Dingman Township Ordinance Guidance

 Fences

Thank you for inquiring about the Dingman Township Regulations that pertain to constructing and maintaining fences. The guidance is intended to assist a property owner in navigating the various ordinances that regulate fences. The guidance addresses typical situations but is not all-inclusive. Should a situation arise that is not addressed in this guidance, please contact the Township Office for assistance. Should information in this guidance differ from the requirements of the Township Ordinance, the latter shall prevail.

Index:                                  Zoning Ordinance

                                                Horse Ordinance

                                       Building Code

                                       Other

Zoning Ordinance

General:            All fences must comply with the following:

A.     No fence may be placed in a road right-of-way.

B.     No fence may be placed in the seventy-five (75) foot line of site triangle of a road intersection.

C.    No zoning permit is required to install a fence.

In addition, certain activities that are regulated by the Zoning Ordinance require fences. The fencing requirements for those uses may be found in the Zoning Ordinance. Some of the more common ones are listed below.

Inground Pools:           

A temporary fence must surround the area from the start of excavation and remain until the installation of the permanent fence. The temporary fence may only be removed when the installers are actively working on the site. The fence must then be replaced immediately at the end of the workday. The temporary fence may be constructed of snow fence or plastic construction fencing.

Prior to the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy and Use, a permanent fence must be installed. The fence must be at least four (4) feet high, be of a child resistant design, and have a locking gate.  See Building regulations for additional requirements.

Farm Animals (Except Horses):

The animals must be surrounded by an enclosed fence constructed of a means appropriate for restraining the particular animals. The fence must be located at least five (5) feet from any property line or road-right-of-way.

Buffer Fences:

Certain uses require buffer fencing between the proposed use and neighboring properties. When applicable, the fence must be of solid wood construction and at least six (6) feet high.

Horse Ordinance

All horses must be enclosed by a fence no less than four (4) feet high and no greater than eight (8) feet high. The fence must be appropriately designed to restrain the horses. The fence must be set back at least five (5) feet from any property line. All Horse fences must comply with the Building and Zoning Code requirements.

Building Ordinance

BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR FENCES:

The Uniform Construction Code of Pennsylvania requires any fence that exceeds six feet in height must obtain a Building permit from the local Municipality.

TOWNSHIP INTERPRETATION AND ALLOWANCES:

Any fence that exceeds six feet in height must be designed using engineering practices (i.e wind-loading, lateral stability, minimum footing depth).

EXAMPLE

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

The Uniform Construction Code also references Appendix G of the International Residential Code for fencing that is used as a barrier to enclose pools and hot tubs.  Dingman Township has copies of these regulations available upon request.

OTHER:

While not required by Ordinance, fences should be:

Constructed with the “ugly” side in.

Be maintained and kept aesthetically pleasing.

Be placed at least two (2) feet off the property line to allow for maintenance without trespassing on the neighboring property.