FENCE RULES – RUSSELLVILLE (CITY), ARKANSAS
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Russellville, subject to local regulations. For properties located outside City of Russellville municipal limits, Pope County regulates fences in unincorporated areas.
Local fence standards appear primarily in the Russellville Zoning Code 2026, Article IV, Fences, Walls, and Hedges. Related requirements also appear in the zoning fee schedule, swimming-pool provisions, retaining-wall provisions, animal-control provisions, the Russellville Downtown Historic District Design Guidelines, and city building-permit and code-enforcement materials.
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 Russellville Zoning Code 2026, Russellville Downtown Historic District Design Guidelines, City Administration Code, City Code for Offenses Involving Public Safety, Health and Welfare, Property Maintenance Code, City Building Permits page, Codes and Ordinances page, Planning and Development page, Historic District Commission page, and Code Enforcement page as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The City of Russellville regulates residential fences through the Russellville Zoning Code 2026, especially Article IV, Fences, Walls, and Hedges.
The Planning and Development Department administers planning, zoning, land-use review, zoning fees, fence-related acknowledgments for utility easements, and related zoning-code administration. The Board of Adjustment handles zoning variances, including fence-height variances where required.
The Fire, Building & Safety Division administers building permits and building-code review. Russellville has adopted the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code framework, and the city’s building-permit materials identify the Fire, Building & Safety Division as the local building-permit authority.
The Russellville Historic District Commission and the city’s historic-preservation staff administer Certificate of Appropriateness review for properties in the Russellville Downtown Historic District. The Code Enforcement function addresses zoning and property-maintenance compliance, including complaint-based review.
The Public Works Department is relevant where drainage, rights-of-way, easements, public improvements, floodplain administration, or City Engineer review affects a fence location.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Fence Review and Fee Categories: The Russellville Zoning Code fee schedule lists fence categories for fences 6 feet or less, fences over 6 feet through 7 feet with a previously approved variance, and fences greater than 7 feet with reference to Building Permit Regulations.
• Height Variance: No fence may be higher than 6 feet, except as required by the Russellville Zoning Code for specific uses, unless a variance is obtained from the Board of Adjustment. The variance must be approved before construction.
• Fences Greater Than 7 Feet: A fence greater than 7 feet is listed in the zoning fee schedule as subject to the fence fee category and additional Building Permit Regulations. This does not remove the separate zoning rule that fences over 6 feet require a variance unless otherwise required by the code for a specific use.
• Historic District Approval: In the Russellville Downtown Historic District, exterior work is subject to design review except routine or ordinary maintenance. A Certificate of Appropriateness is required before a city building permit may be issued for covered work in the district. The district’s design guidelines include a specific Fences and Walls section.
• Swimming Pool Fences: Before constructing a swimming pool, the owner must apply to the city for a permit. The application must show the lot, the pool, pool equipment, walkways, fences, walls, and other facilities needed to show compliance with the swimming-pool section of the Zoning Code.
• Utility Easement Acknowledgment: Fencing in a utility easement is permitted only with the conditions stated in the Zoning Code. A fence enclosing a utility easement must include a gate for access, and fencing in utility easements requires an acknowledgment form provided by the Planning and Development Department.
• Retaining Walls: A retaining wall is not treated as an ordinary fence. Retaining walls are regulated separately, and retaining-wall permits, plans, engineering certification, City Engineer review, and inspections may apply where the retaining-wall section is triggered.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Private Property and Consent: All fences and walls must be located on private property and built with the consent of the property owner. The fence installer and property owner are responsible for correctly locating property boundaries. Fences and walls may not encroach upon adjacent property.
• Street Edge Location: Fences, walls, and hedges are permitted in required yards or along the periphery of a yard unless the periphery or edge of the yard is within 10 feet of any street. In that situation, fences, walls, and hedges may not be closer than 10 feet from the edge of the street.
• Front Yard Location: Fences, walls, and hedges may be located along the sides or front edge of a required front yard, but the front-yard height limit applies in those locations.
• Side and Rear Yard Location: Fences, hedges, and walls may project into or be located along the side yard from the front building line of the lot to the rear lot line, subject to the applicable height limits.
• Surface Water and Drainage: A fence may not restrict the flow of surface water. A fence in a stormwater drainage path must have a minimum clearance of 2 inches above finished grade to allow water to flow under the fence. No fence may be constructed within 5 feet of the top of the backslope of an open ditch.
• Drainage Easements and Open Channels: Fences and walls may not impede surface-water flow, may not cross open drainage channels, and may not be proposed within a surface-water drainage easement.
• Utility Easements: Walls used as fences and footings for retaining walls are prohibited in utility easements. Other fences may be located in a utility easement only under the Zoning Code’s stated conditions, including owner-risk acknowledgment and access-gate requirements.
• Access Easements: Fences and walls may not be constructed over or across any public or private access easement.
• 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
• Front Yard Height: A fence, wall, or hedge along the sides or front edge of a required front yard may not be over 3 1/2 feet in height.
• Side and Rear Height: Fences and walls located along the side yard from the front building line to the rear lot line may not exceed 6 feet in height unless required by the Russellville Zoning Code for specific uses. This 6-foot limit applies to fences and walls, not hedges or trees.
• Fences Over 6 Feet: No fence may be higher than 6 feet unless a variance is approved by the Board of Adjustment, except where the Russellville Zoning Code requires a higher fence for a specific use.
• Replacement in Kind: Replacement in kind, in design, dimensions, and location, of existing fences, walls, or hedges is permitted in any yard without a variance, except as required for any fence in excess of 6 feet.
• Intersection and Driveway Visibility: On corner lots, intersections, and driveway intersections, nothing may be erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow in a way that materially impedes vision between 2 1/2 feet and 10 feet above the centerline grade of the intersecting street. The restricted area is measured from the street right-of-way lines and a line joining points along the right-of-way lines 25 feet from the point of intersection.
• Higher-Speed or Nonlocal Intersections: The Zoning Code’s local intersection graphic applies to local/local intersections with a speed limit of less than 30 mph on the main road. For speeds higher than 30 mph, unique terrain, an intersection with a classification higher than a local road, or at the discretion of the City Engineer, AASHTO sight-distance standards apply.
• Swimming Pool Barriers: Private pools, excluding certain smaller drained or covered installations, must be enclosed by a fence, wall, building, or other enclosure that completely encloses the pool. The enclosure must provide a minimum height of 4 feet entirely around the pool.
• Livestock Fence Heights: For livestock enclosures, the Animal Control Code requires a minimum 5-foot fence for horses, mules, asses, or donkeys, and a minimum 3-foot, 6-inch fence for other listed livestock. These are animal-control and livestock-enclosure rules, not ordinary urban residential yard-height limits.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Accepted Materials: Acceptable fence or wall materials include wood, masonry, wrought iron, chain link, vinyl, and concrete block.
• Prohibited Materials: Razor wire, sheet metal, and pallets are prohibited as fence materials.
• Barbed Wire: Barbed wire is permitted only in areas zoned M-1, M-2, or A-1, and may not be placed within 5 feet of any public right-of-way. The Zoning Code also allows security fencing for public uses or public utilities regardless of zoning.
• Electric Fences: Electric fences are permitted only in areas zoned A-1 and may not be placed within 5 feet of any public sidewalk or right-of-way. Low-power electric fences designed to keep pets in yards are exempt from that zoning restriction.
• Electric or Invisible Animal Enclosures: Electric or underground invisible enclosures or fences used for animal containment must be clearly marked and identified with signage that provides reasonable notice to persons lawfully entering the property.
• Finished Side Orientation: Finished surfaces must face outward from the property when viewed from the public right-of-way. Posts and support beams must be inside the finished surface or designed as an integral part of the finished surface.
• Fence Maintenance: Fences must be maintained in their original, upright condition. Fences designed to be painted or to have other surface finishes must be maintained in the original condition. Missing boards, pickets, or posts must be replaced within 90 days with material of the same type and quality.
• Pool-Barrier Construction: Pool enclosures must be constructed so as to afford no external handholds or footholds. Openings and member spacing are limited by the Zoning Code, and pool gates must be self-closing and equipped on the inside with lockable, self-latching mechanisms.
• Downtown Historic District Fences and Walls: In the Russellville Downtown Historic District, fencing should be compatible with the site and adjacent buildings, should be kept to a minimum, and should reflect the commercial and industrial nature of the historic district. Razor-wire fencing is identified as inappropriate in the district guidelines.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate independently from City of Russellville fence rules.
• Private Covenants and HOAs: HOAs, subdivision covenants, architectural-review covenants, deed restrictions, and private development agreements may impose fence standards that are more restrictive than city rules.
• Private Easements and Boundary Agreements: Private easements, shared-access agreements, drainage agreements, agricultural agreements, and private boundary arrangements may affect where a fence can be placed.
• Separate Review: City review does not determine private ownership rights, private covenant compliance, or private boundary disputes unless an official city source expressly makes that issue part of city review.
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 Fee and Review Categories: Fence projects may be reviewed through the Zoning Code’s fence categories, including the categories for 6 feet or less, over 6 feet through 7 feet with previously approved variance, and greater than 7 feet with Building Permit Regulations.
• Variance Review: Fences over 6 feet require variance approval unless a higher fence is required by the Russellville Zoning Code for a specific use.
• Building-Permit Review: Fences greater than 7 feet are tied to Building Permit Regulations by the zoning fee schedule, and building permits are administered by the Fire, Building & Safety Division.
• Historic District Review: Exterior fence or wall work in the Russellville Downtown Historic District may require Certificate of Appropriateness review before a city building permit is issued.
• Visibility Review: Corner lots, intersections, and driveway intersections may be reviewed for the 2 1/2-foot to 10-foot visibility band and the 25-foot right-of-way sight-triangle measurement.
• Drainage and Easement Review: Fence placement may be reviewed for surface-water flow, stormwater drainage paths, open ditches, drainage easements, utility easements, and public or private access easements.
• Pool-Barrier Review: Swimming-pool permits may include review of fences, walls, enclosures, gates, openings, and related pool facilities.
• Animal-Control Review: Animal enclosures, electric or invisible fences, livestock pens, hoofed-livestock permits, and livestock fence heights may be reviewed under the city’s animal-control rules.
• Code Enforcement: The city’s code-enforcement process may review zoning and property-maintenance conditions, including fence maintenance, visibility conflicts, drainage conflicts, and other ordinance-based fence issues.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Russellville, 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 Planning and Development Department and the Fire, Building & Safety Division and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of Russellville staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.