Short answer: In Downingtown Borough, northwest of West Chester, PA, side and rear fences may be up to 6 feet tall, but any fence in a front yard needs Borough Council approval under § 287-76. Council considers whether it is consistent with the neighborhood and ornamental in character. Front walls and hedges are limited to 3 feet, and the borough’s zoning permit covers fences.
Downingtown is an older borough on the East Branch of the Brandywine, with a walkable main street, porch-front houses and modest lots. For a West Chester, PA homeowner used to township rules, the surprise here is the front yard: Downingtown does not simply set a height, it asks Council to look at the fence. That turns a front-yard fence into a design question, so this page treats the back yard and the front yard as two separate projects.
- Permit: the borough’s zoning permit application covers fences — confirm the fee with the borough
- Front yard: fences require Borough Council approval; walls and hedges 3 ft max (§ 287-76)
- Side and rear: 6 ft max in residential and commercial districts
- Wire: no razor or barbed wire unless Council approves
- Housing: older homes on small lots near the Brandywine
What does Borough Council look for in a front-yard fence?
Under § 287-76, Council considers whether a front-yard fence complies with the related zoning section, is consistent with existing fences, hedges and walls in the neighborhood, and is ornamental in nature to promote the borough’s small-town character.
In practical terms, that favors fences that look like they belong on the block: painted wood picket, open aluminum or steel in black, and low rail styles. A fence that copies what is already on your street is easier to explain than one that introduces something new. Plain chain link and solid privacy panels are hard to describe as ornamental, so we would not plan a front-yard project around them without checking with the borough first.
Bring Council something specific: a photo of the street, the product’s catalog page, its height and color, and a drawing of where the fence runs. We prepare that with you after the walkthrough. Our picket fence and aluminum pages show the styles that most often fit older streetscapes.
What can you build in a Downingtown back yard?
Up to 6 feet in side and rear yards, which covers most privacy fences. Once the borough’s zoning permit is in place, the back yard is the simpler project.
Small lots change the material decision more than the rules do. In a narrow rear yard, a fence is close to the house and to the neighbor’s windows, so its finish matters on both sides.
Shadowbox or board-on-board
Looks finished from both sides, which helps when the neighbor’s yard is a few feet away. See semi-privacy.
Vinyl privacy
Low maintenance in tight yards where staining is awkward. See vinyl.
A gate that works
Plan for trash cans and mowers; a 4-foot gate is often more useful than a 3-foot one.
What should you check before a Downingtown fence goes up?
On small borough lots, a few inches matter, so settle the line, the neighbors and the utilities before anything is ordered.
- Where the line is. Find corner pins or a survey plat; on narrow lots, guessing is how fences end up on the wrong side.
- The neighbor’s fence. Do not attach to an existing fence you do not own; plan your own posts beside it.
- Corner lots. Many zoning codes treat both street sides of a corner lot as front yards. Ask the borough how yours is classified, since front-yard fences here go to Council.
- Private lines. PA One Call marks public utilities only; dog-fence wire, lighting and lines to a shed are yours to point out.
Does Downingtown allow barbed wire or tall security fencing?
Not on homes, in practice. Razor and barbed wire are not permitted on any fence, wall or hedge unless Council approves, and residential side and rear fences stop at 6 feet.
Industrial districts follow different heights under the same section. For business properties, see our commercial fencing page.
Neighbors run their own rules: Exton splits between two townships, Uwchlan caps front yards at 36 inches, and West Bradford lies to the south. The fence permit guide compares them.
Rules change, so confirm with the borough — 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
Codes and ordinances change. This page is general information, not legal advice; confirm requirements with your municipality.