Short answer
Pike Township falls under the Boyertown-Colebrookdale-Pike Joint Zoning Ordinance, which requires a zoning permit before a fence is put up. In a residential front yard, the fence must be open, at least 1:1, and 4 ft or lower; elsewhere the limit is 6.5 ft (§403). Electric fence is allowed only for farm animals, at low intensity, and barbed wire can't surround a home in a residential district. Pike's own permit contact and fee weren't reachable.
Pike covers about 14 square miles with no numbered highway crossing it. Hill Church Road, Lobachsville Road, Landis Store Road and Oysterdale Road tie together the villages of Hill Church, Lobachsville, Pikeville and Pine Waters, and about 1,700 people lived here at the 2010 census. The fence questions here are less about subdivision corner lots and more about pastures, gardens and long road frontage.
Pike Township fence rules
| Rule | What the code says |
|---|---|
| Front yard, residential district | 4 ft, open style (picket, wrought iron, vinyl post, chain link or split rail) with at least as much open area as structure |
| Taller front fence | The Zoning Officer may approve more height to contain animals or address a specific hazard |
| Other yards | 6.5 ft; 10 ft around a tennis court |
| Corner lots | Both streets treated as front; a fence behind the rear of the house may reach 6.5 ft on one street |
| Sight triangle | Clear between 2.5 ft and 10 ft above ground (§803.C) |
| Setback | None required; 1 ft or more recommended for upkeep and uncertain lines |
| Electric and barbed wire | Electric only to contain farm animals, low intensity; no barbed wire around dwellings in residential districts |
| Pools | Fencing under the Uniform Construction Code; not in the minimum front yard |
| Permit | Zoning permit required (§103) |
Source: Boyertown-Colebrookdale-Pike Joint Zoning Ordinance §103, §403 and §803, read October 2026 through ecode360 code-search excerpts.
Pasture and livestock fencing
The ordinance treats fences and walls as permitted by right in every zoning district, so a pasture fence is allowed. What it controls is how the fence is built. An electrically charged fence may only be used to contain farm animals, and it has to be low intensity. Barbed wire is barred from fences around dwellings in residential districts. On a farm parcel, that leaves woven wire, high-tensile, board and split rail as the usual choices; our farmette fence law guide explains how Pennsylvania's line-fence law splits costs between neighboring farms.
If animals need a taller barrier near the house, the front-yard limit isn't absolute: the Zoning Officer may approve more than 4 ft to contain animals or address a specific hazard. We ask for that approval in writing with the permit.
Old boundaries and the 1 ft recommendation
Pike's farms have been here a long time. The Keim Homestead, the Mill at Lobachsville, Yoder Mill and the Hartman Cider Press are all on the National Register. Old deeds and hedgerow lines don't always match a modern survey, and the ordinance anticipates that: where no setback is required, it recommends keeping a fence at least 1 ft inside the lot line, both for maintenance and in case the lot line is inaccurate. On a long rural line we suggest more than that unless the line has been surveyed and pinned. Pike doesn't have Colebrookdale's 2 ft rule.
Lanternflies and fence lines
Spotted lanternfly was first found in the United States in Berks County in 2014, and the first quarantine covered Pike and District townships. Egg masses get laid on sheltered outdoor surfaces from October on, fence boards and gate frames included. Our lanternfly question covers scraping them off without damaging the fence.
Addresses and where to apply
Parts of Pike fall in the Oley 19547 and Boyertown 19512 ZIPs, and the township drains to Manatawny Creek and Swamp Creek. We couldn't reach Pike Township's website to confirm its zoning officer, application form or fee, so we contact the township directly for each job. See our Oley and Boyertown pages for neighboring municipalities, many of which follow other codes.
Still to confirm
- Pike's zoning officer, permit application and fee.
- The full clause on taller front fences.
- Any rule on which side faces out: none found.
Based on the joint zoning ordinance as read in October 2026. Codes are amended, so before every Pike installation we check the current rules with the township.
Common questions
Can I use electric fence for my horses in Pike Township?
Yes. The joint ordinance allows electrically charged fences to contain farm animals, as long as they're low intensity.
Do Pike and Boyertown have the same fence rules?
Yes, both follow the same joint zoning ordinance. Permits are issued separately by each municipality.