Lincoln County, Wisconsin

City of Merrill fence permit

Do you need a fence permit in the City of Merrill? Yes. The City of Merrill requires a permit before you build a fence.

buildit.dog can turn a fence drawn on an aerial photo of your lot into a complete permit application package for the City of Merrill (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes. Start with your address.

Quick facts

Permit required: Yes source
Side and rear yards: 6 ft source
Front (street) yard: 4 ft in front yards; front-yard fences must be at least 50% open to vision source
Corner lots: Front-yard rules apply; front-yard fences and hedges must stop 10 ft from the property line on corner lots source
Distance from lot line: Residential front-yard fences must stop 3 ft from the property line on interior lots and 10 ft on corner lots. Hedges must be planted at least 3 ft from property lines. Locating the property line is the responsibility of the owner putting up the fence (or set by mutual agreement with the neighbor); the City does not locate property corners. source
Good side faces: The finished side of the fence shall be faced to the outside of the property lines. source
Not allowed: Barbed wire, electric wire, or double or triple strand wire (except for agricultural and farming purposes in rural development zones). Wooden and plastic snow fence except as a temporary fence between November 1 and April 1. source
How to apply: Call 715-536-4880 source

Still being confirmed with Merrill: Is a fence permit applied for in person at City Hall with the City's building/zoning permit form, and is 715-536-4880 still the Zoning Administrator's number?

Plan your fence and build the applicationLook up your address, draw the fence on an aerial photo of your lot, and get a site plan and filled-in application.

How to file for a fence permit in the City of Merrill

Steps based on zoneomics.com — Municipal code: chapter 13

Call the City Zoning Administrator (715-536-4880) before you start; the City's Building/Zoning page says to call before beginning a project.
Prepare a scale sketch of your lot showing its shape and dimensions, existing buildings and where the fence will go. Lot lines must come from a deed, plat or survey; the City does not locate corners.
Apply for the zoning (fence) permit; the Zoning Administrator reviews the fence plan and issues or refuses the permit within 10 days.
Pay the zoning review fee and fence fee (set in the City's Chapter 16 fee schedule). Fees double if work starts before the permit is issued.
Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Paying: Zoning review fee and fence fee from the Chapter 16 fee schedule (amounts not found online)
Review time: The Zoning Administrator issues or refuses a zoning permit within 10 days of receiving the application (Sec. 113-403(d)); the City page says it usually takes a day or two
Permit good for: Void 6 months after issuance if work has not started; otherwise expires 12 months after issuance (Sec. 113-403(g))

Who to contact

Darin Pagel (per 2023 County directory)
Zoning Administrator/Building Inspector, City of Merrill

Phone: 715-536-4880
Address: City of Merrill Building/Zoning, City Hall, Merrill, WI 54452

Contact from ci.merrill.wi.us — index.asp

What to submit

Zoning permit application with a location sketch drawn to scale showing the lot's actual shape and dimensions and the location of existing and proposed structures (Sec. 113-403(b))
Fence plans, which the Zoning Administrator reviews and approves before the zoning permit is issued (Sec. 113-320(a))

Other rules to know

A written agreement with the abutting owner can allow a fence up to 6 ft; it must be filed with the building inspector and recorded with the Lincoln County Register of Deeds (Sec. 113-320(o)).
Privacy screens may be up to 6 ft high but are not allowed along any property line or within required building setback areas (Sec. 113-320(c)).
A zoning review fee and a fence fee apply; both are set by the Common Council in the Chapter 16 fee schedule. Dollar amounts were not found online.
The City's Building/Zoning page says permit fees double if you or your contractor start without a permit.
Fences and hedges that existed on January 1, 2007 and do not conform may be maintained but not altered (Sec. 113-320(h)).
The City does not locate property corners; only a licensed land surveyor can do that.
Fence rules quoted from the zoneomics.com copy of the Merrill Zoning Code (Ch. 113); the City's own permits page and forms page could not be opened (blocked to automated fetching).
Side-yard fences are limited to 4 ft and rear-yard fences to 6 ft, so the side/rear limit is left blank in the planner limits.
The Lincoln County 2023 Official Directory lists Darin Pagel as the City's Zoning Administrator/Building Inspector, City Clerk Lori Anderson-Malm ([email protected]) and the City Hall line 715-536-5594.

Before you dig

Call Diggers Hotline at 811 (or file online at diggershotline.com) at least 3 business days before digging post holes. Find your lot corner markers and keep the fence on your side of the line. County parcel maps can be off by several feet; if you're not sure where the line is, a licensed land surveyor can stake it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to build a fence in the City of Merrill, WI?

Yes. The City of Merrill requires a permit before you build a fence.

How tall can a fence be in the City of Merrill?

Side and rear yards: 6 ft. Front (street) yard: 4 ft in front yards; front-yard fences must be at least 50% open to vision. Corner lots: Front-yard rules apply; front-yard fences and hedges must stop 10 ft from the property line on corner lots.

How close to the property line can I put a fence in the City of Merrill?

Residential front-yard fences must stop 3 ft from the property line on interior lots and 10 ft on corner lots. Hedges must be planted at least 3 ft from property lines. Locating the property line is the responsibility of the owner putting up the fence (or set by mutual agreement with the neighbor); the City does not locate property corners.

Which side of the fence has to face the neighbor in the City of Merrill?

The finished side of the fence shall be faced to the outside of the property lines.

How do I apply for a fence permit in the City of Merrill?

Call the City Zoning Administrator (715-536-4880) before you start; the City's Building/Zoning page says to call before beginning a project. Prepare a scale sketch of your lot showing its shape and dimensions, existing buildings and where the fence will go. Lot lines must come from a deed, plat or survey; the City does not locate corners. Apply for the zoning (fence) permit; the Zoning Administrator reviews the fence plan and issues or refuses the permit within 10 days. Pay the zoning review fee and fence fee (set in the City's Chapter 16 fee schedule). Fees double if work starts before the permit is issued. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging. buildit.dog can turn a fence drawn on an aerial photo of your lot into a complete permit application package for the City of Merrill (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes.

Who do I contact about a fence permit in the City of Merrill?

Darin Pagel (per 2023 County directory), Zoning Administrator/Building Inspector, City of Merrill. Phone 715-536-4880.

Sources

Summarized from the City of Merrill's own ordinances, forms and permit pages. Each link opens the original.

Ordinance: Merrill Zoning Code Sec. 113-320 Fences and Hedges

Work for the City of Merrill? Help us keep this right

If anything on this page is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it. Municipal staff reports are reviewed first. Please include a link to the current ordinance, form or fee schedule if you can.