Short answer
North Coventry Township, Chester County, requires a zoning permit for a fence. Its zoning code (§370-74) allows fences up to 6 ft in any required yard, front included, with anything above 6 ft at least 4:1 open. Corner lots must keep a 75 ft clear sight triangle open between 2.5 ft and 12 ft high. Fences can't go in drainage easements or approved stormwater swales. Pools and other active-recreation structures stay at least 25 ft from side and rear lines.
A 19465 Pottstown address puts you on the Chester County side of the river, in North Coventry or in part of East or South Coventry. The township's neighborhoods include Kenilworth, Cedarville, Cold Spring Park, South Pottstown, Pottstown Landing, Schenkel and Titlow Corner, and about 8,400 people lived here in 2020. None of the borough's front-yard style rules apply here.
North Coventry rules at a glance
| Rule | What the code says |
|---|---|
| Front yard | No separate number; the 6 ft required-yard rule applies |
| Side and rear yards | 6 ft in a required yard; any part above 6 ft must be at least 4:1 open to solid |
| Corner lots | A front yard on each street; clear sight triangle bounded by the street centerlines and a line joining points 75 ft from the intersection, kept clear between 2.5 ft and 12 ft above street grade (§370-82D) |
| Placement | Fences may project into required yards (§370-73C(5)); not in drainage easements or approved stormwater swales (§370-74D) |
| Pools | Out of required yard setbacks and at least 25 ft from side and rear lines (§370-37A(1)) |
| Exempt | Retaining walls are excluded from the 6 ft yard rule; retaining walls up to 4 ft need no permit |
| Prohibited | No residential material bans found |
| Permit | Yes, a zoning permit (not a building permit) |
Source: North Coventry Zoning Chapter 370 and the Building/Codes Department page, read October 2026.
Can a front-yard fence be 6 ft in North Coventry?
The zoning code doesn't carve out a lower front-yard height, so the 6 ft rule for required yards covers the front too. Two other rules usually decide the front fence instead. On a corner, both street sides are front yards and the large sight triangle has to stay clear from 2.5 ft up to 12 ft, which rules out even a low fence or a tall hedge across the corner. And anything along a driveway or private road can't block sight distance (§370-74A). A homeowners association can be stricter, and its rules apply on top.
Stormwater swales and the floodplain
Where a lot drains toward the Schuylkill or one of its tributaries, the drainage rules matter. Fences and walls can't be placed in drainage easements or in swales that are part of an approved stormwater plan, so a rear fence line on a subdivision lot may have to stop short of the swale. The township's Flood Plain Conservation District (§370-28) bars construction that isn't listed as permitted, except by variance, and it doesn't mention fences either way. If your lot touches the floodplain, we ask the township before quoting.
Pools need room here
North Coventry's 25 ft side and rear setback for pools and other active-recreation structures is larger than most nearby codes. It doesn't set a pool-fence height in the zoning chapter. The Codes Department lists above-ground pools under zoning permits and in-ground pools, or any pool deeper than 24 in, under building permits, where the barrier is checked against the state pool code. We build those barriers to 48 in with self-closing, self-latching gates; see our pool fence page.
Farm and pasture fences
Part of the township lies in the Hopewell Big Woods, and French Creek State Park reaches into it. On the larger rural parcels, the code requires agricultural pasture areas to be fenced (§370-40A(3)). Where landscaping, buffer or screening requirements conflict with fence rules, the Zoning Officer decides how they fit together (§370-74E).
Permit steps
- Apply to the Zoning Officer through the Building/Codes Department (610-323-1694) on the township form.
- Include a plot plan and anything else the Zoning Officer needs to check compliance.
- Pay the fee set by Board of Supervisors resolution.
Gaps
- The fee: the township's posted fee schedule link was broken when we checked.
- Whether a survey is needed for a fence permit specifically.
- Any rule on which side faces out, barbed wire or electric fence.
- We read §370-74 through a summary of the ecode360 page; the 6 ft and 4:1 figures are paraphrased with short quotes.
Read from North Coventry's zoning code and Codes Department page in October 2026. Codes change, so we confirm with the township before every install. For the borough side of the river, see Pottstown Borough rules and our Pottstown area page.
Common questions
Is North Coventry part of Pottstown?
No. It shares the Pottstown mailing address (ZIP 19465) but is a separate township in Chester County with its own zoning code and permit office.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall with my fence?
The Codes Department says retaining walls up to 4 ft high don't need a permit. The fence itself still needs a zoning permit.