Short answer
Boyertown Borough requires a zoning permit for a fence; the borough's 2019 fee resolution lists $35 for fences up to 6 ft. Under the joint zoning ordinance (§403), a fence in a residential front yard must be an open type, at least half open, and no taller than 4 ft. Outside the front yard the limit is 6.5 ft. On a corner lot, both street sides follow front-yard rules, except a fence behind the rear of the house may reach 6.5 ft along one street.
| Rule | What the code says |
|---|---|
| Front yard (residential) | Open type such as picket, wrought iron, vinyl post, chain link or split rail, at least 1:1 open, 4 ft maximum; the Zoning Officer may allow more to contain animals or address a specific hazard |
| Side and rear yards | 6.5 ft; 10 ft around a tennis court |
| Corner lots | Front-yard rules along both streets; a fence that only runs behind the rear of the house may be 6.5 ft along one street |
| Sight triangle | No visual obstructions between 2.5 ft and 10 ft above ground (§803.C) |
| Placement | Where no setback applies, the ordinance recommends 1 ft or more inside the lot line |
| Pools | Fencing per the PA Uniform Construction Code; no pool in the minimum front yard |
| Prohibited | Barbed wire around dwellings in residential districts; electric fence except low-intensity fence for farm animals |
| Permit | Yes. $35 for fences no more than 6 ft (Fee Resolution 02-04-19) |
Source: Boyertown Borough and Colebrookdale and Pike Townships Joint Zoning Ordinance §403 and §803, read October 2026 through ecode360 code-search excerpts.
Front yards on Boyertown's streets
Boyertown is compact, about 0.77 square miles with roughly 2,060 homes and 4,264 residents in 2020, and Route 73 runs right through the middle of it as the main street. On lots that small, the front-yard rule shapes most projects. The fence has to be open, with at least as much open space as solid, and 4 ft or lower. The ordinance lists the styles it has in mind: picket, wrought iron, vinyl post, chain link and split rail.
In the joint ordinance's TC, GR and GR/O districts, a design guideline goes further: chain link should be avoided in front yards, and picket or ornamental fences are encouraged (§313.L). We haven't confirmed which Boyertown blocks are in those districts, so we treat picket or aluminum as the safe choice for any borough front yard.
6.5 ft, not 6 ft
Behind the front yard, the limit is 6.5 ft, a half foot more than most townships near Pottstown allow. That leaves room for a 6 ft privacy panel set slightly above grade, or a 6 ft panel with a decorative cap. One wrinkle: the 2019 fee line we found covers fences no more than 6 ft. The fee for a fence between 6 and 6.5 ft wasn't visible, so ask the borough if you're going to the full height.
Corner lots
On a corner lot, every yard that touches a street counts as a front yard (§803.B.1). So both street sides get the open, 4 ft treatment. The exception helps: a fence that only extends behind the rear of the house can go to 6.5 ft along one of the two streets. That usually means a privacy fence that wraps the backyard on the side street but stays open and low along the front.
Applying
- Fill out the borough's Building and Zoning Permit Application and check the Fence box.
- Attach a plot plan showing all structures and their distances to the property lines.
- Submit it to the zoning office. The borough's website names LTL Consultants (610-987-9290) for zoning permits; the county's 2024 directory lists Matthew Davenport of Systems Design Engineering as Zoning Officer. Confirm who is handling permits when you apply.
Where the borough ends
The Boyertown 19512 ZIP is much bigger than the borough. It also covers Colebrookdale, Douglass (Berks) and Earl townships, with edges of Pike, District, Oley, Amity and Washington. Colebrookdale and Pike use the same joint ordinance; the others don't. Colebrookdale also adds a 2 ft lot-line setback that doesn't apply in the borough. See our Boyertown page.
Open questions
- The current fee: the 2019 resolution is the latest posted, and the heading above the $35 line wasn't visible.
- Who issues zoning permits today, as noted above.
- The full clause on when the Zoning Officer allows a taller front fence.
- Whether the ordinance requires the finished side to face out: we found no such rule.
Rules here are from the joint zoning ordinance and borough fee resolution as we read them in October 2026. They can change, and we confirm with the borough's zoning office before every install.
Common questions
Can I put chain link in my Boyertown front yard?
The ordinance lists chain link as an allowed open-type front fence at 4 ft, but a design guideline for the TC, GR and GR/O districts says to avoid it in front yards. Ask the zoning office for your block.
Do I need a permit to fix a few pickets?
The ordinance requires a zoning permit to erect, place or expand a structure. Ordinary repairs are a question for the zoning office; replacing a whole fence generally means a permit.