treated as a private nuisance
How fence height is measured in Springfield
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Springfield answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
The Springfield height allowances are stated above the finished grade, and the ordinance defines finished grade in a way that moves the datum away from the fence entirely. It is the average of the highest and lowest elevation of the ground abutting the perimeter of the principal building, which means the number comes from the house and not from the ground the fence stands on. On a level lot that makes no difference. On a lot that falls away toward the back, a fence at the bottom of the slope is measured against a grade taken up at the house, and the fence can be taller in real terms than the six feet suggests. The definition also anchors the moment of measurement, taking the grade existing at the time of application for a building permit, or the final grade needed to implement an approved subdivision plan.
The FINISHED GRADE is the average of the highest and lowest elevation of the ground abutting the perimeter of the PRINCIPAL BUILDING.
Article 2, definition of FINISHED GRADE
Also on how height is measured in Springfield
- no rule, documents checkedMassachusetts puts a fence height in law and never says what it is measured from. Chapter 49 makes a fence over six feet a private nuisance when it is kept up to annoy a neighbor, and gives the six feet no starting point, which is what decides the answer on a slope or on top of a wall. The Zoning Act does not settle it either. Its section 3 is a list of things a local rule may not do, and it touches height only in passing, for child care buildings and for ham radio masts. Neither place gives a way to measure a fence. M.G.L. c. 49, s. 21Massachusetts · Statute
Fence rules for corner lots in Springfield
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Springfield answers this, but the answer changes depending on the abutting lot setback and whether the obstruction is a structure or vegetation.
On a corner lot in a Springfield residential district no building, fence or other structure may be built in the sight triangle at all, with necessary retaining walls the only exception, and vegetation is separately barred between two and a half feet and ten feet above the street surface. The unusual part is what happens behind the triangle. The same vision restrictions run along the corner lot rear line, starting at the street line and continuing for a distance equal to the abutter setback, capped at twenty five feet, so the size of the restricted strip on one lot is set by the zoning applied to the lot next door. Poles, posts and guys for street lights and other utilities are excluded from the rule, and so are tree trunks, though not their leaves and branches.
The same vision obstruction restrictions apply for that portion of the corner lots rear line from the street line for a distance equal to the abutter’s setback but in no case need this distance exceed twenty five (25) feet.
The answer turns on the abutting lot setback and whether the obstruction is a structure or vegetation.
- a structure in the sight triangle
- Not allowed, except a necessary retaining wall.
- vegetation in the sight triangle
- Clear between two and a half feet and ten. 10 ft
- the strip along the rear line
- As long as the neighbor setback, up to twenty five feet. 25 ft
Also on corner visibility in Springfield
- left to the townMassachusetts leaves this to the town. The public ways chapter lets the town board or officer in charge of laying out roads give permits for signs, awnings and other things that stick out into or over a public road. The same section lets that board set the fees and write its own rules and fines for them. The chapter runs from direction signs to snow clearing to bicycles, and never measures a corner. Zoning covers the rest, so both routes end at the local bylaw and neither one prints a triangle. M.G.L. c. 85, s. 8Massachusetts · Traffic code
Retaining wall rules in Springfield
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Massachusetts answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Massachusetts needs no permit for a wall that holds back dirt when it is four feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. A wall holding up extra weight on the soil behind it, such as a driveway or a building, needs a permit at any height. Massachusetts dropped the first chapter of the model residential code and wrote its own, so this permit list is state text rather than a pointer to a model code. Other laws and the trade codes can still call for a permit.
This one is Massachusetts law, not Springfield law. All Massachusetts findings
Retaining walls that are not over four feet (1,219 mm) in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge.
4 ftheight at or below which a retaining wall needs no building permit
Fence materials allowed in Springfield
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Springfield answers this, but the answer changes depending on which boundary the wire would stand on.
Springfield writes its wire rule in two overlapping bans and neither one depends on the zone being residential. In every zoning district, razor and barbed wire may not be located along the front lot line, so an industrial yard facing a street is caught as surely as a house. Separately, no fence that abuts a residential use or that stands within a residential district may contain razor or barbed wire at all, which reaches an industrial parcel backing onto homes. Put together, the only place wire survives in Springfield is a boundary that faces neither a street nor a home. The ordinance says nothing about electric fences, and its definition of a fence is broad enough to include a hedge, describing a barrier constructed of materials including living vegetation erected for protection, confinement, enclosure or privacy.
In all ZONING DISTRICTS, razor or barbed wire shall not be located along the FRONT LOT LINE.
The answer turns on which boundary the wire would stand on.
- a front lot line in any district
- No razor or barbed wire.
- a fence abutting a residential use
- No razor or barbed wire anywhere on it.
- a boundary facing neither street nor home
- The bans do not reach it.
Also on materials in Springfield
- set in state lawMassachusetts bans barbed wire in one place by name. A fence running along a sidewalk on a public road may not carry barbed wire anywhere within six feet of the ground, and building or keeping one is a fine of twenty to fifty dollars. The rule sits in the public ways chapter, not the fence chapter, and it reaches only a fence beside a sidewalk. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 86, 6Massachusetts · Statute
Livestock and boundary fence law in Springfield
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Massachusetts answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Massachusetts calls a fence legal and sufficient at four feet tall and in good repair. It can be rails, timber, boards, iron or stone. Brooks, rivers, ponds, creeks, ditches and hedges count too, and so does anything else the town fence viewers judge just as good. Height is the only number in it.
This one is Massachusetts law, not Springfield law. All Massachusetts findings
Fences four feet high, in good repair, constructed of rails, timber, boards, iron or stone, and brooks, rivers, ponds, creeks, ditches and hedges, or other things which the fence viewers consider equivalent thereto, shall be deemed legal and sufficient fences.
4 ftheight of a legal and sufficient fence
Also on agricultural fencing in Springfield
- set in state lawMassachusetts lets a landowner hurt by loose farm animals sue the owner of those animals, or hold the animals until the damage is paid. The section names horses, mules, asses, cattle, sheep, goats and swine, and it puts no fence condition on that right. Another section points the same way by making the town field driver pick up farm animals found loose on public roads or on common and unimproved land. M.G.L. c. 49, s. 29Massachusetts · Statute
Documents behind this page
12 documents, of which 1 was published by Springfield itself. Each was read on the date shown.
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title VII, Chapter 49, Section 3, Maintenance of partition fences
- City of SpringfieldCity of Springfield Zoning Ordinance, effective 26 August 2013, amended through 16 December 2025
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title VII, Chapter 49, Fences, Fence Viewers, Pounds and Field Drivers, full chapter listing
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title VII, Chapter 49, Section 21
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title XX, Chapter 143, Section 94, Powers and duties of board
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title XX, Chapter 140, Section 206, Enclosure of swimming pools
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title VII, Chapter 40A, Section 3, Subjects which zoning may not regulate
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title XIV, Chapter 85, Section 8, Permits for signs and other structures projecting into or over ways
- Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards780 CMR 51.00: Massachusetts Residential Code, Chapter R1, Scope and Application, Tenth Edition, amendments to the 2021 International Residential Code
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title XIV, Chapter 86, Section 6, Barbed wire fences
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title VII, Chapter 49, Fences, Fence Viewers, Pounds and Field Drivers
- Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title VII, Chapter 49, Fences, Fence Viewers, Pounds and Field Drivers
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 Springfield publishes, plus the Massachusetts rules that apply where the city sets none. Fence laws in Massachusetts 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