Before a new fence goes up in Anderson or anywhere in Madison County, four things are worth checking: local permit and height rules, any HOA or deed rules, where the property lines are, and where buried utilities run. This guide covers what the local offices say, checked in October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the office before you build.
Do you need a fence permit in Anderson, IN?
- Anderson’s zoning guide allows fences, latticework screens, hedges or walls up to seven feet tall in the required side or rear yard (City of Anderson Zoning Guide).
- The same guide says a private swimming pool must be surrounded by a fence at least five feet high, and a hedge in the front yard is kept to three feet.
- The guide uses improvement location permits for work that has to comply with the zoning code, so ask the City’s planning office whether your fence needs one.
- Outside the city, the property falls under Madison County, so ask the county about its rules.
Who to ask: City of Anderson Planning (in the city) or Madison County (outside it). If the property is in an HOA, check its rules too; they’re often stricter than the town’s about height, style and color.
Call Indiana 811 before any post hole
Indiana law requires anyone digging, including for fence posts, to contact Indiana 811 at least two full working days before digging. It’s free: call 811 or submit a request online (Indiana 811). Utilities mark their lines with paint or flags. Private lines, like a line to a shop or a well, aren’t marked, so point those out to the installer.
Know your property lines
Fences are usually set a little inside the property line, not on it. If you aren’t sure where the line is, look for the corner pins from your survey, or check the county’s GIS map as a rough guide. A new survey is the only way to be certain on a close call with a neighbor.
Clay soil and deep frost
Madison County clay holds water and Indiana frost goes deep, so posts need footings below the frost line or they heave and lean by spring.
Pools are a common reason for a new fence here. If the fence is a pool barrier, plan for the five-foot minimum and a self-closing, latching gate.
What to have ready for an estimate
- Roughly how many feet of fence, and where it starts and stops
- How many gates, and how wide (a mower or truck gate is wider than a walk gate)
- What the fence is for: privacy, pets, a pool, livestock or looks
- The material you lean toward: wood, vinyl, chain link, or farm and field fence
- Any slope, rock, trees or brush along the line
- Your permit or HOA answer, if you already have one
Get a fence estimate in Anderson
We cover Anderson, Chesterfield, Pendleton, Alexandria, Lapel and Frankton and the rest of Madison County. See fence installation, privacy fences, farm and field fence and fence repair, or request a free estimate.
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