Fences in East Goshen Township, West Chester, PA

Many East Goshen homeowners live in planned communities, from townhome neighborhoods to the large 55-plus community of Hershey’s Mill, and many of those associations set their own fence standards. In practice that means two approvals for one fence in West Chester, PA’s eastern suburbs: the HOA’s and the township’s. 76 FENCE West Chester handles them in that order, because an HOA “no” makes a township permit pointless.

• Permit: Application must include the total length, height and description of the fence, plus a basic site plan.
• Front yard: 4 ft maximum, with at least a 1:1 ratio of open to structural area.
• Side yard along a side street: Also 4 ft maximum, to the rear of the lot.
• Rear yard: 6 ft residential, 8 ft non-residential.
• Finished side: The flatter or more finished side faces the abutting dwelling or street (§ 240-32 E).

Do you need HOA approval before the East Goshen permit?

If your community has an HOA with architectural rules, yes, get its approval first. The township applies its zoning rules; the association applies its covenants, which are often stricter on color, style and location.

HOA rules frequently specify a single fence style for the whole neighborhood, limit fences to the rear yard, or forbid fencing that encloses common open space. Some require a neighbor notice. Getting a “yes” before the township application keeps you from paying for a permit on a fence the association will not allow. Our HOA approval service covers what we prepare.

1. Read the covenants. We review your HOA’s fence standards with you at the walkthrough and design to them.
2. Submit to the HOA. We supply a site sketch, product specifications, color, height and photos for the architectural committee.
3. Apply to the township. With HOA approval in hand, we file the township application with the length, height, description and site plan.
4. Call 811 and build. We notify PA One Call, then install, usually in a day or two on site.

How tall can a fence be in East Goshen?

Four feet in front yards and along a side street, 6 ft in residential rear yards. Non-residential rear yards can go to 8 ft, and tennis court enclosures to 10 ft.

The side-street rule catches corner-lot owners off guard. On a corner, the side of your yard that faces the second street is limited to 4 ft all the way to the rear of the lot; ask us to confirm with the township whether the open-style requirement applies there too. That makes a corner lot a good candidate for a 4-ft aluminum or picket run on the street side and 6-ft privacy only along the interior lines. See our front-yard fence rules guide.

Which side faces out?

East Goshen’s code says that if one side of a fence is more finished or flatter, that side faces the neighboring house or the street. For a board fence with exposed rails, the rails face your yard. Many owners choose a style that looks finished on both sides, such as shadowbox or vinyl privacy, which settles the question and tends to please HOAs too. More in which side faces the neighbor.

What fences suit East Goshen’s communities?

Whatever the HOA has standardized on, first. Beyond that, the most common choices here are vinyl privacy and semi-privacy in back yards and low aluminum around patios and pools.

What does an East Goshen fence permit cost?

We have seen a figure of about $150 cited secondhand, but have not confirmed it from the township, so check East Goshen’s current fee schedule. Your estimate will note how the permit fee is handled.

Neighboring West Goshen requires a zoning permit for every fence, and Westtown triggers its permit by fence length instead. The West Chester fence permit guide compares every nearby municipality.

Rules change, so confirm with East Goshen Township and your HOA. When you hire us, we pull the permit and assemble the HOA packet.