Fences shall be permitted in residential districts pursuant to this § 14-706(3) (Residential District Standards).
(a) Intermediate Lots.
(.1) Front.
Any fence located nearer to the lot line than the required building setback or the actual distance of the building from the lot line (whichever is greater), shall be no more than four ft. in height and no more than fifty percent (50%) opaque.
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Fences in the rear or at the side that are located at a distance equal to or further from the front lot line than the required building setback or the actual distance to the building from the front lot line (whichever is greater) may be no more than six ft. in height.
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(b) Corner Lots.
Fences on any side of a corner lot building facing a street shall comply with the front setback rules set forth by § 14-706(3)(a)(.1) above for an intermediate lot. Fences on any side of a corner lot building not facing a street shall comply with the side and rear setback rules set forth by § 14-706(3)(a)(.2) above of a non-corner lot.
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(c) Architectural Fence Features.
Fence posts and gate posts that are integrated as architectural features in the fence design are permitted up to 6.5 ft. in height for side and rear fences and up to 4.5 ft. for front fences, but all portions of the fence other than fence posts and gate posts shall comply with the maximum heights stated in § 14-706(3)(a) (Intermediate Lots) and § 14-706(3)(b) (Corner Lots) above.
(d) Retaining Walls.
Any portion of a retaining wall that exists above the higher level grade shall comply with the requirements for fences. Where a fence is located on top of a retaining wall, the combined height of the retaining wall that exists above the higher level grade and fence shall not exceed the maximum height permitted for a fence. This subsection shall not apply to any retaining wall required to meet alternative standards by any provision of The Philadelphia Code, or any provision of state or federal law, or any regulations adopted to implement the code or those laws.
(e) Fences Around Decks.
Standards for fences around decks are in § 14-604(4) (Decks).
Notes
| 661.2 | Amended, Bill No. 210075 (approved March 29, 2021). |