North Richland Hills Fence Companies | Wood Fence Builders | Iron Fencing | NRH TX

Height. Walls and fences shall be no greater than eight feet in height. The height of a wall or fence shall be the vertical distance between the ground and the top of the wall or fence. In terrain where the ground slopes at a grade of ten percent or more, the wall or fence may be built in eight-foot horizontal stair step sections. The average height of each fence section shall be no greater than eight feet in height. Masonry columns may exceed the maximum height by no more than eight inches and shall not exceed the average height of the adjacent fence sections by more than eight inches.

(b)

Maintenance.

(1)

All screening and fences shall be adequately maintained, kept in good repair and in sound structural condition by the property owner and shall not create urban blight. Dilapidated fences shall be repaired or replaced in accordance with provisions of this article.

(2)

The property owner shall maintain fences, including those existing prior to the adoption of this section, at all times in a state of good repair, safe and secure condition, with all braces, bolts, nails, supporting frames and fastenings free from deterioration, termite infestation, rot, rust or loosening, and able to withstand at all times the wind pressure for which they were designed.

(3)

Property owners shall paint, stain and/or seal fence supports, gates, structural members and exterior surfaces as necessary to prevent rusting, peeling or blistering surfaces. Board-on-board and similar wood privacy fences may be painted or stained with natural wood colors. The use of high intensity, primary, metallic, or fluorescent colors shall be prohibited on any fence surface.

(c)

Front yards. Fences may only be allowed in front yards of property zoned for single-family residential and agricultural uses which have at least 100 feet of frontage on a street. Such fences shall be open air or nonsight-barring fences and shall meet the following standards:

(1)

Fences shall be wrought iron or ornamental metal, may have brick or stone columns spaced 20 to 50 feet on center, and shall be no greater than four feet in height.

(2)

Front yard fences greater than four feet and no higher than six feet in height may be permitted on residential lots greater than one acre in size with 200 feet or more of street frontage. Said fence shall be wrought iron or ornamental metal and shall have brick or stone columns spaced 20 to 50 feet on center. Such properties, if zoned AG or R-1-S, may also be permitted a rural fence type as provided herein.

(3)

A Rural Fence may be permitted in the front yard of any property zoned AG or R-1-S, with a minimum of one acre, and with at least 150 feet of frontage on a street. Said rural fence may not exceed five feet in height and may be one of the following fence types: mortised split rail, wrought iron or ornamental metal, tubular steel pipe, post-and-rail, or post-and-board. The use of cable may be permitted in conjunction with tubular steel pipe fencing. The use of continuous square mesh fencing, or “non-climb” fencing, and/or masonry columns spaced 20 to 50 feet on center may be used in conjunction with any of the aforementioned rural fence types. The use of barbed wire or electric fencing for the purpose of livestock containment shall only be permitted in conjunction with any of the aforementioned rural fence types.

(4)

Private entry driveway gates may be permitted for any property that is permitted a front yard fence. Said gates shall be set back from the planned ultimate right-of-way line as shown by the master thoroughfare plan a minimum of 20 feet to accommodate the on-site queuing of one vehicle.

(d)

Visibility triangle. All walls and fences located on a corner lot shall comply with any applicable visibility sight triangles as provided for in this chapter.

(e)

Transverse frontage lots. When the rear yard of a first lot abuts the side yard of a second lot, no fence on the first lot shall encroach into the side yard adjacent to the street unless the fence complies with subsection (c) of this section.

(f)

Reverse frontage lots. When the rear yards of two corner lots abut, fences complying with this section may be constructed within the side yard adjacent to the street.

(g)

Prohibited fencing material. No fence shall be constructed of sheet/corrugated metal, plywood, concrete masonry unit block, or other materials not manufactured or designed for the primary purpose of fence construction. The use of “V” or “diamond” mesh, or chain link fencing is not permitted forward of the principal building on the lot, nor along any street frontage.

(h)

Finished side facing thoroughfare. Wood fences adjacent to a collector or arterial street as identified on the master thoroughfare plan shall have the finished or smooth side of the fence facing the thoroughfare and fence posts shall face interior to the lot.

(i)

[Fence adjacent to screening wall.] Where a residential subdivision masonry screening wall is provided adjacent to a C-4-U collector street or larger as identified on the master thoroughfare plan, the height of a fence adjacent or perpendicular to the screening wall shall not exceed the height of the subdivision’s screening wall.

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