Fence company in Dearborn Heights, MI, and the city’s fence rules

Anchor Fence installs fences for Dearborn Heights homes, working from a family-owned shop on Plymouth Road in Redford, a short drive north. We build vinyl, shadow-box wood, chain link, and ornamental fences to the city’s Chapter 13 fence code. That code requires a zoning permit, posts set 42 inches below grade, and written consent from any neighbor who shares the fence line. Quotes are free. We call MISS DIG before we dig and can advise you on the Dearborn Heights fence permit, which the property owner obtains.

Picture of a chain link fence in front of a commercial building.
Metal fence post set in a fresh concrete footing

Fence installation and permits in Dearborn Heights

Dearborn Heights is a city of neighborhoods, formed in 1960 from two parts of the old Dearborn Township.

The north end sits in the Rouge River watershed, with Hines Park winding along Edward Hines Drive. The south end drains to Ecorse Creek, where low ground can stay wet after heavy rain. Both ends share Metro Detroit clay, which holds water and moves with frost. That is why post depth and drainage matter on every job we do here.

Materials the city accepts

The Dearborn Heights code names the fence types it accepts, in 4-foot and 6-foot heights. Anchor Fence installs each one:

  • Chain link fences for yards, pets, and long side lines, always on metal posts

  • Wood fences in the shadow-box style, which the city’s application lists as the only wood option

  • Vinyl fences (the code calls them PVC fencing systems), on vinyl posts

  • Steel and aluminum fences for an ornamental look, which the code lists as ornamental iron

  • Gates sized for mowers, bins, and side doors

Hedges and plantings also count as fences in the code. The city does not accept old or used fence material, and a new fence cannot be bolted or tied to an old one.

Steel slide gate across a commercial driveway

Business fences

Business fences in Dearborn Heights need planning commission site plan approval and are limited to 6 feet unless the commission allows more. Anchor Fence builds commercial chain link, steel fencing, gates, and enclosures for these sites.

Our work, from quote to cleanup

Anchor Fence starts with a free visit to measure and look at your lot lines, driveway, and side door. MISS DIG gets our call at least three business days before any digging starts. Our crew sets each post, hangs the fence and gates, and cleans up. Most installations can be complete within six to eight weeks, weather pending. 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.

White vinyl picket fence in front of a suburban home

You need a zoning permit

The rules below come from Chapter 13 of the Dearborn Heights Code of Ordinances and the city’s fence forms, read in October 2026. They apply only in Dearborn Heights. The City of Dearborn has different rules.

No fence may go up in Dearborn Heights until the Department of Building and Engineering issues a zoning permit. The application must include a site plan showing where the fence will sit. The person who applies also accepts responsibility for the fence’s final location, so the plan has to match your real lot lines. The department is at City Hall, 6045 Fenton Street, open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where a fence can go

Heights and yards

A fence around the rear yard can be up to 6 feet tall. A fence of the same height can extend past the back of the house to enclose a side entrance. Front-yard fences are not allowed, with two narrow exceptions: very deep front yards, and homes with a rear yard under 20 feet. Both exceptions limit height and require a 25-foot setback from the street.

Corner lots and sight lines

On a corner lot, the front yard is the side facing the street in your address. Along the other street, the fence must line up with the next home’s 25-foot setback instead of running to the lot line. At corners, nothing between 30 inches and 6 feet tall may block the view across a 25-foot triangle, or a 10-foot triangle at a driveway. Plain chain link is allowed there, but not with privacy slats.

Neighbor consent and the shared line

Only one fence is allowed on a property line. To build on a shared line, you need your neighbor’s written consent, and the city accepts a signed, notarized form. A fence must also stay 3 feet from a neighbor’s driveway unless that neighbor consents in writing. If a neighbor will not agree to remove an old chain link fence, you may place a privacy fence beside it, off the line. You then sign a notarized pledge to keep the strip between the two fences clear of weeds and debris.

How a fence must be built

Posts, both sides, and banned materials

Dearborn Heights requires every fence post to go 42 inches below grade, with the hole filled with concrete or a material the department accepts. Anchor Fence typically sets posts in 42-inch concrete footings, the same depth Michigan’s building code sets for house footings, so this rule fits how we already work. A wood privacy fence must look the same on both sides. Barbed wire and razor wire are banned in every part of the city, and sharp tops are not allowed.

Pools

A swimming pool in Dearborn Heights must be fenced at least 4 feet and no more than 6 feet tall, with a self-closing gate that latches on the inside. A backyard fence can meet this rule if its gate does.

Questions about fences in Dearborn Heights

Yes. Dearborn Heights requires a zoning permit from the Department of Building and Engineering before any fence goes up. The application needs a site plan showing the fence location, and a fence on a shared line also needs the neighbor’s notarized consent. 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.

A rear-yard fence in Dearborn Heights can be up to 6 feet tall, and a 6-foot fence may extend past the back of the house to enclose a side door. Front-yard fences are generally not allowed. The two exceptions, for very deep front yards and very shallow rear yards, cap height at 5 feet and 4 feet.

Dearborn Heights requires fence posts to be set 42 inches below grade, with the hole filled with concrete or another material the city accepts. That matches Anchor Fence’s usual practice of setting posts in 42-inch concrete footings. Deep footings help keep posts from lifting when wet clay freezes in winter.

Yes, in Dearborn Heights, if your neighbor will not consent to removing the chain link. You show the city you tried to get consent, place the privacy fence beside the old one, and sign a notarized pledge to keep the strip between them clean. Your wood fence must look the same on both sides.

Anchor Fence gives every residential and commercial installation in Dearborn Heights a two-year workmanship warranty. Vinyl fence material carries a limited lifetime warranty (excluding vinyl-coated chain link), and steel and aluminum materials carry product warranties up to a limited lifetime, depending on the product. Your quote spells out the terms in writing.

Start your Dearborn Heights fence with a visit to the yard

Chapter 13 has more detail than most city fence codes, and small misses cost time. Tell us about your lot, your neighbors, and what you want to fence in. We will check it against the code, quote it, and take it from permit to final post. If you would like to spread out the cost, financing is available through Hearth.

Dearborn Heights Building Department Address & Phone Number:

Dearborn Heights Fence Ordinances: