Bedford Township, which takes in Temperance and Lambertville, does not require a permit for a fence, and there is no fee. A front yard fence can be 3.5 feet tall and must be a decorative style. In the side and rear yards a fence can be 6 feet, but it may not come forward of the front of the house. On a corner lot, the side facing the second street is held to 3.5 feet and decorative, like a front yard. The rules are in Section 400.1912 of the township’s zoning ordinance.
Do I need a permit?
No. Section 400.1912 says a fence needs no building permit, and the township has no zoning permit for fences. A $100 fence permit was proposed, but the planning and zoning administrator has since told the appeals board that the Township Board decided against it. For an ordinary fence there is nothing to file. The ordinance department still acts on complaints about fences that break the rules.
The township’s online code library blocked us. The no-permit answer and the heights for homes and farm lots match what township staff have quoted in appeals board minutes. The corner triangles, the materials rules and the decorative definition come from a third-party copy, so confirm those on 734-224-7335.
How tall can a fence be?
| Part of the lot | Homes (R-1, R-2, R-3 and RT zoning) | Farm zoning (AG) |
|---|---|---|
| Front yard | 3.5 ft, decorative only | 4 ft |
| Side and rear yards | 6 ft, not past the front of the house | 6 ft, not past the front of the house |
| Corner lot, second street side | 3.5 ft, decorative only | 4 ft |
The front of the house means the front building line, or the required front setback if that is farther back. A setback is the distance the code wants between a house and the property line. A rear fence along a back street can still be 6 feet.
Height is measured from the ground as it already is, and mounding soil to gain height is not allowed. On a slope, level panels can end up over 6 feet on the low side.
What counts as decorative
The zoning ordinance names wrought iron or simulated wrought iron, brick or stone, decorated wood picket and split rail. Chain link, with or without slats, and wood stockade do not count, so they go behind the front of the house. The definition does not name vinyl picket, so ask before you order it for the front.
Corner lots and clear-vision triangles
The township treats a corner lot as having two front yards, so a privacy fence along the side street needs a variance. The third-party copy of the clear-vision section, 400.1910, keeps anything over 2 feet out of a triangle measured 35 feet along each road right-of-way line from the corner. Where a driveway meets the road, the triangle is 10 feet each way and the limit is 30 inches.
How close to the property line
A fence may sit on the property line, but never in the road right-of-way, the strip set aside for the road, which is usually wider than the pavement. The township does not decide where your line is, and a fence over the line is a matter between neighbors. The township’s attorney has advised getting a survey and setting the fence a foot inside the line, so you can maintain it. Keep it out of utility easements too, since a fence there can be removed for utility work and nobody has to replace it.
Materials and the finished side
Fences can be wood, metal, masonry or a molded synthetic such as vinyl. Posts and braces sit inside the pickets or boards, so the finished side faces out. Barbed wire, razor wire and electric current are not allowed on home lots. Farm, stable and kennel fences in AG zoning may use barbed wire or electric.
Pools
A pool holding water more than 24 inches deep needs a building permit first. The zoning ordinance requires a fence at least 4 feet tall around the pool area, of chain link or something equally hard to get through, with self-closing, self-latching gates that lock. The township’s pool handouts call for 48 inches and temporary fencing until the permanent fence is up. An above-ground pool with a wall that high, and a ladder that locks up as the only way in, needs no separate fence. A powered safety cover does not replace the fence, though the appeals board has allowed one on some large, isolated lots.
Subdivisions and deed restrictions
Read your subdivision’s deed restrictions or association rules before you order, because the township’s forms say a township permit does not cancel them. In a planned development, the township has said fences must stay inside each unit’s building envelope, the area the house must fit in, and out of the common open space.
When you want more than the code allows
A taller fence or a front yard privacy fence needs a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals, which meets monthly. The application costs $375 and is due at least 20 days before the meeting, with a scale drawing and a signed letter. The board wants a practical difficulty tied to the property, such as a slope, a corner lot or a busy road. Above 7 feet, also ask the building department about a building permit, because the state’s exemption stops there.
Who to call
Bedford Township Government Center, 8100 Jackman Road, Temperance, MI 48182.
- Planning and zoning, for fence rules: 734-224-7335
- Building department, for pools: 734-224-7330, Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00
- Main office: 734-847-6791
A mailing address does not always match the township. Bedford parcel numbers start with 58-02, so check your tax bill. Erie, Frenchtown and Monroe are on our Monroe County page, and other towns are on the permits by town list.
Before anyone digs
MISS DIG 811 needs notice at least 3 business days before any digging, fence post holes included, and it is free. Our Michigan fence rules page has the details.
What a fence costs here
A 6-foot treated pine privacy fence runs $25 to $35 a foot installed, cedar $35 to $55 and vinyl privacy $45 to $75. At 4 feet, wood picket runs $20 to $40 a foot, split rail $16 to $30 and ornamental aluminum $40 to $55. Michigan sales tax is 6 percent, and the contractor pays it on the materials, so your invoice has no tax line. More styles are on the fence cost page.
See your price range
Put your fence runs into the estimator, see the installed range, and ask for a firm quote. It works for any Temperance or Lambertville address. If your lot is on a corner or slopes, tell the installer, because in Bedford Township that changes how tall the fence can be.
Questions people ask
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Bedford Township, Michigan?
No. Bedford Township, which includes Temperance and Lambertville, requires no building or zoning permit for a fence and charges no fee. The fence still has to meet Section 400.1912 of the zoning ordinance, and the township acts on complaints about fences that do not.
How tall can a fence be in Temperance or Lambertville, MI?
Both are in Bedford Township, where a fence can be 6 feet tall in the side and rear yards but may not come forward of the front of the house. In a front yard, and on the street side of a corner lot, the limit is 3.5 feet and the fence must be a decorative style. Height is measured from the existing ground, and mounding soil to gain height is not allowed.
Can I put a privacy fence in my front yard in Bedford Township?
Not without a variance. Front yards, and the street side of a corner lot, are limited to 3.5 feet and decorative styles such as picket, split rail or ornamental metal, and the code says chain link and stockade fences are not decorative. A variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals costs $375, and the planning and zoning office on 734-224-7335 can explain the steps.
How close to the property line can a fence be in Bedford Township?
The zoning ordinance lets a fence sit on the property line, but never in the road right-of-way or the clear-vision area at a corner or driveway. The township does not decide where your line is, so a survey of the line, and setting the fence a little inside it, helps avoid trouble with the neighbor. Keep the fence out of utility easements too.
Does a pool need a fence in Bedford Township?
Yes. The zoning ordinance requires a fence at least 4 feet tall around the pool area, with self-closing, self-latching gates that lock, and the township’s pool handouts call for 48 inches. The pool itself needs a building permit from the building department, 734-224-7330.
How much does a fence cost in Temperance, MI?
A 6-foot treated pine privacy fence runs $25 to $35 a foot installed, cedar $35 to $55 and vinyl privacy $45 to $75. Michigan’s 6 percent sales tax is paid by the contractor on the materials, so it is in the price and not a line on the invoice. Bedford Township adds no permit fee.