FENCE RULES – CONWAY (COUNTY), ARKANSAS
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within Conway County, subject to local regulations. This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Conway County; incorporated municipalities may regulate fences under their own ordinances.
Conway County does not publish a consolidated residential fence chapter. Fence-relevant rules appear instead in the Conway County Code of Ordinances, especially Chapter 12 – Roads / Transportation for county roads, road rights-of-way, public-road encroachments, drainage structures, driveways, and subdivision road dedication, and Chapter 2 – Administration for the county flood damage prevention program.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s adopted materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one.
Compiled From Conway County website, County Clerk page, Circuit Clerk page, County Service Directory, Conway County Code of Ordinances Chapter 2 – Administration, Chapter 12 – Roads / Transportation, and Chapter 13 – Urban / Rural Development, as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
Conway County is governed by the Conway County Quorum Court and administered through county offices including the Conway County Judge, Conway County Clerk, and other county offices identified in the county service materials.
The Conway County Clerk keeps permanent records of quorum court proceedings. The Conway County Circuit Clerk acts as the ex-officio county recorder for deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property instruments.
The county code does not establish a standalone residential fence ordinance. Chapter 13 – Urban / Rural Development reserves its Building article and does not publish a local residential fence zoning article. For source-grounded fence issues, the most specific county rules are the Chapter 12 road, right-of-way, driveway, drainage, and encroachment provisions and the Chapter 2 flood damage prevention program.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Fence Permit: Conway County does not publish a local fence permit requirement for standard residential fences in the unincorporated county.
• Building Permit: Conway County does not identify a county building-permit process for standard residential fences and does not publish a local process for taller residential fences. Chapter 13 – Urban / Rural Development reserves its Building article.
• Zoning Compliance: The code does not publish a local zoning permit requirement for standard residential fences. Building permit requirements are separate from setback or plat requirements.
• Road, Drainage, and Driveway Work: A permit from the Conway County Judge is required before constructing, reconstructing, altering, removing, or replacing any portion of a road, curb or gutter, drainage structure, or driveway abutting a dedicated street within the county. This is not a general fence permit, but it may apply when fence work is tied to driveway, drainage, entrance, gate, or road work.
• Road Right-of-Way Permission: A gate, fence, barricade, object, physical obstruction, or impediment may not be placed upon, over, or across the roadway of a county road or public road, or within a road maintenance easement area or road right-of-way, unless authorized by permission of the proper jurisdiction.
• Floodplain Compliance: The Flood Damage Prevention Program applies within Special Flood Hazard Areas in Conway County. The ordinance requires full compliance when any structure or land is constructed, located, substantially altered, or changed in use, and it controls floodplain development including structural development, clearing, grading, fill, excavating, drainage improvements, roadway or bridge construction, watercourse alteration, and other activities that may affect flood damage.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Property Lines: The ordinance does not state a setback requirement for standard residential fences from property lines; however, fences must be located entirely on the owner’s property and must not encroach into rights-of-way or easements.
• County Roads and Public Roads: Chapter 12 prohibits unauthorized placement of a gate, fence, barricade, object, physical obstruction, or impediment upon, over, or across a county road, public road, road maintenance easement area, or road right-of-way.
• Private Roads Proposed for County Acceptance: A privately developed road proposed for acceptance into the county road system must have a minimum 60-foot right-of-way. The right-of-way must be free of brush, fences, and other obstructions or encroachments before acceptance.
• Driveway and Drainage Interfaces: A permit from the Conway County Judge is required before constructing, reconstructing, altering, removing, or replacing a road, curb or gutter, drainage structure, or driveway abutting a dedicated street. Fence layouts that affect driveway entrances, drainage structures, or road access may fall within this separate road-related review.
• Floodplain Areas: In Special Flood Hazard Areas, the county flood damage prevention program controls floodplain development, including structural development, clearing, grading, fill, excavation, drainage improvements, and related land changes. The code does not state a separate ordinary fence setback for floodplain properties.
• Utility Safety: Arkansas law requires notice through Arkansas 811 before excavation where the Arkansas Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act applies. For fence projects that involve digging, including fence post holes, notice may be required before excavation begins. Arkansas law also includes specific exemptions, including certain agricultural-purpose posthole digging on private property outside an operator right-of-way.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Maximum Height: The code does not specify a maximum height for standard residential fences.
• Yard-Based Height Limits: The code does not specify separate fence height limits for front yards, side yards, rear yards, or corner lots.
• Sight Triangle and Clear-Vision Rules: The code does not publish a residential fence sight-triangle, clear-vision, or driveway-visibility standard.
• Road Safety Context: A fence, gate, barricade, object, or physical obstruction may not be placed in a county road, public road, road maintenance easement area, or road right-of-way unless authorized by the proper jurisdiction. The road encroachment rule also addresses objects that obstruct, impede, or render a county road or public road unsafe for pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Fence Materials: The code does not specify permitted or prohibited materials for standard residential fences.
• Finished Side and Orientation: The code does not specify a finished-side, orientation, opacity, or decorative-side requirement for standard residential fences.
• Specific Materials: The code does not publish standard residential fence rules for wood, vinyl, chain link, masonry, barbed wire, electric fencing, or battery-charged fencing.
• Gates and Barriers in Road Areas: Gates and fences are regulated when they are placed upon, over, or across a county road, public road, road maintenance easement area, or road right-of-way. This is a placement and encroachment rule, not a material standard.
• Flood Barriers: The flood damage prevention program regulates the construction of flood barriers that unnaturally divert floodwaters or may adversely impact lands. The code does not convert that flood-barrier rule into an ordinary residential fence material standard.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate independently from county fence rules. Subdivision covenants, HOA rules, deed restrictions, private easements, agricultural agreements, boundary agreements, and recorded property instruments may impose additional or more restrictive fence limits.
The Flood Damage Prevention Program states that it does not impair existing easements, covenants, or deed restrictions, and that where there is a conflict or overlap, the more stringent restriction applies.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Road Encroachments: Whether a gate, fence, barricade, object, physical obstruction, or impediment has been placed upon, over, or across a county road, public road, road maintenance easement area, or road right-of-way without authorization from the proper jurisdiction.
• Road, Drainage, or Driveway Work: Whether related work involving a road, curb or gutter, drainage structure, or driveway abutting a dedicated street required a permit from the Conway County Judge.
• Private Road Dedication: Whether a privately developed road proposed for county acceptance has the required 60-foot right-of-way and whether that right-of-way is free of brush, fences, and other obstructions or encroachments.
• Floodplain Development: Whether property in a Special Flood Hazard Area involves floodplain development, structural development, grading, fill, excavation, drainage improvements, flood-barrier construction, or other regulated land changes under the county flood damage prevention program.
• Private Property Instruments: Whether an easement, covenant, deed restriction, HOA rule, or other private restriction imposes a more restrictive fence location, height, material, or approval condition.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Conway County, based on publicly available materials reviewed as of May 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Arkansas laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Arkansas.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, surveys, or professional guidance. Rules and interpretations may change, and application may vary based on zoning district, site conditions, easements, rights-of-way, floodplain status, historic district status, rural or agricultural context, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants or private agreements. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with Conway County Judge, Conway County Clerk, and any applicable Floodplain Administrator, and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Conway County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.