City of Bentonville Fence Height and Placement Standards

The City of Bentonville Zoning Code generally defers general fence height limitations to the Land Development Code, although it specifies a maximum height of 6 feet for fences in private open spaces within Cottage Court developments. For many nonresidential or industrial uses, the City of Bentonville requires fences to meet a minimum height of 8 feet to serve as adequate opaque screening when adjacent to residential districts.

General Fence Regulations

In the City of Bentonville, fences and walls are permitted to be constructed up to the property line [Section 401.04(h)]. However, the primary authority for general fence height and construction standards is found in Section 1100.06 of the City of Bentonville Land Development Code, which is referenced throughout the Zoning Ordinance [Section 401.04(h)].

Specific Fence Height Requirements

While the general maximum height for a standard residential fence is often found in the Land Development Code, the City of Bentonville Zoning Code (Appendix A) establishes mandatory height standards for specific uses, structures, and buffering scenarios.

Facility or Use Type	Location/Context	Height Requirement
Cottage Courts	Private Open Space (Side/Rear)	Maximum 6 feet
Cottage Courts	Fences near public streets, trails, or common open space	Maximum 4 feet
Child Care Family Home	Outdoor Play Area	Minimum 6 feet
Industrial (I) Districts	Opaque screening adjacent to residential property lines	Minimum 8 feet
Salvage Yards	Screening from major streets or residential/commercial districts	Minimum 8 feet
Open Display Developments	Screening for outside storage areas	Minimum 6 feet
Off-Street Loading	Screening for loading spaces adjacent to residential districts	Minimum 8 feet
Wireless Communication	Security fencing for towers	Minimum 6 feet
Parklets	Delineation barrier along the travel lane	Maximum 42 inches

Residential Use Specifics

For standard residential districts in the City of Bentonville, such as R-1 or R-2, the code highlights that certain features like fences and walls may be located within required setbacks [Section 401.04(h)]. In specific residential configurations like Cottage Courts, fences intended for the private use of an individual resident (typically in side or rear areas) are capped at a maximum height of 6 feet [Section 601.35(e)(2)].

Screening and Industrial Requirements

When a nonresidential or industrial use is located adjacent to a City of Bentonville residential area, the focus shifts from maximum heights to mandatory minimum heights to ensure visual buffering:

Industrial Districts: All permanent opaque screening fences or walls abutting property zoned for residential purposes must be at least 8 feet in height [Section 401.09(e)(1)].
Salvage Yards: These must be screened by a solid wall or fence at least 8 feet high if located within 100 feet of a residential district or major street [Section 601.21].
Loading Docks: Fences used to screen off-street loading areas from residential districts must be at least 8 feet in height [Section 501.10(b)].

Sight Distance and Safety

Regardless of the allowed height, the City of Bentonville prohibits any fence, wall, or structure from being located where it would create an obstruction in areas required to be kept clear for sight distance [Section 401.04(g)]. These requirements are governed by Article 1100.01 of the City of Bentonville Subdivision Code.

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