FENCE REQUIREMENTS

Fence permit applications are required for all new installations as well as for replacement of existing fencing exceeding 25% per side.

To apply for a fence, you must submit a completed fence application along with two (2) copies of the plat of survey for the property. The location of the proposed fence must be clearly detailed on the survey. The owner or contractor must contact J.U.L.I.E at least 48 hours before construction.

As required by code, the finished side of the fence must face your neighbor under all circumstances, even in cases where you abut a street, alley, or railroad.

Fence heights for all properties are limited to three (3) feet in front and corner side yards, unless your corner side yard is adjacent to and abutting the corner side yard of your neighbor, in which case the maximum fence height is six (6) feet, but only on the corner and not in the required front yard. The yard of a through lot which abuts Willow, Sanders, Waukegan, Dundee, Walters west of Crestwood, Landwehr, Pfingsten, Techny, Voltz, Grant, or Sunset Ridge may be six (6) feet tall. Fencing on residential lots and located in interior side and rear yards may also be six (6) feet tall. Non-residential properties and those yards of residential properties which abut non-residential lots may have fences up to eight (8) feet in height in the interior side and rear yards.

As a point of information, fencing can be constructed up to and on the property line. Fences may about one another. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to see that the fence is not installed on the neighbor’s property. The Village does not have a licensed surveyor on staff to determine legal boundaries, therefore we cannot get involved in property line disputes.

If you elect to install a fence in an easement which is indicated on your plat of survey, you must take full responsibility for the fence in the event that any work is necessary in the easement. The Village and the utility companies will not pay for any damages to fences or other structures located in an easement.

Under no circumstances may you prevent access to a manhole or utility box.

Solid wood fences which are installed perpendicularly in drainage easements must be kept at least four (4) inches from the ground to allow for the flow of surface drainage. The height of the fence is measured from grade, therefore any gap between the fence and the ground must be counted toward the total height of the fence.

If you are constructing a fence for the purpose of a dog run and plan to cover existing grass with gravel (other than pea gravel), concrete, or other impervious surface, please be aware that you may fall subject to a one-time coverage fee. This fee varies throughout the Village. If you build a dog run over an existing hard surface, please indicate this on the application.

All excavated soil/materials and building materials must be removed from the site immediately following construction.

If you have questions regarding fences, please contact the Building & Development Department Zoning Administrator at 847-664-4055.

Fence inspections are not required by the Village.