Every fence in the Village of Ottawa Hills needs a fence permit, and the village issues zoning permits at no cost. A fence may stand 48 inches above the established grade, with posts up to 52 inches. It must be at least 50 percent open, and it may not sit closer to the street than the house. Chain link, barbed wire, most wire fences and solid privacy fences are banned. The village offices at 2125 Richards Road handle permits, on 419-536-1111.
Is there a design review?
We found no separate design board for fences in the village code or on its website. The design rules are written into Section 8.7 of the zoning code, and the village office checks your plans against them when it issues the permit. The resident handbook says most permits are issued while you wait, and the code gives the office 10 days.
The fence application asks for the fence type, material and color, the height above established grade, the percentage that is open, whether the finished side faces out, a site drawing and a picture of the fence. It also asks for the contractor’s name and phone. If what you want does not meet the code, you can ask the Zoning Commission for a variance, and the village notifies neighbors within 200 feet before the meeting.
What the code allows
| Rule | Ottawa Hills |
|---|---|
| Height | 48 inches above established grade |
| Posts | No more than 4 inches above the fence, 52 inches at most |
| Openness | At least 50 percent open, counting posts and rails |
| Location | No closer to the street than the house |
| Banned | Chain link, barbed wire, above-ground electric, most wire, solid privacy and shadow box |
Established grade is the existing ground. You may not raise or reshape it before the fence goes in, and no fence may sit on an earthen mound.
Fifty percent open means that in any patch of fence, say a square yard, the gaps add up to at least as much as the boards or bars. Posts and rails count as fence. A picket fence needs gaps wider than the pickets, because the rails and posts count against it.
The location rule keeps fences out of front yards. On a corner lot the code measures the street side from the side wall of the house, so ask the office how close to the side street your fence can run.
Materials, color and style
Fences must be wood, aluminum, iron, metal or vinyl, and every material must closely resemble wood, aluminum, iron or metal. The color should make the fence hard to see from neighboring properties, except a white picket fence that meets every other rule. Posts and rails go on the inside, so the finished side faces out. Where it can, the fence should match the style, color and materials of other fences on or next to your property.
Privacy screens and deer fencing
A small privacy screen is allowed beside a patio, porch or deck. It may be up to 6 feet tall, one end must sit right against the house, and it may never stand between the house and a side or front lot line. All the screens on a lot may total 12 feet of length. The code exempts screens only from the height and matching rules, so ask whether yours must still be half open.
Deer fencing must be black, posts and ties included, and no taller than 96 inches. Fine mesh is allowed in a front yard from November 1 to April 30, and in side and rear yards all year. Medium mesh is allowed only in side and rear yards, from November 1 to April 30. On a lot of two acres or more, the Zoning Commission can approve a reforestation plan that allows any deer mesh all year.
Old fences
An existing fence that does not meet the rules, such as old chain link, must be removed once it falls into disrepair. Changing or adding to any fence needs a permit too.
Pools
Above-ground pools are not allowed. An in-ground pool needs its own permit, may not extend past the building line of the house, and must sit at least 10 feet from the nearest property line, paving included. The handbook says the pool must be completely enclosed by a 48 inch fence or wall with self-closing, self-latching gates. That passage still mentions 9 gauge wire, which the fence rules otherwise ban, so ask the office which material it will approve. Building permits come from Lucas County on 419-213-2990.
Are you in the village?
County records list the village hall itself at 2125 Richards Road, Toledo OH 43606, so a Toledo address does not rule the village out. The Ottawa Hills school district also takes in some homes inside the City of Toledo, and those follow Toledo’s fence rules. Look up your property on the Lucas County Auditor’s AREIS site, where a village parcel’s tax district reads OTTAWA HILLS VIL.
Work hours and timing
Crews may work from 08:00 to 18:00. The village bans exterior construction and other loud work between 18:00 and 08:00, on Sundays, and on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Work must begin within 90 days of the permit, which then runs for 12 months.
How to apply
Print the Fence Permit form from the zoning page at ottawahills.org, add your site drawing and a picture of the fence, and bring it to the administrative offices at 2125 Richards Road, open Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00. The code asks for the plan in three copies, drawn to scale. Questions go to 419-536-1111.
Call 811 before anyone digs
Ohio law requires notice to the Ohio Utility Protection Service at least two working days before digging, on 811 or 1-800-362-2764. Our 811 page has the details.
What a fence costs here
Ottawa Hills is in Lucas County, where the sales tax is 7.75 percent. The contractor pays it on the materials and quotes you one price, so there is no tax line on your invoice.
The styles that fit the 48 inch, half open rule include 4 foot aluminum at $40 to $55 a foot installed, 4 foot steel at $40 to $70, wood picket at $20 to $40 and vinyl picket at $26 to $42. Wood split rail runs $16 to $30 a foot. An aluminum or steel walk gate adds $500 to $1,000, and taking out an old chain link fence runs $5 to $10 a foot. Every style is on our Toledo area cost page, and other towns are on the permits by town page.
See your price range
Draw your fence in the estimator and pick a 4 foot style to see the installed range for your yard. When installers quote, ask each one for the fence’s open percentage, because the village wants that number on the application.
Questions people ask
Do I need a permit for a fence in Ottawa Hills?
Yes. The village requires a fence permit before any fence goes up or an existing fence is changed, and it issues zoning permits at no cost. The handbook says most permits are issued while you wait at 2125 Richards Road.
How tall can a fence be in Ottawa Hills?
The limit is 48 inches above the established grade, with posts no more than 4 inches higher, so 52 inches at most. Black deer fencing may reach 96 inches, and a short privacy screen beside a patio, porch or deck may reach 6 feet.
Can I put up a privacy fence in Ottawa Hills?
No. Solid privacy fences, including shadow box, are banned, and every fence must be at least 50 percent open. The code does allow privacy screens up to 6 feet tall and 12 feet long in total, beside a patio, porch or deck with one end against the house.
Is chain link allowed in Ottawa Hills?
No. Chain link, barbed wire, above-ground electric fences and most wire fences are banned. The one wire exception is 19 gauge farm fence attached to the outside of a split rail fence.
Does a fence in Ottawa Hills need design review?
We found no separate design board. The rules on height, openness, material, color and style are written into the zoning code, and the village office checks them when it issues the permit. A fence that breaks a rule needs a variance from the Zoning Commission.
Can I put a fence in my front yard in Ottawa Hills?
No. A fence may not sit closer to the street than the setback of the house. Fine mesh deer fencing is the one exception, allowed in a front yard from November 1 to April 30.