Short answer
Yes. Pottstown Borough's zoning code (§27-200) requires a zoning permit to build or install any structure and lists fences by name. You apply to the Zoning Officer through Licensing & Inspections (610-970-6520). In the borough's Conservation and Gateway districts the application also needs a street-view photo or sketch and a scale drawing of where the fence goes. A permit is good for six months.
What the borough code actually says
Section 27-200 of the Pottstown zoning chapter lists the work that needs a zoning permit, and one line reads: "Build or install any structure, including signs, fences and storage buildings." There's no height floor in that line, so a 4 ft picket fence out front and a 6 ft privacy fence along an interior side yard both need one. Some townships around Pottstown exempt short fences or leave fences out of the permit list. The borough doesn't.
The permit is a zoning permit, not a building permit. The Zoning Officer checks your fence against the borough's fence chart in §27-317: where it sits, how tall it is, and what it's made of.
What goes into a Pottstown fence application
Expect to hand the Zoning Officer more than a sketch on a napkin. For a new structure the borough asks for a plan or plat showing where it goes. Inside the Conservation and Gateway districts, which take in the borough's neighborhoods and downtown, §27-202 adds two items for fences:
- a photo or sketch showing what the fence will look like from the street, and
- a scale drawing showing where the fence sits on the lot.
The street-view requirement exists because the borough regulates fence style along the street, not just height. A front fence has to read as a picket fence or be brick or stone. We put the elevation drawing and the product cut sheet in the packet so the reviewer can see the picket profile.
The fee is set by Borough Council resolution. We didn't find the current amount published, so check with Licensing & Inspections when you apply. Once issued, the permit is valid for six months.
What the Zoning Officer checks
| Where on the lot | Pottstown limit (Conservation and Gateway districts) |
|---|---|
| Front yard | 4 ft, picket-style (wood, vinyl, composite, ornamental metal) or brick/stone |
| Side yard along a street (alleys excluded) | 4 ft |
| Interior side yard | 6 ft, any common fence material |
| Rear yard | Not clear in the published chart; we confirm with the Zoning Officer |
| Any yard | Finished side faces out; nothing in the right-of-way; sight distance kept clear |
From Zoning §27-317. The chart also says only one fence type from its list of materials may be used.
The rear-yard row is the gap. The online chart shows blank cells there, and they may simply share the side-yard numbers, but we haven't seen that in writing. Our Pottstown Borough fence rules page walks through the full chart.
Is your house in the borough at all?
Plenty of people with a Pottstown mailing address don't live in the borough. The 19464 and 19465 ZIP codes also cover Lower, Upper and West Pottsgrove townships and North Coventry across the Schuylkill in Chester County. Each one has its own fence ordinance and its own office. Your tax bill names your municipality. If it says Pottstown Borough, this page applies. If it doesn't, see our guide to Pottstown-area addresses.
Other approvals that can stack on top
- Historic districts. If the fence will be visible from a public street inside one of the borough's historic districts, it also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. See our HARB page.
- Pools. The borough requires a fence or wall around the pool area or around the yard the pool is in (§27-507.7.B), and every new or replacement pool needs its own permit from Licensing & Inspections.
- Utility marking. Separate from the borough: Pennsylvania requires a PA One Call request at least three business days before digging post holes, and when you hire a contractor, the contractor places it.
When we quote a fence inside the borough, the zoning application and the One Call ticket are part of the job. We'll measure, draw the street view and file it, so the permit is ready before we dig.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to replace an old fence in Pottstown?
The permit line in §27-200 covers building or installing any fence and we didn't find a carve-out for replacements. Plan on a permit for a full replacement, and ask Licensing & Inspections about small repairs.
How long does a Pottstown fence permit last?
Six months from issue. If the job slips past that, check with the borough before building.
Can the fence go right on the sidewalk?
No fence, hedge or wall may sit in the right-of-way (§27-317.3). Where that line falls varies from street to street, so we confirm it before setting posts.