Fence permits and HOA rules: what to check

City of Corpus Christi

The City's Unified Development Code allows fences and walls in required yards, subject to the visibility rules below (City of Corpus Christi). Fences are not named on the City's page for residential accessory construction permits (City of Corpus Christi), but height limits, permits and special district rules still depend on your lot and zoning, so check with Development Services before you build.

• Height: ask what height is allowed in back and side yards, and in a front yard, for your zoning. Some districts set their own limits, for example 48 inches in front and 6 feet at the rear in cottage housing and clustered developments.
• Corner lots and driveways: On a corner lot, the code keeps a visibility triangle clear between 30 inches and 7 feet high, measured 20 feet along each street from the corner; driveways have a triangle 20 feet along the drive and 30 feet along the street (City of Corpus Christi).
• Easements: utility and drainage easements may limit what you can build, or allow a utility to remove the fence.
• Pools: a fence that forms a pool barrier has its own requirements for height, gaps and self-closing, self-latching gates. For apartment complexes and HOAs that own a pool, Texas law requires a pool yard enclosure at least 48 inches high and bans chain link for new enclosures (Health and Safety Code section 757.003) (State of Texas).
• Beach and dunes: Close to the Gulf beach, the City's beach and dune rules cover the area within about 1,000 feet of mean high tide, and beachfront projects may need a Beachfront Construction Certificate or a Dune Protection Permit (City of Corpus Christi (filed with the Texas General Land Office), City of Corpus Christi). Ask the City before building near the dunes.

If your fence does need a permit, many fence contractors pull it as part of the job. Ask who is responsible, and keep a copy.

Outside Corpus Christi city limits

Flour Bluff and North Padre Island are inside the City of Corpus Christi, so city rules apply there. Portland, Robstown, Kingsville, Aransas Pass, Ingleside, Port Aransas, Rockport and other towns set their own rules. The City of Portland says permits are required to put up fences (City of Portland, Texas). In unincorporated parts of Nueces, San Patricio, Kleberg or Aransas County, check with the county, including any floodplain rules.

Your HOA

Texas law says a property owners' association cannot stop an owner from installing a perimeter fence as a security measure, but it can regulate the type of fence (Property Code section 202.023; it does not apply to condominiums) (State of Texas). In practice most HOAs set the material, height, color and which side faces out.

• Read the deed restrictions and architectural guidelines for allowed materials, heights, colors and which side faces out.
• Submit the plan and get written approval before you sign a contract or order materials.
• Give the contractor a copy of the approval and the rules.

Property lines and neighbors

Know where your property line is before you build: a survey or your plat shows it. Talk to the neighbor if the fence is on or near the line, especially if you hope to share the cost. Disputes over a fence built on the wrong side of the line are expensive.

Call Texas 811 before digging

Texas law requires whoever digs to notify Texas 811 at least 48 hours before (not counting weekends and legal holidays) and no more than 14 days before, for power augering or digging 16 inches or deeper, which covers most post holes (State of Texas). The service is free: dial 811 or use the online portal. Utilities may not mark private lines that run from the meter to the house, such as sprinkler lines or power to a shop, so point those out (Texas811). Agree with your contractor who makes the request.

Contractor licensing

Texas has no state license for fence contractors: the state licensing agency, TDLR, has no fence or general contractor category. Wiring a gate opener to power is electrical work that must be done through a TDLR-licensed electrical contractor (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation). The City of Corpus Christi runs a voluntary STAR contractor program that checks insurance and background (City of Corpus Christi).

Sources and official pages

1. City of Corpus Christi: Residential remodels and repairs (accessory construction permits). Checked 2026-10-23.
2. City of Corpus Christi: Unified Development Code (sections 4.2.5 and 4.2.9). Checked 2026-10-23.
3. City of Corpus Christi (filed with the Texas General Land Office): Beach front management and construction, Code chapter 10. Checked 2026-10-23.
4. City of Portland, Texas: Permits. Checked 2026-10-23.
5. State of Texas: Property Code section 202.023, security measures (HOAs). Checked 2026-10-23.
6. State of Texas: Health and Safety Code section 757.003, pool yard enclosures. Checked 2026-10-23.
7. State of Texas: Utilities Code section 251.151, notice before excavation. Checked 2026-10-23.
8. Texas811: Homeowner FAQs. Checked 2026-10-23 (archived copy).
9. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: Electricians. Checked 2026-10-23.
10. City of Corpus Christi: The STAR contractor program. Checked 2026-10-23.