FIELD NOTES // PLANNING
It depends on the jurisdiction and the fence you plan to build. Kansas City, Missouri lists fences as building-permit-exempt work, while the City of St. Louis requires permits for new fences and describes a limited replacement exception. Confirm the rules for your actual address before ordering materials or scheduling installation.
By Get Your Fence On · SEPTEMBER 12, 2026 · 5 MIN READ
Give the permitting office the street address and, when available, the parcel number. Ask whether the property falls inside that city's limits or under another jurisdiction . A mailing address is a starting point for the conversation, not the final answer about who reviews the fence. The relevant office should confirm whether it handles your location.
For property outside a city, start with the county office responsible for planning or building questions. Boone County, for example, publishes a Resource Management department with permitting and land-use information. Its guidance is a contact point for Boone County projects, not a substitute for the rules in Columbia , another municipality or a different county.
Sources: Boone County, Missouri: Resource Management
Kansas City , Missouri 's official list includes fences among work that does not require a building permit. Its fence FAQ separately describes the city's height and placement rules. That distinction matters: a permit exemption does not mean you can choose any fence height or position on the lot.
The FAQ describes a four-foot maximum for the front yard and street-side yard on a corner lot, and a six-foot maximum for interior side and rear yards. Use the linked city guidance to begin checking an ordinary residential proposal, then confirm how the rules apply to the actual site. This example applies to Kansas City , Missouri , not Kansas City, Kansas or every suburb in the metro.
Sources: Kansas City, Missouri: building-permit-exempt work · Kansas City, Missouri: fence code questions
The City of St. Louis lists new fences among projects that require a residential building permit. It describes an exception for replacement fencing in a rear or side yard when height, material and location remain the same. Calling a project a replacement is therefore less useful than explaining exactly what will change.
The same city page identifies additional review for historic properties and flood areas. A general replacement exception should not be treated as the whole approval process for those locations. These are City of St. Louis examples; confirm the responsible authority separately for property in St. Louis County.
Sources: City of St. Louis: residential permit criteria and exceptions
Prepare a simple sketch showing the proposed fence runs, gate openings, house and adjoining streets. Add the planned height and material to each run. Include photographs of existing fencing and explain whether you are keeping its position, moving it, changing its height or replacing only part of it.
Ask what documents the office needs for your particular application. A rough sketch helps explain the question, but it may not satisfy the office's submission requirements . Request its current checklist before paying for drawings or assuming an old application form is still accepted. Include any pool enclosure, retaining wall or unusual site feature in the initial description.
Show any known easement, drainage area and public right-of-way on the project information you provide. Ask the reviewing office whether the proposed work needs another approval because of its location. Columbia 's Building and Site Development guidance, for example, separately addresses work in rights-of-way, easements and regulatory floodplains.
Keep the property-boundary question separate from the permit conversation. If the line is uncertain, get it resolved before choosing the final fence position. Review any applicable private restrictions through the relevant property documents or association. Tell everyone involved when a boundary or approval is still unresolved so the installation plan does not silently assume it is settled.
Sources: Columbia, Missouri: site development and location-specific permits
A permit decision does not locate buried lines. Before digging post holes, arrange the utility-locate process and identify any privately owned facilities that need separate attention. Missouri 811's homeowner guidance explains that it notifies member utilities, which mark their own underground facilities or provide an all-clear response. It also links to guidance about public and private lines.
Keep the locate information and the approved fence layout together. If the layout changes, resolve the effect on locating and approvals before work moves to a new position. The before-we-dig guide linked below provides a fuller planning sequence; a permit receipt alone is not evidence that the proposed excavation area has been checked.
Sources: Missouri 811: homeowner locate process and private-line guidance
Before setting an installation date, agree on who will contact the office, submit any application, pay required fees and keep the approval documents. Ask whether inspections or another review step apply. Put those responsibilities in the project scope so the homeowner and installer are working from the same plan.
Get current fees and review expectations from the authority handling the address. A permit price or turnaround quoted for another city is not a reliable allowance for your project. If the office needs more information, record what is missing and who will supply it instead of treating a submitted application as an issued permit.
Save the address, fence sketch, material and height description, applicable approval, and any written conditions together. If the office says no permit is required, ask how it recommends documenting that determination. Keep the date and the project details attached to the answer so it is clear which proposal was discussed.
The official examples linked here were checked on September 12, 2026. They explain why the right question is specific to your address and scope; they do not approve an individual fence. Recheck the current requirements when you are ready to build, especially if the design, location or site conditions have changed.
Check fence setbacks and property lines
Plan utility locating before digging
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