Short answer: Birmingham Township, just south of West Chester, PA, sets its own pool-fence standard: 4 to 6 feet tall, a self-locking gate, and no opening other than the gate larger than 16 square inches (§ 122-100). Other fences follow the township zoning code, and the township posts a zoning permit application. We confirm current requirements before ordering materials.
In Birmingham Township, the pool code is usually the first thing to check. This is the township at the heart of the Brandywine Battlefield, where the fighting of September 11, 1777 crossed farm fields that are still partly open today, and many homes here are fieldstone farmhouses or newer houses on deep estate lots. 76 FENCE West Chester installs fences throughout this part of West Chester, PA, and the questions here tend to be about three things: pools, long property lines, and how a new fence will look next to an old house.
- Pool barrier: 4–6 ft high, self-locking gate, no aperture except the gate larger than 16 sq in (§ 122-100A)
- Other fences: governed by the township zoning code; a zoning permit application is on the township site, so ask whether your fence needs one
- Animal enclosures: the code includes a lot-line setback provision tied to keeping animals (§ 122-101C); confirm how it applies to your paddock
- Landscape: battlefield farmland, Sandy Hollow Heritage Park, hedgerows, schist uplands
- Before digging: PA One Call notice 3–10 business days ahead; we place it
Why is Birmingham’s pool fence rule different from the state code?
Because it measures openings by area rather than with a test sphere. The pool barrier rules the state adopted (the 2018 ISPSC at the time of writing) say no opening may pass a 4-inch sphere; Birmingham’s § 122-100 says no aperture other than the gate may exceed 16 square inches.
Those two tests do not always agree. A gap between two aluminum pickets can be under 4 inches wide, which passes the sphere test, yet still tall enough to add up to far more than 16 square inches. How the township reads its own section against today’s pool-fence products is a question for the zoning officer, and we ask it before you settle on a style. When a local rule and the state code differ, plan for whichever is stricter.
| Requirement | State pool code (2018 ISPSC) | Birmingham § 122-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Height | At least 48 in | Not less than 4 ft, not more than 6 ft |
| Openings | Must not pass a 4-in sphere | No aperture over 16 sq in (gate excepted) |
| Gate | Self-closing, self-latching, opens away from pool | Self-locking gate |
| Materials named | Chain link mesh no larger than 1¾ in | Wire, wood or other material |
Our PA pool fence code guide walks through latch heights, bottom gaps and house walls that form part of the barrier, and the pool fence page compares materials.
What kind of fence looks right next to a stone farmhouse?
Usually a low, open one. Split rail, post-and-board and painted wood picket read as part of the farm landscape, while a tall solid panel tends to cut the house off from the fields around it.
Older Birmingham houses were built facing roads and fields, not neighbors, so their best fence is often the one you notice least. A two- or three-rail split rail fence marks a boundary without hiding stonework. If you need to keep a dog in, welded wire mesh can be fastened to the inside of the rails. Where you want more privacy near a patio, a short run of cedar board-on-board behind the house usually sits better than a long privacy line along the road.
Black aluminum is the other common choice near a pool or formal garden, because it disappears against plantings. Check the 16-square-inch rule above before choosing a picket spacing for a pool.
Which fences work on larger Birmingham lots?
It depends on what you are keeping in or out. On a property of several acres, the plan is usually a mix: an open fence for the boundary, something tighter around the yard or pool, and a gate wide enough for equipment.
Paddocks and pasture
Three- or four-board fence for horses, or rail with mesh for smaller animals. Ask the township how § 122-101C applies before setting posts near a lot line. See horse fencing.
Gardens and deer
Deer exclusion fencing generally needs to be about 8 feet tall, which is above the height many townships allow without extra review. We check before quoting a deer fence.
Lane and drive entrances
Stone pillars with a swing gate, manual or automated. Our automatic gate work includes sizing for trailers and mowers.
Do you need a permit for a fence in Birmingham Township?
Possibly, and it is worth asking before you buy anything. The township publishes a zoning permit application, pool fences are covered by their own section, and the general fence standards sit elsewhere in the zoning code.
When you hire 76 FENCE, we contact the township, prepare the application with a plot plan, and place the PA One Call request ourselves. If you are comparing neighboring rules, see how things work in Chadds Ford, Pocopson and Thornbury, or read the full West Chester, PA fence permit guide.
Rules change, so confirm with the township — when you hire us, we pull the permit.
Walk the fence line with us.
A free on-site estimate in West Chester, PA and the surrounding townships. We check the rules for your street, handle the permit and HOA paperwork, and call PA One Call before we dig.
Sources & references
- Birmingham Township Code, Ch. 122 Zoning (ecode360)
- Brandywine Battlefield (Wikipedia)
- PA One Call System
Codes and ordinances change. This page is general information, not legal advice; confirm requirements with your municipality.