FENCE RULES – TEXARKANA (CITY), ARKANSAS
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Texarkana, subject to local regulations. For properties located outside City of Texarkana municipal limits, Miller County regulates fences in unincorporated areas.
Residential fence rules appear primarily in the Texarkana Municipal Code, including the zoning chapter, streets and public-property chapter, subdivision drainage-easement rules, flood-damage-prevention chapter, historic district provisions, and the City of Texarkana Master Fee Schedule. The City also administers relevant fence review through the City of Texarkana Public Works Department, including Planning/Zoning and Code Enforcement functions.
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 City of Texarkana Code of Ordinances; Texarkana Municipal Code Chapter 2, Chapter 12, Chapter 22, Chapter 32, Chapter 38, Chapter 40, and Chapter 50; City of Texarkana Master Fee Schedule; City of Texarkana Public Works Code Enforcement page; and City of Texarkana Public Works Planning and Zoning page, as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
• Governing Authority: Residential fence regulation within City of Texarkana is administered through the Texarkana Municipal Code and the City of Texarkana Public Works Department.
• Public Works Role: The Code creates a Department of Public Works and assigns it responsibility for the City planning division, code enforcement division, public works activities, and related functions delegated by the City Manager.
• Planning and Zoning: The Planning and Zoning function administers zoning regulations, setbacks, building heights, development standards, permitting, approvals, development review, code enforcement, long-term planning, and historic preservation.
• Code Enforcement: The Code Enforcement Division addresses property maintenance, zoning compliance, building-code enforcement, nuisance abatement, housing code enforcement, violation investigations, notices, citations, permitting, and certificate-of-occupancy functions.
• No Single Fence Code: City of Texarkana does not publish a standalone residential fence code. Fence rules are distributed across zoning, Public Works permitting, drainage easement, right-of-way, historic review, floodplain, and code enforcement provisions.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Fence Permit: The City of Texarkana Master Fee Schedule lists a Fence Permit Fee under Public Works. The fee schedule confirms a local fence permit category, but the adopted materials do not define separate exemptions or enforcement by height threshold or yard-location trigger for standard residential fence permits.
• Zoning Review: Residential fence height and yard placement are controlled by Texarkana Municipal Code § 50-154. Planning/Zoning also administers zoning regulations, setbacks, building heights, and other development standards.
• Historic District Approval: In a designated historic district or for a designated historic property, a certificate of appropriateness may be required for exterior work. Fence installation or alteration may be reviewed as a minor exterior alteration when handled through the historic review process.
• Floodplain Review: In a special flood hazard area, floodplain development permit review applies to regulated development activity, including structural development, grading, fill, excavation, drainage improvements, and other listed development. The Public Works Director or designee serves as floodplain administrator.
• Right-of-Way and Excavation Approval: Work that disturbs or obstructs a public street, sidewalk, curb, alley, or right-of-way requires the applicable Public Works permission or excavation permit when the streets and public-property provisions apply.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Required Front and Side Yards: For residential uses in any zoning district, an ornamental fence, hedge, or wall not more than 4 feet high may project into or enclose a required front or side yard, provided intersection visibility is maintained.
• Side and Rear Yard Placement: Ornamental fences, hedges, or walls may project into the side yard from the front building line to the rear lot line, and into the rear yard, provided the fence or wall does not exceed 8 feet in height.
• Property Line Setbacks: 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.
• Drainage Easements: No construction, including fences, is permitted in a drainage easement without written approval of the Director of Public Works. Construction or fencing may not obstruct the flow of stormwater runoff.
• Rights-of-Way and Public Property: A fence may not be placed, constructed, or maintained in a public street, sidewalk, alley, or right-of-way unless the applicable Public Works permission or permit has been obtained.
• Historic Districts: On property subject to historic district review, fence installation or alteration may require historic review as a certificate of appropriateness or minor exterior alteration.
• 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 and Side Yard Height: For residential uses, an ornamental fence, hedge, or wall in a required front or side yard may not exceed 4 feet in height.
• Rear and Interior Side Yard Height: From the front building line to the rear lot line, and in the rear yard, ornamental fences, hedges, or walls may not exceed 8 feet in height.
• Intersection Visibility: On a corner lot where a front yard is required, nothing may be erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow in a manner that materially impedes vision between 2 feet and 10 feet above the centerline grade of the intersecting street within the required intersection visibility area.
• Sight Triangle: The streets and public-property chapter separately prohibits any object, structure, fence, or living plant from materially impeding vision between 2 feet and 10 feet within the sight triangle. The sight triangle is formed by points on each street right-of-way line 25 feet from the intersection and a line connecting those points.
• Subdivision Intersection Context: For proposed subdivision street intersections, where visibility would be impeded by an earthen berm or existing vegetation, the developer must maintain a sight triangle measured from points 25 feet along the street right-of-way lines.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Residential Fence Type: The zoning ordinance describes the residential allowance as an ornamental fence, hedge, or wall. It does not publish a broader list of permitted materials for standard single-family residential fences.
• Prohibited Residential Materials: The code does not specify a standard single-family residential prohibition on chain link, wood, vinyl, masonry, wrought iron, barbed wire, or electric fencing in the residential fence section.
• Finished Side and Opacity: The code does not specify a finished-side orientation, opacity rule, or residential screening-construction standard for standard single-family residential fences.
• Commercial Screening Excluded: Screening-fence material, opacity, landscape buffer, and maintenance provisions that apply to commercial, mixed-use, industrial, parking, or nonresidential development are not treated as standard single-family residential fence material rules.
• Private Pool Barriers: The code does not specify a separate private single-family residential pool-barrier fence standard in the residential fence provisions.
• Animal Confinement Context: The animal chapter requires dogs to be confined within an adequate fence or enclosure, house, garage, or other building, and cats to be confined to the owner’s property. Those animal-control provisions do not create a separate residential fence height or material standard.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
HOAs, subdivision covenants, deed restrictions, private easements, architectural-review covenants, agricultural agreements, and private boundary agreements operate independently from City of Texarkana fence rules and may be more restrictive than municipal standards.
The City’s permit or zoning review does not replace private review required by an HOA, subdivision, deed restriction, easement holder, or private agreement.
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 Category: The City of Texarkana Master Fee Schedule identifies a local Fence Permit category under Public Works.
• Zoning Height Review: Residential fences may be reviewed for the 4-foot front and side yard limit and the 8-foot rear and interior side yard limit in Texarkana Municipal Code § 50-154.
• Visibility Review: Fences, structures, objects, hedges, or plants may be reviewed where they materially impede visibility between 2 feet and 10 feet in the 25-foot intersection sight triangle.
• Drainage Easement Review: Fences in drainage easements may be reviewed for written approval by the Director of Public Works and for obstruction of stormwater runoff.
• Right-of-Way Review: Fence work may be reviewed where construction, obstruction, excavation, or disturbance affects a street, sidewalk, alley, curb, gutter, or public right-of-way.
• Historic Review: Fence installation or alteration on property subject to historic district review may be reviewed through the certificate of appropriateness or minor exterior alteration process.
• Floodplain Review: Fence-related work in a special flood hazard area may be reviewed when the work involves regulated development activity under the flood-damage-prevention chapter.
• Code Enforcement Review: The Code Enforcement Division may review zoning compliance, building-code issues, property maintenance, nuisance conditions, notices of violation, and complaint-based enforcement matters.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Texarkana, 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 City of Texarkana Public Works Department and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of Texarkana staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.