City of Plymouth fence permits and fence rules

Yes, you need a permit to build a fence in the City of Plymouth, Michigan. The permit comes from the Building Department at City Hall, 201 S. Main. The city asks for a completed application and a boundary survey or plot plan from a Michigan licensed surveyor, with your property corners marked. Side and rear fences can be up to six and a half feet tall. Front yard fences must be decorative and 30 inches or less. We call MISS DIG before we dig and can advise you on the Plymouth fence permit, which the property owner obtains.

Residential wood fencing project.
Metal fence post set in a fresh concrete footing

Fence permit rules in Plymouth, MI

Two checks come first.

Step one: make sure your home is in the City

Two different governments use the Plymouth, MI 48170 mailing address. The small City of Plymouth sits in the middle, and Plymouth Township wraps around it with its own Building Department on Haggerty Road. Each writes its own fence rules, so the wrong office means the wrong answer.

Here are three ways to check:

  • Look at your property tax bill. It names the community that taxes your home.

  • Search your address on BS&A Online, the permit site the city links to from its FAQ.

  • Call the City Building Department at (734) 453-1234 and ask.

The city notes that its addresses have only three or four digits. Township addresses can have four digits too, so treat that as a clue, not proof. You may also hear a rule of thumb about house numbers. Neither the city nor the township publishes one, so we do not rely on it.

What the city needs

The City of Plymouth code makes it unlawful to build any fence or wall without a permit. Plan on these items:

  • A completed fence permit application. The city takes fence applications online through BS&A Online, or on paper at City Hall.

  • A boundary survey or plot plan done by a Michigan licensed surveyor.

  • Property corners marked by a licensed surveyor. The building inspector can hold the permit until the stakes are in the ground.

  • Both owners’ signatures if the fence will sit on the shared lot line. Otherwise, the fence must stand entirely on your own property.

Once issued, the permit card must be posted where it can be seen from the street. A building permit in the city stays valid for one year.

Picture of a chain link fence in front of a commercial building.

City of Plymouth Building Department

City Hall, 201 S. Main, Plymouth, MI 48170. Phone (734) 453-1234; ask for extension 232 about inspection requirements. Open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Height, placement, and materials

Side and rear yards. A fence in a side or rear yard can be up to six and a half feet tall, measured from the ground. It cannot come forward of the front of the house, or of the required front yard if that line sits farther back. Posts and post caps may rise six inches above the fence height limit.

Front yards. Only decorative fences belong in a required front yard. The city lists wrought iron, metal, pickets, and stone or masonry, with a top height of 30 inches. Chain link is not allowed in a required front yard, and neither is any temporary barrier.

Corner lots and sight lines. A corner lot may have two front yards, depending on how the house next door faces. On the street side, the front setback carries on down the block, and a 48-inch picket fence may project into that area, but not past the front of the house. Near intersections, the city keeps a clear vision area. Nothing over 30 inches may stand within 25 feet of a street corner in each direction, or within 15 feet of a driveway or alley.

Sidewalks and alleys. Keep every fence at least one foot back from the edge of the public sidewalk. A fence may go in a vacated alley if the alley is part of your legal description.

Materials and safety rules. The city cares about how a fence looks from next door. The finished side must face neighboring properties, with the support posts on your side. Posts must be made to resist rust and rot for at least ten years, and the city’s FAQ applies the same ten-year test to privacy fence materials. Other rules to know:

  • No barbed wire and no electric charge on residential lots. Buried electric pet fences are fine.

  • No sharp points below eight feet that could hurt someone walking by.

  • Masonry or stone walls in side and rear yards stop at 30 inches.

  • Pool fences must meet the state construction code.

Steel slide gate across a commercial driveway

How Anchor Fence can help with your permit

The property owner obtains the permit, and Anchor Fence can advise you on the rules and give you the layout and material details for the application.

Inspections, timing, and MISS DIG

Inspections can be requested online or through the city’s inspection hotline by 3:00 p.m. the business day before. Building inspections run Monday through Friday, starting around noon. Before any digging, MISS DIG, Michigan’s 811 system, needs at least three business days’ notice to mark buried utility lines.

Common questions about Plymouth fence permits

Plan on it. The City of Plymouth code requires a permit to build any fence or wall, and a replacement is new construction. Call the Building Department at (734) 453-1234 to confirm for your project.

Yes. The City of Plymouth asks for a boundary survey or plot plan done by a Michigan licensed surveyor, plus property corners marked by a licensed surveyor. The building inspector can hold the permit until the corner stakes are set. The city may have an older survey on file from a past owner, so ask.

A privacy fence in a side or rear yard in the City of Plymouth can be up to six and a half feet tall, measured from the ground. Posts and caps may rise six inches above that. The fence cannot extend toward the street past the front of the house.

The finished side faces out. City of Plymouth zoning says every fence or wall is built with the finished side exposed to neighboring properties and the support posts placed on the inside. If you want the smooth side facing your yard too, ask about styles that look the same on both sides.

Only with your neighbor. City of Plymouth code says a fence must sit entirely on the owner’s property, unless both neighbors jointly apply for and sign a permit for a fence on the shared line. Otherwise, set the fence just inside your line, using the surveyor’s stakes as the guide.

Get your Plymouth fence plan ready

Anchor Fence will walk your property, explain the Plymouth rules that apply, and give you a written quote at no cost. Call (313) 937-0101 or send the quote form to get started.

Plymouth Township Building Department Address & Phone Number:

Plymouth Township Fence Ordinances:

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