Short answer
In Lower Salford Township, home to the village of Harleysville, a fence in a required front yard can be up to 4 ft tall and must have at least 50% of its surface open (Zoning §164-17). Picket, split rail, aluminum and chain link can qualify; a solid privacy fence can't. Side and rear yards allow 6 ft. Anything taller needs a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board.
The 4 ft and 50% open rule
Section 164-17 limits fences and walls along or within a required front yard to 4 ft, "constructed with at least 50% of its surface open." The township also says how openness is measured: on any line perpendicular to the fence, through its full thickness. That detail decides some common styles.
| Front-yard style | Likely to meet 50% open? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Split rail (2 or 3 rail) | Yes | Mostly open space between rails |
| Aluminum or steel picket | Yes | Thin pickets with wide gaps |
| Wood or vinyl picket, gap at least as wide as the picket | Usually | Depends on picket and gap width; we do the math |
| Chain link | Yes | Open mesh |
| Board-on-board or shadowbox | No, as we read it | Looking straight through, boards on alternating sides cover the gaps |
| Solid privacy or stockade | No | No openings |
Our reading of §164-17. The Zoning Officer makes the call on borderline designs.
Shadowbox is the one people argue about. From an angle it looks half open. But measured on a line straight through the fence, the way the code describes, each gap on one side is covered by a board on the other, so it reads as close to solid. A spaced picket with the gap equal to or wider than the picket is the safer choice.
Side, rear and taller fences
- Required side and rear yards: up to 6 ft (8 ft in industrial districts).
- Taller than those limits, front or back: a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board.
- Retaining walls and walls of a permitted building are exempt from the height limits.
- Nothing may obstruct vision at street and driveway intersections (§164-14).
Neighborhoods with their own fence rules
Two parts of the township have rules on top of §164-17:
- The R-1A golf-course development. On lots whose rear yards back onto the golf course, fencing is prohibited unless a pool requires it. A required pool fence there must be a specified 4 ft black flat-top aluminum model (or a Board-approved equivalent) with shrubs at least 2 ft high planted on the outside (§164-27.1).
- Village houses in the MU Mixed-Use District. The subdivision code calls for a front yard enclosed by an ornamental wall or wooden fence between 24 and 36 in high (§142-136.3).
Creeks and floodplains
Lower Salford is drained by the East Branch Perkiomen Creek and Skippack Creek. In the township's Floodplain Conservation District, fences and retaining walls are prohibited as new permanent structures (§164-97.1A). If your lot runs down to either creek, find out where the floodplain district line falls before planning a fence along the back. Ida in 2021 set a record on the East Branch near Schwenksville, downstream.
Harleysville isn't only Lower Salford
The 19438 ZIP code also covers Upper Salford and Franconia townships, with parts of Towamencin, Skippack, Marlborough, Worcester and Lower Frederick. Each has its own fence rules. Lower Salford's villages are Harleysville, Lederach, Mainland and Vernfield, and your tax bill will say which township you're in.
The permit question
Lower Salford's code requires a permit before any structure is built and asks for a scaled plan showing it against property and road lines (§164-128, §164-129). Our September 2026 notes recorded the township's permit page saying fences need Zoning Officer approval, with in-kind replacement exempt; we couldn't reopen that page in October to recheck. We confirm with the township for every Harleysville fence and draw the plan the application needs.
If you want privacy out front, we'll usually suggest an open fence at the street with a 6 ft run starting at the front corner of the house. Ask us to sketch both options at the estimate.
Common questions
Can I build a chicken run in my Lower Salford yard?
The code allows it with a zoning permit: a fence at least 4 ft high that extends 1 ft underground, in the rear yard, at least 15 ft from property lines (§164-15B(5)).
Does a hedge count as a front-yard fence?
§164-17 regulates fences and walls. Hedges still can't block sight lines at intersections under §164-14.