FENCE RULES – PARAGOULD (CITY), ARKANSAS
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within the City of Paragould, subject to local regulations. For properties located outside Paragould municipal limits, Greene County regulates fences in unincorporated areas.
Local fence rules appear in the City of Paragould Code of Ordinances, the City of Paragould Zoning Code, the Fence Permit Regulations, the Subdivision Regulations, the Flood Damage Prevention Code, and the Northend Overlay District Requirements. The City publishes a fence permit and inspection process through the Office of Planning and Development and the City Inspector’s Office.
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 the City of Paragould Planning and Development page, City Inspector page, Code of Ordinances, City of Paragould Zoning Code, Fence Permit Regulations, Subdivision Regulations, Northend Overlay District Requirements, and Flood Damage Prevention materials as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The City of Paragould regulates residential fences through the Office of Planning and Development, the City Inspector’s Office, and adopted land-use, building, subdivision, floodplain, and fence regulations.
The Office of Planning and Development administers and enforces ordinances relating to land use and development, including zoning, subdivisions, manufactured homes, and signs. The City Inspector’s Office performs plan review, administers the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code for residential and commercial construction, performs inspections, and monitors permitting and floodplain management.
The City does not rely on a single standalone fence chapter. Fence rules appear in Code of Ordinances §§ 10-2 and 10-3, Zoning Code § 4.3.7, Zoning Code § 5.8.1, visibility standards in Zoning Code § 2.8, and separate Fence Permit Regulations.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Fence Permit: A fence permit is required before a regulated fence is erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, replaced, removed, or demolished, except for maintenance purposes.
• Site Inspection: The Office of Planning and Development requires site inspection before construction of any fence.
• Fence Plans: Fence plans must be drawn to scale and show the building locations and area to be fenced, the proposed fence height, proposed materials, and surrounding streets and properties. The City’s fence permit materials also require the layout with existing structures, the proposed fence location, and the location of any drainage easement.
• Permit Review: A completed fence application is reviewed for conformity with City standards, and construction must be completed according to the approved plans.
• Final Inspection: Completed fence construction must be inspected for compliance.
• Development Permit Context: The Zoning Code requires a development permit before constructing any improvement or performing site work such as clearing, grading, filling, dredging, or excavating. This is separate from the fence permit process and may matter where a fence project also involves site work, drainage work, or land disturbance.
• Floodplain Review: The City’s flood damage prevention rules apply to special flood hazard areas. Floodplain development includes structural development, clearing, grading, filling, excavation, drainage improvements, flood barriers, and related activities that may affect flood elevations, floodwater velocity, or flood discharge patterns.
• Pool-Related Permits: Construction of a permanent or below-ground swimming pool requires a building permit from the City Inspector’s Office. Pool barriers are regulated separately from ordinary yard fences.
• Northend Overlay District: In the Northend Overlay District, variance requests from district requirements must first be submitted to the Paragould Land Bank for comment and recommendation before official application to the City.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Property Lines: A person seeking to install a fence must verify property lines before installation. Fences may be installed on private property only by or with the consent of the property owner.
• Private Property: Fences must be located on private property and must not extend onto public or publicly controlled property except where the Zoning Code expressly allows written permission from all users for certain underground drainage, sanitary sewer, or utility easement conditions.
• Rights-of-Way and Alleys: Fencing is prohibited in street rights-of-way, including alleys.
• Drainage Easements: City fence permit materials prohibit fences on drainage easements. The Zoning Code also treats public and private drainage easements as special approval areas and states that a drainage easement may not be fenced or obstructed without prior written permission from all users, with access preserved for maintenance.
• Drainage Ditches and Surface Water: No fence or similar structure may impede the flow of surface water or cross an open drainage ditch.
• Sight Triangles: No fence may be located within a sight triangle at the intersection of City streets, roads, or alleys. On corner lots at intersecting two-way streets, fences may not be erected so as to impede vision.
• Corner Lots: For fence-height purposes, each street-side frontage on a corner lot is treated as a front yard.
• Subdivision and Plat Context: Subdivision plats must show streets, alleys, easements, building setback lines, wetlands, floodplains, floodways, and utility-owned property where applicable. These plat conditions may affect where a fence can be placed on a subdivided lot.
• 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 Fence Height: The Zoning Code states that no fence may exceed 7 feet in height, measured from adjacent finished grade, except where another standard applies.
• Front Yard Height: No fence may be constructed in the required front-yard building setback area greater than 4 feet in height. When a primary structure is set back farther than the required front-yard setback, fence height may not exceed 4 feet between a building facade and the street.
• Front of Residence: Fences that are 50 percent open or less may be erected to a maximum height of 4 feet at the front of any residence, structure, or building.
• Corner-Lot Frontage: For corner lots, each street-side frontage is considered a front yard for the 4-foot front-yard height limit.
• Street Intersections: At street intersections, the Zoning Code requires a triangular area to remain free of sight obstructions so that vision between 2 feet and 10 feet above the centerline grades of the intersecting streets is not obscured. The triangle is measured 50 feet along the back of curb on both streets from the point of intersection; where there is no curb, the measurement is 50 feet from the projected edge-of-pavement intersection.
• Driveways and Access Ways: At driveway or access-way intersections with streets, the Zoning Code requires a triangular area to be graded and free of sight obstructions so that vision between 2 feet and 10 feet above the centerline grades is not obscured. The triangle is measured 25 feet from the intersection of curb lines; where there is no curb, the measurement is 25 feet from the projected edge-of-pavement intersection.
• Northend Overlay District: In the Northend Overlay District, newly constructed single-family dwellings on lots not accessible by a rear service alley, where attached or detached garages are used, may separate from sidewalks by a natural hedge, picket, brick, or fence with a maximum height of 3.5 feet.
• Pool Barriers: Existing and future below-ground swimming pools must be surrounded by a barrier at least 4 feet high. Existing and future above-ground pools must either be surrounded by a compliant 4-foot barrier or use a lockable or removable ladder as allowed by City code.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Permitted Materials: Published City fence materials allow wood, masonry, wrought iron, chain link, vinyl, brick, and concrete block. The Zoning Code also identifies wood, vinyl, masonry, black chain-link, or other approved material for fence construction, except where a screening device is required.
• Compatible Design: Fences and walls within a development must be of compatible design and materials.
• Finished Side: Finished surfaces must face outward where the property fronts a public way. The Zoning Code also requires the finished side of the fence to display toward the outside of the enclosed area, with exposed structural members and cross bracing facing internally.
• Prohibited Materials: Razor wire, sheet metal, and pallets are prohibited as fence materials.
• Sharp or Hazardous Tops: Fences or walls topped with or containing metal spikes, broken glass, razor wire, or similar material are prohibited.
• Barbed Wire: Barbed wire fencing is permitted only on property zoned AG, M-1, or M-2, and may not be erected within 5 feet of any public right-of-way. For ordinary residential fencing, barbed wire and other sharp or pointed materials are not allowed except for agricultural purposes.
• Electric Fencing: Electric fencing is prohibited except in agricultural applications.
• Chain Link: Chain link may be used where allowed, but the Zoning Code places additional limits on uncoated chain link and other wire-material fences in front setbacks, and requires chain-link fencing to satisfy applicable district coating or material standards. The Northend Overlay District prohibits chain-link fencing in the district.
• Emergency Gate: All fence-enclosed areas must have at least one gate for emergency ingress and egress, with a minimum gate width of 4 feet.
• Maintenance: Fences must be maintained in an upright position. Damaged or missing parts must be replaced within 90 days with material of the same type and quality.
• Painted or Finished Surfaces: Fences designed to be painted or to have other surface finishes must be maintained in their original condition.
• Pool Barrier Openings: Pool barriers must not have horizontal open spaces greater than 4 inches in width and must not have more than 4 inches of space between the bottom of the barrier and the ground or residential swimming pool deck. Barrier entrances must have a self-closing gate and be lockable.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate independently from City fence rules. These may include HOA covenants, subdivision restrictions, deed restrictions, plat covenants, private easements, agricultural agreements, architectural-review covenants, private maintenance agreements, or boundary agreements.
Private restrictions may be more restrictive than City rules. The City’s fence permit or inspection process does not replace private review unless the City’s official materials expressly say so.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Fence Permit Review: Whether a fence permit has been obtained before regulated fence work begins.
• Site Inspection: Whether the Office of Planning and Development has completed the required pre-construction site inspection.
• Plan Compliance: Whether the constructed fence matches the approved plans for location, height, material, and relationship to surrounding streets and properties.
• Height Limits: Whether the fence exceeds the 7-foot maximum height, the 4-foot front-yard height limit, or the 3.5-foot Northend Overlay sidewalk-separation limit where applicable.
• Visibility: Whether the fence obstructs the required sight triangle at street, alley, road, driveway, or access-way intersections.
• Rights-of-Way and Alleys: Whether the fence encroaches into a street right-of-way or alley.
• Drainage and Easements: Whether the fence is located on a drainage easement, obstructs an easement, blocks maintenance access, impedes surface-water flow, or crosses an open drainage ditch.
• Materials: Whether the fence uses prohibited materials such as razor wire, sheet metal, pallets, prohibited sharp or pointed materials, unapproved electric fencing, or barbed wire outside allowed zoning and agricultural contexts.
• Finished Side and Maintenance: Whether the finished side faces outward, exposed structural members face inward, and the fence remains upright and maintained.
• Pool Barriers: Whether a swimming pool barrier satisfies the City’s 4-foot barrier, opening, bottom-clearance, gate, and lockability standards.
• Floodplain Review: Whether the property is in a special flood hazard area or FLO Flood Overlay District, and whether the project includes floodplain development, grading, filling, excavation, drainage improvements, or flood-barrier construction.
• Subdivision and Plat Conditions: Whether recorded easements, setback lines, drainage areas, floodways, utility locations, or plat covenants affect the fence location.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within the City of Paragould, 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 the Office of Planning and Development, the City Inspector’s Office, and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of Paragould staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.