Planning a fence installation?
Great! It will give you privacy, will keep your property from intruders, and will help your kids and pets to stay safe, while enhancing the beauty of the neighborhood.
However, you can't start a fence installation on your own. In most cases, you would need to get a permit from your local city authorities before starting the work.
Why is it required? After all, it is MY Property.
True. But there are certain other facts the city authorities need to consider before allowing your fence installation.
For example, if a gas line is going just below your property, it may get damaged during fence installation. If your neighbor is not happy with the type of permit you install, or if the drivers on the road have a visibility problem because of that, city authorities need to take care of these cases.
Hence, it is always advisable to check with the local city offices if the fence installation requires a permit. Most of the states require a fence installation permit, few states and cities may be relaxed in terms of rules. Make sure you check with the right authorities before starting the fence installation.
In most cases, you should be able to get this information from a simple search on your city authorities’ website. Alternatively, you can pay a visit to their office, or let your fence installation company take care of that.
Either way, there will be a small fee involved in getting a fence installation permit. Usually it is in the range of twenty dollars. It may be higher in certain states.
When submitting for the permit, also ensure what documents you need to submit. For example, city authorities may want to know exactly where you want to install a fence, what type of fence it is going to be, what is the height, is there a no objection certificate issued by your neighbor about the fence you are installing etc.
Once again, you can refer to the website or the local city builders' office for getting this information. If you are using a professional fence installation company, they would have done this before and you will get a detailed set of instructions as well as sample documents.
Even if the fence installation permit is not required in your area, it is still advised that you follow the best practices in terms of not harming the city resources while you protect your privacy.