Short answer
Possibly, but check before you build. Pottstown requires a zoning permit for every fence, and a lot in the mapped floodplain may face extra review. We haven't verified the borough's floodplain rules for fences, so we confirm them with the Zoning Officer for each address. Where a fence is allowed, choose an open design such as aluminum, chain link or split rail that lets water and debris pass. A solid privacy fence near the Manatawny can trap debris and act like a dam.
How high the Manatawny gets in town
On July 11, 2019, a flash flood on the Manatawny Creek hit Pottstown's low-lying stretch of High Street and fully submerged Manatawny Park. Residents told reporters it was the worst they had seen since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Before Hurricane Irene in August 2011, officials warned that the creek could overflow into the King Street area and close roads around Memorial Park.
Upstream, the U.S. Geological Survey's report on Ida (September 1–2, 2021) recorded the Manatawny near Spangsville at 4,970 cubic feet per second, its fourth-highest flow on record. All of that water comes through Pottstown on its way to the Schuylkill.
What the borough requires
Pottstown's zoning code requires a permit from the Zoning Officer to build or install any structure, and it names fences explicitly (§27-200). In the Conservation and Gateway districts, the front-yard limit is 4 ft in a picket style or brick and stone, and interior side yards allow 6 ft. No fence may go in a right-of-way, and the finished side has to face out.
What we haven't confirmed: the borough's floodplain rules for fences. Some neighboring townships ban new fences in their floodplain districts outright, and others only restrict them in the floodway. We check your lot with Pottstown's Licensing & Inspections office (610-970-6520) before we quote, and we won't guess.
How other local codes treat fences in flood areas
To give you a sense of the range, here's what nearby codes say. These are not Pottstown's rules.
- Lower Salford Township (Harleysville) prohibits fences and retaining walls as new permanent structures in its Floodplain Conservation District.
- Elverson Borough bars fences from any floodway.
- Colebrookdale Township has a floodplain section in its joint zoning ordinance that specifically regulates fences in flood-prone areas.
- Upper Providence Township, next to Royersford, tells pool owners to keep pool barriers out of floodplains, wetlands and easements.
If a fence is allowed, build it to let water through
| Choice | Why it matters near the creek |
|---|---|
| Open styles: aluminum, chain link without slats, split rail | Water and floating debris pass through instead of piling up against the fence |
| Sections that lift out or gates that open | You can open a path for water when a storm is forecast |
| Posts set in full-depth concrete | Saturated, scoured ground loosens shallow posts |
| Run the fence parallel to the flow where you can | A fence crossing the flow catches debris along its whole length |
| Skip solid privacy panels on the creek side | A solid panel works like a dam and can redirect water toward your house or a neighbor's |
A Berks County regional plan notes that alluvial soils can mark a wider flood-prone area than FEMA's maps show. If your yard has dark, silty creek soil and you've seen water in it, plan the fence as if it floods, whatever the map says.
After high water
Check for posts that have shifted, mesh packed with debris and gates that no longer latch. A pool barrier is a safety device, so if one floods, get it checked before anyone uses the pool. Our repair page covers resetting posts and replacing damaged sections.
Common questions
Is all of Pottstown in the floodplain?
No. The concern is the low ground along the Manatawny and the Schuylkill, like the stretch of High Street and the park that went under in 2019. The borough's floodplain maps decide which lots are affected.
Can I put a privacy fence on the high side of my yard and an open fence near the creek?
Often, yes. Interior side yards in the Conservation and Gateway districts allow 6 ft. The borough's chart limits each fence to one material type, and its rear-yard height cells are unclear online, so we confirm both the height and the floodplain line with the Zoning Officer before drawing where the change happens.
Does the borough need to approve a replacement fence in the same spot?
Pottstown's permit rule covers building or installing a fence. We treat a full replacement as needing a permit unless the Zoning Officer tells us otherwise, and we ask on your behalf.