FENCE RULES – HENDERSON (CITY), TEXAS

OVERVIEW

This page covers ordinary residential fences within the incorporated City of Henderson, Texas.

Henderson requires an improvement location permit for a fence or wall. In its ordinary residential districts, front fencing must be decorative, cannot serve as an enclosure and is limited to 3 feet; side and rear fencing is limited to 6 feet. A fence may be on the property line, but otherwise must be at least 3 feet away. Wood, vinyl/PVC and chain-link are expressly recognized, with restrictions on slats and hazardous materials. Agricultural zoning, a qualifying large setback, corner visibility, historic status, pool use and floodplain conditions can change the applicable requirements. Updated November 2026.

Quick question	Henderson answer
Permit or approval	An improvement location permit is required for a fence or wall. Construction-code, historic, floodplain and pool approvals are separate where applicable.
Typical fence height	Ordinary residential districts: 3-foot decorative, non-enclosing front fence and 6-foot side/rear fence. AG and the qualifying large-setback exception have different limits.
Placement & property lines	On the property line, or at least 3 feet from it. Written easement-holder permission is required within an easement. Sight triangles and drainage restrictions also apply.
Common fence materials	Wood: permitted. Vinyl/PVC: expressly permitted in the residential fence standards. Chain-link: permitted in listed finishes, without metal or plastic privacy slats.
Important local conditions	Fence rules may be further affected by agricultural use, zoning district, large setbacks, corner/driveway visibility, historic designation, floodplain or floodway location, pool barriers and private restrictions.
Official local resource	Henderson permits

The table above is for quick reference. Additional fence-rule details appear in the corresponding sections below. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, read the sections that apply to the property, review the linked official sources, and confirm site-specific questions with Henderson Building Services or the responsible office identified for that issue.

GOVERNANCE

The Henderson City Council adopts the Henderson Code of Ordinances. Building Services and the zoning administrator administer construction and zoning requirements. Sections 153-140 through 153-145 contain the fence and wall standards; Section 153-195 governs sight clearance. Section 150-3 separately addresses construction materials, maintenance, traffic hazards, utilities and drainage.

The Building Official is the Floodplain Administrator. Historic-landmark work has additional review by the Historic Landmark Preservation Committee. The city’s current Building Services guidance and 2026 residential permit packet list the 2021 residential and swimming-pool codes, while the codified adoption sections still identify 2012 editions. Building Services should resolve the applicable construction and pool-code requirements for the project.

PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS

• Fence and wall approval: Section 153-140 requires an improvement location permit for a fence or wall. Submit the proposed location, height, materials and applicable zoning information through the city’s permit process before construction. A replacement must still meet the applicable location, design and maintenance rules.

• Separate construction approval: The 2021 International Residential Code identified by current city guidance exempts fences not over 7 feet from its building-permit requirement. That exemption is separate from the required improvement location permit. Because the codified residential adoption retains the 2012 edition, have Building Services confirm the governing construction requirements for the particular project.

• Historic landmarks and Historic District Overlay: Covered exterior changes to a designated historic landmark need a Certificate of Appropriateness before work, including exterior changes that do not otherwise need a building permit. Submit the description and required plans to the Building Official or Historic Landmark Preservation Committee as the applicable process requires. Ordinary repair and maintenance that does not change architectural or historical value, style, general design, arrangement, texture, material or color is exempt, with the code’s separate treatment of paint color on wooden structures. Obtain the city’s classification of a proposed fence alteration on a designated property.

• Floodplain development: Chapter 151 requires approval for covered development in a special flood hazard area. A fence, wall, fill or excavation proposal there should be submitted to the Building Official as Floodplain Administrator, with a scaled plan, relevant dimensions/elevations and any proposed change to a watercourse or natural drainage.

• Residential pool or spa barrier: Before ordering a pool fence or gate, ask Building Services to resolve the current 2021 guidance and codified 2012 adoption, and approve the applicable barrier height, openings, gates, latch and dwelling-door protection. The question is specific to the pool enclosure and its construction-code requirements.

• Agricultural property: Texas law limits some city requirements affecting qualifying agricultural operations. Acreage alone does not establish an exemption. Review the statewide guide and have the city identify any applicable agricultural protection for the proposed fence.

FENCE PLACEMENT RULES

• Property boundaries and recorded rights: Use the deed, recorded plat and appropriate survey information to establish the proposed location. An existing fence, tax map, GIS line, tree line or mowing line is not a conclusive property boundary. Utility, access, drainage and other easements can restrict fencing or require continued access even where no general fence setback is published. The terms and location of the actual easement or plat condition matter.

• Property-line placement: A fence or wall is permitted on the property line. If it is not on that line, it must be at least 3 feet from the property line so the owner can maintain both sides.

• Easements and drainage: No fence or wall may be within an easement without the easement holder’s written permission. The owner is responsible for design, construction and maintenance, and the fence may not interfere with utility lines or normal drainage.

• Street-intersection sight triangles: Measure from the intersection of the street right-of-way lines; extend curved right-of-way lines to create the measurement corner. The leg parallel to each street is 25 feet where its speed limit is 30 mph or less, 35 feet at 35–40 mph, or 45 feet at 45 mph or greater. Each street determines its own leg length.

• Driveway and alley sight triangles: Use 10-foot legs at the intersection with the street right-of-way. Use the pavement edge to measure along a driveway or alley. Keep the resulting triangle clear within the vertical band described below.

• Drainage and surface water: Keep required drainage paths open. Fence walls, footings, fill and grading must not divert or impound surface water in a way that damages another property by overflow. Review the site’s easements and local drainage requirements.

• Regulatory floodway: Section 151-44 prohibits floodway encroachments, including fill, construction and other development, unless standard-engineering hydrologic and hydraulic analysis demonstrates no increase in flood levels during the base flood. A separate conditional federal process under 44 CFR 65.12 applies to an approved increase. Obtain the Floodplain Administrator’s determination before fence or wall work in the floodway.

• Joint or attached fences: Before removing a jointly owned fence or one attached to another owner’s fence, establish the ownership and obtain the required consent or follow the applicable Texas notice process. The statewide guide explains those rules.

• Pipeline corridors: If construction crosses or affects a pipeline easement or right-of-way, contact the operator and complete the applicable Texas notice and protection process before work. An 811 locate does not replace that process.

• Utility safety before digging: Request a Texas811 locate before digging fence posts. Wait the applicable lawful period, check responses and markings, resolve missing or conflicting information and excavate carefully. Private service lines may need separate locating. Consult the statewide guide for excavation and pipeline requirements.

FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES

• Ordinary residential districts: In RE, R1, R2, R3, R4, M1, M2 and M3, front-yard fences must be decorative, must not serve as an enclosure and may be no higher than 3 feet. Side- and rear-yard fences may be no higher than 6 feet.

• Agricultural district homes and acreage: In AG, a decorative, non-enclosing front fence is limited to 3 feet. A front fence containing farm animals or separating a public road from a crop field may reach 6 feet. Side and rear fences may reach 8 feet.

• Large-setback exception: A fence may reach 10 feet only if it meets the zoning district’s primary-structure side and rear setbacks, is at least 15 feet from every property line and is not forward of the primary structure’s front facade. All of these conditions apply together.

• Clear sight band: Within a required visibility triangle, no fence, wall or other covered obstruction may project into the area between 2 and 9 feet above the adjacent street’s elevation. A corner-lot fence may not create a traffic hazard.

• Homes in another zoning district: A dwelling outside the listed residential or AG districts may be subject to a different fence branch. Have the zoning administrator identify the applicable district requirements for that property.

MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS

• Ordinary residential materials: The residential standards permit wood, composite wood, stone, masonry, wrought iron, decorative powder-coated metal, PVC, vinyl and the listed coated or galvanized chain-link forms. Section 150-3 also requires conventional fencing materials and recognizes treated pine, cedar and redwood.

• Residential prohibited materials: The residential branch prohibits chicken wire, mesh wire, agricultural wire, metal or plastic slats in chain-link, barbed wire, aboveground electrified wires, razor wire, glass, sharpened top spikes and similarly hazardous designs. Section 150-3 additionally prohibits plywood, railroad ties, corrugated steel sheets, cattle panels and hog wire. Chain-link itself remains expressly listed as an allowed residential material.

• Agricultural livestock and field fencing: In AG, chicken wire, wire mesh, agricultural wire, barbed wire and aboveground electrified wires are permitted only for livestock containment or enclosing fields. Razor wire, glass, sharpened top spikes and similarly hazardous designs are prohibited. Section 150-3 also prohibits cattle panels and hog wire, so obtain the city’s determination before selecting a farm-style panel whose classification is disputed.

• Finished side and maintenance: Present the nonstructural face outward toward neighbors. Keep fences upright, maintained and in good condition. Repair or replace damaged pieces with like fencing and adequate bracing; repair or paint rusted or bent metal to match the remaining fence.

• Pool-barrier design: A fence used as a pool barrier needs the specific construction-code approval described under Permit and Approval Requirements. Ordinary yard-fence approval alone does not settle the enclosure, latch, gate or house-wall design.

PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS

Review deed restrictions, homeowners association rules, architectural-review requirements and private agreements about fence ownership, maintenance or costs before construction. Public approval does not settle those private obligations.

Texas law limits some HOA restrictions on security fencing and protected pool enclosures. Check the applicable protections and exceptions in the statewide guide, along with the association’s current documents and review process.

REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT

Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:

• Permits and plans: Whether the required approvals have been obtained and the fence matches the approved location, height and design.

• Placement and visibility: Whether the fence respects the applicable yard rules, surveyed boundaries, easements, road rights-of-way, sight areas and drainage.

• Materials and maintenance: Whether the materials, finished-side requirements and applicable property-specific standards are met and the fence remains in good condition.

• Special property conditions: Whether any historic, agricultural, floodplain, floodway or pool-barrier requirements apply and have been satisfied.

• Excavation: Whether the required utility and pipeline procedures have been completed.

• Private and shared-fence matters: Association review, boundary disputes and ownership or cost agreements are separate from city approval. The joint or attached fence-removal conditions described above can affect replacement work.

USING THIS INFORMATION

This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within the City of Henderson, Texas. Updated November 2026.

In addition to local fence rules, certain Texas laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Texas.

It is not legal advice and does not replace official statutes, ordinances, orders, permits, certificates, development approvals, applicable building-code requirements, surveys, recorded documents or professional guidance. Rules and interpretations may change, and application may vary with municipal or unincorporated location, applicable extraterritorial authority, zoning or special-area status, code adoption and amendments, site conditions, subdivision or plat conditions, easements, rights-of-way, drainage and floodplain requirements, historic or design districts, pool use, agricultural operations and stock laws, fence ownership or attachment, coastal or public-access conditions, utility and pipeline excavation requirements, and private restrictions subject to Texas law. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and site-specific limitations with Henderson Building Services and the responsible office for each applicable issue, and review applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with controlling law, adopted regulations or official requirements, the controlling authorities govern. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.