Short answer
Plan on 8 ft. A Pennsylvania Game Commission officer quoted by Lancaster Farming recommends 8 ft deer fence over the older 6 ft high-tensile electric design, and a Berks County farmer in the same article says deer "go right through" high-tensile wire on its own. For a garden, orchard or nursery block, that usually means 8 ft woven wire on wood or steel posts with braced corners and tight gates. Check your township's height limit first, since several local codes cap residential fences at 6 ft.
Why 6 ft usually isn't enough
For years, a common farm design was a 6 ft high-tensile electric fence. The Game Commission officer interviewed in Lancaster Farming's deer-fencing piece recommends going to 8 ft instead, and the Berks grower in the same article says deer push straight through high-tensile strands when that's all there is. The difference is a physical barrier that deer can't easily get over or through, versus a few wires they learn to slip between.
Height isn't the only factor. A tall fence with a sagging bottom, a loose corner or a gate that doesn't close tight will still leak deer. Gates and low spots along the bottom are where deer usually find a way in, not the top wire.
Where deer pressure is heaviest in our area
Two parts of our service area stand out. Around Elverson, homes back onto French Creek State Park, which covers 7,730 acres across North Coventry and Warwick in Chester County and Robeson and Union in Berks, and is part of the Hopewell Big Woods. Hunting is allowed on more than 6,000 acres of it, and the park's woods run right up to the back lines of many homes.
In the Oley Valley, the draw is the farmland itself. Oley has more Class I farm soils than any other municipality in Berks County, and orchards, vegetable plots and nursery stock there are exactly what deer come for.
What an 8 ft deer fence is made of
| Part | What we typically use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh | Woven or fixed-knot wire, 8 ft tall | A physical barrier rather than strands deer can slip between |
| Line posts | Wood or steel, spaced for the terrain | Keeps the mesh tight across dips and rises |
| Corners and ends | Braced assemblies | Corners carry the tension of the whole run |
| Gates | Full-height gates that close tight to the posts | Gaps at gates are where deer get in |
| Bottom edge | Kept tight to grade | Deer and smaller animals push under loose mesh |
Check the local height limit first
Pennsylvania doesn't have one rule for deer fence. Your township's zoning does, and the numbers vary a lot around here:
- West Pottsgrove Township allows up to 8 ft specifically for deer fencing.
- Upper Hanover Township allows side and rear fences up to 8 ft if the part above 6 ft is at least 4:1 open, which open wire mesh generally meets (we confirm with the township).
- Exeter Township sets no numeric side or rear cap; fences over 10 ft must sit 5 ft off the lot line.
- Boyertown, Colebrookdale and Pike allow 6.5 ft outside the front yard under their joint ordinance.
- Elverson Borough allows 6 ft for residential uses and 8 ft for nonresidential uses. Agricultural fences that contain livestock are exempt from its fence section, but a deer fence keeps animals out rather than in, so we'd confirm with the borough how it treats one.
- Oley Township: we haven't verified its fence code. We check with the township before quoting.
Where the limit is 6 ft, options include asking about a variance or special exception, setting the deer fence back to fence just the garden, or using a 6 ft fence with an outrigger or second line. We'll lay out what your township allows at the estimate.
No cost-share to count on
Lancaster Farming reports that the Game Commission's deer-fence cost-share program ended about 20 years ago, though a new bill to fund one was introduced. For now, plan the project as an out-of-pocket cost. Our page on deer fence cost per foot walks through a real Pennsylvania project's numbers.
Common questions
Can I just fence the garden instead of the whole property?
Yes, and for most homeowners that's the better value. A smaller enclosure needs fewer braces and gates, and it keeps the tall fence away from neighbors and the road.
Will an 8 ft fence keep out groundhogs and rabbits too?
Not by itself. Smaller animals go through or under deer mesh. Add a smaller-mesh skirt along the bottom, buried or bent outward, for those.
Does a solid 6 ft privacy fence stop deer?
It can help on a small yard, but it's no guarantee. It also costs more: pressure-treated pine privacy runs $40 to $65 per foot on our price guide. For gardens and orchards, 8 ft mesh is the usual choice.