Amarillo Fence Height Rules: Front Yards, Back Yards & Corner Lots

Back and Side Yards: Up to 8 ft

Amarillo's zoning code allows a fence on the property line, or within 10 ft of it and running roughly parallel, to reach 8 ft above the adjacent ground, as long as it sits behind the minimum required front-yard line. That's taller than many Texas cities allow, and it's why 8 ft cedar privacy fences are a real option here. Keep in mind an 8 ft fence carries a third more wind load than a 6 ft fence, so we tighten post spacing and size footings for it.

Front Yards: 4 ft

Inside the required front yard, a fence can't exceed 4 ft. That's the natural height for a decorative iron fence or a picket fence. If you want full privacy, it has to start behind the front-yard line, usually near the front corner of the house.

Corner Lots

On a corner lot, the 4 ft front-yard limit applies along the street frontage with the shorter dimension, and also within 10 ft of the longer street side. In practice, that means a corner-lot privacy fence steps in from the side street. We lay out where the full-height section can start before any post goes in.

Near Intersections

Separate rules keep sight lines open where streets meet. Fences, walls and hedges near the corner have to stay low so drivers can see cross traffic. We check this on every corner-lot layout.

Barbed Wire

Barbed and razor wire are prohibited on fences in the city except on agricultural or grazing land and certain commercial, government or utility security fences, where the wire must be at least 5 ft up. For horse properties near town, we use pipe with cable or no-climb wire.

Retaining Walls

A retaining wall up to 4 ft tall, from the bottom of the footing to the top, needs no permit unless it's supporting extra load. Taller walls need one.

What We Do

We measure your front-yard line, check corner-lot and intersection rules, and draw a layout that meets them, so you never have to move a fence after a complaint. Questions about permits? See our permit guide.