FENCE RULES – TEXARKANA (CITY), TEXAS

OVERVIEW

This page covers residential fence projects inside the incorporated City of Texarkana, Texas, in Bowie County. Texarkana, Arkansas and property outside the Texas city’s incorporated boundaries have separate governing requirements.

Texarkana combines general fence height and traffic-visibility rules with detailed requirements for historic property and drainage corridors. For ordinary residential work governed by the adopted IRC, fences not over 7 feet are exempt from the building permit; taller fences require that permit. The City’s broader no-permit FAQ wording conflicts with the adopted code. Special approvals remain important for historic work, pools, floodplain development and public land or easements. Property-line fences behind the required front-yard line have an 8-foot maximum above adjacent grade. Wood, vinyl/PVC and chain-link have different treatment in special contexts; the historic district has its own material list. Updated November 2026.

Quick question	Texarkana answer
Permit or approval	For residential work governed by the adopted 2024 IRC, fences not over 7 feet are exempt from its building permit; above 7 feet, a building permit is required. The City FAQ’s broader no-permit wording does not match that adopted exemption. Historic, pool, floodplain, drainage and right-of-way approvals remain separate; the 8-foot zoning height limit is not a permit exemption.
Typical fence height	8 feet above adjacent grade for property-line fences behind the required front-yard line. Driver visibility applies at intersections. Highland Park–Bingham Park has additional location restrictions.
Placement & property lines	Fences must remain within private property boundaries. The zoning ordinance specifies no general numeric fence setback from a private lot line. Public rights-of-way, easements, drainage channels and 15-foot corner clear-vision areas affect placement.
Common fence materials	Wood: expressly recognized in historic and special screening rules. Vinyl/PVC: not specifically addressed as an ordinary citywide fence material; not on the historic district’s required material list. Chain-link: restricted in the historic district and certain screening contexts; recognized for lined-channel safety fencing.
Important local conditions	Fence rules may be further affected by historic designation, planned-development conditions, public utility or drainage easements, flood hazards, pool enclosure use, animal confinement and agricultural operations.
Official local resource	Texarkana Inspections and Permits FAQ

The table above is for quick reference. Additional 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 Inspections and Code Enforcement or the responsible office identified for the issue.

GOVERNANCE

The City Council adopts Texarkana’s Code of Ordinances, including zoning, buildings and construction, historic preservation, drainage, stormwater, streets and subdivision requirements. Texarkana is a home-rule city. These municipal fence rules concern property within the incorporated city.

Inspections and Code Enforcement administers building permits and code compliance, with the Chief Building Official and Code and Zoning Administrative Coordinator handling their respective functions. Planning & Community Development handles planning and historic preservation functions. The Historic Preservation Officer and Historic Landmark Preservation Commission administer historic review. Public Works handles rights-of-way, drainage and stormwater; the City Engineer is the floodplain administrator.

Sections 105-75 and 105-98 adopt the 2024 International Building Code and 2024 International Residential Code with local amendments. The residential adoption was amended by Ordinance 2026-010, adopted April 13, 2026. Chapter 145 contains the historic standards as subsequently amended, including Ordinance 2024-129. A property’s planned-development ordinance and recorded plat may add property-specific conditions.

PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ordinary residential fences: Sections 105-98–99, as amended by Ordinance 2026-010 on April 13, 2026, adopt the 2024 IRC and do not amend its fence permit exemption. IRC Section R105.2 exempts fences not over seven feet; above seven feet, the building-permit requirement applies to residential work governed by that code. Section 105-8 also requires permits for covered work unless exempted by the Code, Land Development Code or adopted technical code. The City’s Inspections FAQ broadly says fences need no permit, and its Planning FAQ describes fences below eight feet. Those administrative summaries do not match the adopted residential-code exemption and should not be treated as authorization to build a residential fence above seven feet without a permit. The separate eight-foot zoning maximum does not enlarge the permit exemption. Obtain the required permit for taller residential fences and have Inspections resolve the inconsistent guidance before work. Historic and other site approvals below remain separate even where the IRC building permit is exempt.

• Historic landmarks and historic districts: Chapter 145 requires a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for covered construction, installation, alteration, removal or relocation and material changes to fences or other exterior elements visible from public right-of-way. Submit the application to the Historic Preservation Officer before work. Approval precedes any required building permit and is additional to that permit. Review uses the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and applicable Council-ratified design guidelines.

• Historic application and review: The City’s Certificate of Appropriateness process requests an owner-signed application, legal description, legible scaled drawings showing the site and fences, two copies of color photographs, and material/color samples; its published filing lead time is 18 days before the meeting. The current ordinance provides administrative review for qualifying in-kind replacements, including matching materials and approved repainting; the Historic Preservation Officer determines ordinary maintenance. Other work goes to the Commission. The ordinance provides a 14-day comment period, deemed issuance if no hearing is scheduled within 90 days after original receipt, one year from COA issuance to secure all required permits and complete the approved work, with written extension requests decided by the Historic Preservation Officer or Commission, prior approval of later design changes, and quarterly reports for projects extending beyond 90 days. Completion must be reported for compliance inspection and closeout. The fiscal-year 2026 fee schedule lists $75 per historic-district COA applicant.

• Historic appeals and limited waiver: A person adversely affected by a Commission decision may file a written appeal with the Historic Preservation Officer within ten days, following the ordinance’s Board of Adjustment process. For Highland Park–Bingham Park, the Commission may waive review of a completed change that will not be visible from public right-of-way. This is a Commission decision.

• Pool projects: The City requires building permits for above-ground and in-ground swimming pools and states that pools must be fenced. Its currently linked pool application, revised February 4, 2019, requests two construction-plan sets and two site-plan sets, or digital copies, existing-fence information, disturbed acreage and subcontractor information, with Public Works approval. The fiscal-year 2026 new-pool construction permit fee is $200. Enclosure and gate design must comply with the applicable pool safety requirements and approved plans. The municipal pool-code framework is in Local Government Code §214.103. Chapter 24’s public/semipublic operating rules distinguish private single-family residential pools; association and multiunit pools may have separate state enclosure requirements.

• Floodplain projects: Chapter 110 applies in areas of special flood hazard and requires a floodplain development permit for covered development, including excavation, filling, grading and other manmade changes. Submit the proposed location, dimensions and elevations and the extent of natural-drainage or watercourse alterations to the City Engineer. Supporting information depends on the proposed work.

• Land disturbance: Section 125-63 establishes a separate stormwater permit before covered construction, excavation and other land disturbance, unless an applicable exemption applies. Obtain it at least two working days before construction and post it on site. An erosion and sediment control plan is required for disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more; a stormwater pollution prevention plan generally applies at one acre or more and specified larger-development conditions. The ordinance has redevelopment qualifications and exempts qualifying routine grounds maintenance, landscaping and home gardening that require no platting, replatting or building permit and do not affect drainage. Agricultural, emergency and other specified exemptions have their own conditions. The Director may impose protective requirements on a site of any size to prevent significant pollutant discharge or imminent harm.

• Planned development and public land: A required Planned Development (PD) site plan identifies fence/wall location, height and materials. Encumbrances of public rights-of-way or easements require the separate City process. Chapter 130’s right-of-way (ROW) construction provisions also apply to covered work, with stated maintenance, utility-easement, emergency, storm-event and already-authorized-work exceptions.

FENCE PLACEMENT RULES

• Private property lines: City fence guidance requires installation within private property lines. The zoning fence provisions do not impose a general numeric setback from a private lot line. A legal boundary, building setback line, recorded easement and public right-of-way are different features. Deeds, recorded plats and a professional survey help establish the relevant boundaries; existing fences, curbs, ditches, mowing lines and GIS imagery are not conclusive boundary evidence.

• Public rights-of-way and easements: Section 130-5 prohibits fences and walls on or within public rights-of-way and restricts structures within public utility or drainage easements. It expressly permits removable-section fencing within a dedicated public utility easement, subject to access and removal: the City or franchised utility need not replace items removed for maintenance, construction or reconstruction. A license to encumber public ROW uses the Public Works application process, indemnification and insurance requirements; the ordinance specifies coverage of $1,000,000 per person for bodily injury and $500,000 per occurrence for property damage. Licensing does not authorize an unsafe obstruction.

• Subdivision and zero-lot-line conditions: Public subdivision requirements establish utility and drainage corridors shown on plats. Section 135-15 generally provides rear utility easements of at least 10 feet on each side of the lot line and side/street utility easements of at least 5 feet, with wider corridors where necessary for main lines. These are subdivision easement-design dimensions. Planned Unit Residential (PUR) zero-side lots have a recorded 3-foot access and maintenance easement for adjoining dwelling maintenance; preserve the rights established by the actual instrument.

• Drainage-channel fencing: Section 120-7 requires drainage easements to remain free of obstructions preventing routine maintenance by motorized equipment. Fences may cross earthen channels only when materials and spacing provide enough open area to preserve design flow, with owner/developer debris removal. Fencing across lined channels is prohibited.

• Drainage-facility design: The Stormwater Management Design Manual provides channel-specific easement geometry and may require a 6-foot chain-link fence, or another Director-approved fence, on each side of a lined channel. Earthen-channel easement design uses a 4:1 slope to adjacent natural ground plus an additional 8 feet on at least one side; lined-channel design uses the top bank plus an additional 8 feet on at least one side. Closed-conduit easement widths vary with pipe size: 15 feet for 39 inches and under; 20 feet for 42–54 inches; 25 feet for 60–66 inches; and 30 feet for 72–102 inches. The recorded corridor and approved design determine the site constraint.

• Floodplain and watercourses: Chapter 110 prohibits floodway encroachments unless the required hydrologic and hydraulic analysis demonstrates no increase in base-flood levels, subject to its specified federal approval alternative. Where a regulatory floodway has not been designated in the stated A/AE zones, the ordinance applies a cumulative one-foot-rise limit with its federal approval alternative. The drainage manual separately addresses No Rise Certificates and FEMA-approved conditional map revisions for covered development submissions. Section 125-35 requires watercourses to remain free of flow-retarding debris and obstacles, with private structures maintained against hazards to their function. Section 125-34 prohibits erosion deposits on adjoining property, streets, utilities, ROW or easements. Water Code §11.086 prohibits damaging overflow caused by unlawful diversion or impoundment of natural surface water.

• Existing shared or attached fences: Agriculture Code §§143.121–143.123 restrict removal of a jointly owned dividing fence or a fence attached to another person’s fence, except by mutual consent or the statutory process. Under §143.122, a person with an ownership interest in a fence attached to another person’s fence may physically separate their fence from the other fence after six months’ written notice of the intended separation to the other fence’s owner or that person’s agent, attorney or lessee. Under §143.123, an owner whose fence is wholly on their own land may require the owner of an attached fence to disconnect and withdraw that attached fence after six months’ written notice of the required disconnection to that attached fence’s owner or the owner’s agent, attorney or lessee. Ownership and attachment determine which provision applies.

• Pipeline easements: Health and Safety Code §§756.121–756.123 separately govern covered construction on, across, over or under pipeline easements or work creating pipeline risk. Operator notice and the stated risk/protective-work or agreement conditions apply, subject to the statute’s exceptions. An 811 ticket does not replace easement rights or this construction process.

• Utility safety before post digging: Request a Texas811 locate, wait the lawful period and follow ticket instructions, check responses and site markings, resolve missing or conflicting responses through the current process, protect markings and dig carefully. Utilities Code Chapter 251 covers specified mechanized excavation, including augers, to 16 inches or deeper; ordinary notice is no earlier than the 14th day before work and no later than 48 hours before work, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. For notice delivered before 11:59 a.m. Saturday, the statutory branch permits the following Tuesday at 11:59 a.m., or Wednesday at that time if Monday is a holiday. Private lines and some water/sewer facilities may need separate locating. Railroad Commission pipeline rules can cover manual digging deeper than 16 inches, generally use a 14-working-day ticket life, require refresh of unfinished areas and records generally retained four years, and have their own response and careful-excavation duties. These requirements are separate from permits and property permission.

FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES

• Property-line fences behind the front-yard line: Section 140-149 limits fences and walls in this location to 8 feet above adjacent grade. The front-yard line is determined under §140-140; its building-yard dimensions are not a general fence setback. The City FAQ separately states an 8-foot maximum for fences. The zoning fence subsection does not provide a distinct numerical front-yard fence maximum.

• Intersections, alleys and driveways: No fence, screen, wall or other visual barrier may obstruct a driver approaching a street, alley or drive intersection. At street intersections, maintain clear vision across the lot for 15 feet back from the property corner along both streets. This visibility requirement remains relevant at otherwise compliant fence heights.

• Highland Park–Bingham Park height and location: Maximum fence height is 8 feet, with no front-yard fences. An interior-side fence belongs in the rear 50% of the side yard behind the main building’s rearmost side projection. The Commission may allow the rear 75% when significant architectural features on the same or adjacent lot remain unscreened. A corner-side fence must not sit directly in front of that facade; coverage of no more than 50% may be permitted when unusual pedestrian or vehicle traffic warrants privacy and significant architectural features remain visible. Keep a corner-side fence at least 2 feet from a public sidewalk. Fences run parallel or perpendicular to a building wall or lot line. On a vacant lot, follow at least the closest main building’s setback on the blockface; a single interior vacant lot follows the greater setback of adjacent main buildings.

• University Planned Development District (UPDD): Section 140-111 includes mapped residential and mixed-use subareas. Sites adjoining the Bringle Lake Wilderness Area have a 15-foot landscaped buffer regardless of zoning use. A 10-foot tree buffer, with 70% tree coverage and referenced fencing, applies along the mapped boundary between areas 5 and 7 and specified zone 8 boundaries adjoining Briarwood Circle through Parcel 6005. The separate screening subsection excludes single-family residential; where applicable to another development adjoining single-family residential, its screen is solid, at least 7 feet above ground, similar along a common line, and leaves 2 inches below for drainage or uses approved additional drainage spacing. Property-specific PD conditions remain controlling for the approved project.

MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS

• Ordinary residential materials: The general zoning fence subsection does not provide a citywide ordinary-fence list specifically addressing wood, vinyl/PVC, chain-link, barbed wire or razor wire. Wood and chain-link are expressly recognized or restricted in the special contexts below. Vinyl/PVC is not specifically addressed as an ordinary citywide material. Electronic pet-containment systems have the separate restriction stated below.

• Highland Park–Bingham Park materials: Fences must use wrought iron, wood, brick or stucco. Exposed concrete blocks are prohibited. Chain-link is permitted only where invisible from public ROW. Vinyl/PVC is not among the enumerated materials. Fences must be constructed and maintained vertically.

• Historic masonry, metal and wood: Match masonry color, texture, pattern, dimensions and mortar-joint color, width, type and elevation to the main building as nearly as practicable. Exposed brick must meet ASTM C-126-75A, Grade FBS-SW. Wrought iron must suit the main building’s style and period; its color must complement the structure’s style and overall color scheme. Wood structural posts must be at least 4 inches nominal diameter; the finished side, hiding structural components, faces a public street. Wood paint or stain must complement the main building.

• Historic walls and gates: Front- and side-yard retaining walls are restricted to preserving a natural/existing slope or making it similar to an adjacent lot; wall height cannot exceed the retained slope. Use compatible unpainted stone, brick, stucco or smooth-finished concrete. Porte cocheres must not be enclosed by fences, gates or other materials; a rear wrought-iron gate is permitted with less than 50% screening and compatible style/scale.

• Required PD screening: Section 140-150 requires masonry or a concrete/metal frame supporting permanent screening, with no more than 40 square inches of openings per square foot of surface; gates match height and screening. Other required screening devices under §140-179 use stone, brick, pierced brick, uniformly colored wood or equal permanent material, at least 7 feet above adjoining property and at least 80% solid. Chain-link with or without slats/coverings and block fences do not qualify under that definition. The adjoining commercial/industrial user carries the specified screen and continuing-maintenance obligation. These are required-screening conditions, rather than an ordinary homeowner material list.

• UPDD screening where its non-single-family subsection applies: Fence materials are stone, brick, decorative split-faced block masonry, decorative concrete or other masonry materials, or their combination. The solid-screen, common-line consistency and drainage conditions above accompany that list. Chapter 115’s general landscaping-screen provisions exempt single-family dwellings and duplexes.

• Dog and livestock confinement: Section 8-5 requires dogs in a building or fenced area of at least 100 square feet per dog over four months old, of adequate strength and construction to contain the dog. A capable person’s leash/physical control and the ordinance’s vehicle-cab provision have separate treatment. An electronic fence does not satisfy this chapter. Livestock/fowl enclosures and fences must prevent escape and public entry. Housing enclosures for livestock/fowl under §8-12(e) are at least 100 feet from a main dwelling on an adjoining tract, subject to the hen exception. For permitted hens, §8-12(h) provides at least 4 square feet per hen, a maximum of six hens at a single-family dwelling and a 30-foot separation of the hen enclosure from a residential dwelling on an adjoining tract; the stated subsection exceptions apply to hen housing.

• Legally designated dangerous dogs: Section 8-18 requires the specified restraint within 13 days after learning of dangerous-dog ownership: a leash under immediate personal control or a secure enclosure. The enclosure must be locked, prevent public entry including children, prevent escape/release, be clearly marked for a dangerous dog, and meet Animal Control Officer enclosure requirements. Separate muzzle and other dangerous-dog duties remain applicable.

• Agricultural operations: Agriculture Code Chapter 251 qualifies municipal requirements affecting actual agricultural operations, with evidence, report and resolution conditions and retained state/federal requirements. Its livestock-protection-dog exception applies while the dog protects livestock on controlled property. Ordinary residential lots do not acquire agricultural-operation status from size alone.

• Pool enclosure construction: Pool fences and gates must satisfy the applicable safety requirements for the pool’s use and approved design. A single-family pool, an association/multiunit pool and a public facility have different legal classifications. The City’s published Inspections FAQ describes a minimum 4½-foot enclosure, self-closing and self-latching gates, and openings between pickets and between the fence and ground that do not admit a five-inch sphere. An older City pool application instead describes a minimum 4-foot fence, also with self-closing and self-latching gates. These City guidance documents conflict on height. Neither their height nor opening wording should be used as construction approval; obtain the building official’s current enclosure and gate requirements for the permitted project before installation.

PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS

Recorded covenants, HOA architectural rules, private easements, conservation restrictions and boundary/maintenance/cost agreements can independently affect a fence, within Texas statutory limits. Public approval does not establish ownership or resolve cost-sharing obligations. A public plat condition or public easement is administered separately from private covenants.

Property Code §202.023 protects security measures, including perimeter fencing, subject to retained association powers. Associations may regulate fence type, prohibit obstruction of license areas, public/community sidewalks and drainage easements/areas, require driveway gates at least 10 feet from ROW where the driveway meets a defined laned roadway, and enforce a covenant prohibiting fences forward of the dwelling’s front-most building line. The gate provision is an association authority.

The statute protects maintenance of perimeter/front-building-line fencing installed or constructed before September 1, 2025. Specified address-confidentiality and documented enhanced-security cases limit front-building-line prohibitions. Section 202.023 excludes condominiums under Chapters 81/82 and Chapter 215 master mixed-use associations.

Section 202.022 protects defined nonclimbable pool enclosures of transparent mesh or clear panels in metal frames, no more than 6 feet high, that comply with applicable safety requirements. Appearance/color controls remain, but an association cannot prohibit the protected black transparent-mesh form. This protection does not substitute for pool safety approval.

REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT

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

• Location and visibility: property boundaries, intersection sight areas, public ROW, utility and drainage easements and unobstructed maintenance access.

• Special property conditions: historic COAs, Highland Park–Bingham Park design criteria, planned-development screening, drainage-channel crossings, floodplain work and stormwater controls.

• Construction and use: approved pool barriers, safe animal confinement, utility/pipeline excavation duties and restrictions affecting jointly owned or attached fences.

• Private review: association approvals and private easement or ownership disputes are separate from City code enforcement.

USING THIS INFORMATION

This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within the City of Texarkana, 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 Inspections and Code Enforcement 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.