Plainview, the Hale County seat about 75 miles south of Amarillo on I-27, sets its fence rules in its zoning ordinance and its building permit list. They cover when you need a permit, how tall a fence can be in the front, side and rear yards, corner lots, and keeping sight lines clear at intersections and alleys. Here is a plain-English summary with links to the city's own pages.
Do you need a permit?
For most backyard fences, no. The City of Plainview's Building Permits & Inspections page lists "Fences more than eight (8) feet tall" among the projects that require a building permit. A fence 8 feet or shorter does not appear on that list, but it still has to meet the height and placement rules below, and the city's Code Enforcement Department lists fence regulations among the violations it follows up on.
The permits office is at 202 W. 5th Street, Plainview, TX 79072, phone (806) 296-1100, Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:30 pm (from the city's permits page). Call before you build if your fence is close to 8 feet, sits in a front yard, or is near a street corner.
How tall can the fence be?
Section 14.05.006(c) of the zoning ordinance the city posts sets these limits in rural and residential districts (RA, SR, MR, MF and MH), and along the boundary between a residential and a nonresidential district:
- Rear yard and side yard: no more than 8 feet above the grade of the adjacent property.
- Front yard: no more than 3 feet.
- Front yard in the Manufactured Home (MH) district: no more than 4 feet.
Note that the rear and side limit is measured from the grade of the neighboring property, which matters on lots that sit higher or lower than the one next door.
Corner lots
Where a corner lot is platted with two front yards and the house faces one of them, the ordinance treats the second one as a front yard too. In practice that means the 3-foot front-yard limit applies along both streets, so plan a tall privacy fence for the back and the inside side of the lot rather than along the side street.
Keep intersections and alleys clear
- No fence, screen or wall may block the view of a driver approaching within 30 feet of any street intersection.
- Where an alley meets a street, no fence or plant taller than 30 inches may sit inside the sight triangle formed by measuring 15 feet along each property line and joining the two points.
Screening walls the ordinance requires must be finished equally on both sides. Businesses and apartments next to SR or MR residential lots must put up a solid screening wall or fence between 6 and 8 feet tall, which is worth knowing if your yard backs onto a commercial lot.
Before you build
- Call the City of Plainview Building Permits & Inspections office at (806) 296-1100 to confirm the rules for your lot and zoning district.
- Call 811 before setting posts; Texas law requires it before digging.
- Check HOA covenants or deed restrictions, which can be stricter than the city's rules.
- Confirm the property line before you build along it, and read who pays for a fence between neighbors in Texas.
- Plainview sees the same high Panhandle winds as Amarillo, so read building a fence that stands up to wind before choosing posts and panels.
Getting quotes in Plainview
This website is a free referral service, not a fence company. Requests from Plainview are welcome: if you send a request, we pass it to one independent local fence contractor, who confirms they serve your address, looks at the property and quotes you directly.
General information only, not legal or engineering advice. Rules change, so confirm with the agency linked below or a licensed professional before you start work.
Sources
- City of Plainview Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 14.05.006(c) Fence and Wall Regulations (PDF posted by the city)
- City of Plainview: Building Permits & Inspections
- City of Plainview: Code Enforcement
- Texas811: Homeowner / DIYer
Last reviewed: October 2026.
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