Fence Company in Lincoln, AR
A permit for every fence, 6 feet from the house back, no front-yard fences and a 3-foot emergency gate. We pull the permit.
See the Lincoln fence rules and permit guide ↓
WHO WE ARE
Don't Rely On Luck. Trust Your Neighbor.
Kismet Fence is a locally owned Licensed Contractor, No. 0446811126. Our shop is in Farmington, about 13 miles and 17 minutes from Lincoln. We have built here before, including the chain link dog run in the photo above.
Lincoln is a Washington County city of about 2,300 people with a fence code that asks for more than most. Every new fence needs a permit and a drawing of the property. Fences stay out of the required front yard, top out at 6 feet, and need a gate at least 3 feet wide for emergency access.
We draw the plan, pull the permit and build to Sec. 5.1.1 of Lincoln’s Unified Development Code.
Lincoln’s code is written around water, access and upkeep. A fence cannot block drainage, has to let emergency crews through, and has to be kept upright with missing boards replaced in kind.
We start with the part that keeps it upright: post holes dug deeper.
Wood gates, including the 3-foot emergency gate, get metal frames and metal posts so they do not sag.
Our workmanship warranty runs for the lifetime of the fence.
LINCOLN FENCING OPTIONS
Most popularCustom Wood & Privacy Fences
Cedar or pine privacy fence up to Lincoln’s 6-foot limit, finished side facing the street. PostMaster® steel posts optional.
Ask about a free cedar picket upgrade.
Aluminum Fencing
Flat top, extended picket and puppy picket styles, confirmed with Lincoln’s Building Official on the permit.
Ornamental Steel Fencing
Black welded steel, the modern version of the wrought iron Lincoln’s code lists, in 4, 5 and 6 foot heights.
Chain Link Fencing
Galvanized or black-coated chain link, a material Lincoln’s code names, for yards and dog runs like the one we built here.
Vinyl & Composite
Vinyl and PVC are on Lincoln’s materials list. We also build Trex, SimTek, TimberTech and FenceTrac.
Farm & Ranch Fencing
Field fence, horse fence and pipe. Barbed wire and electric only where Lincoln’s zoning allows them.
Estate Gates & Automation
The 3-foot emergency gate every Lincoln fence needs, plus drive gates with solar or wired openers.
What will your fence cost?
Draw it on a satellite map of your yard and see a real price in about a minute. No phone call, no obligation.
LINCOLN FENCES BY NEED
Dog Fences
Dog runs and pet pens, which Lincoln exempts from its fence rules when they stay behind the house and under 49% of the yard.
Pool Fences
In-ground pool fence at least 48 inches tall with a locking gate, as Lincoln requires, plus the state pool code.
Commercial Fencing
Commercial and industrial fence in Lincoln, with barbed wire only in the zones that allow it.
Fence Repair
Fence repair in Lincoln. Replacing more than half of a fence counts as a new one and needs a permit.
Why We're Different
The Difference You Can See. The Quality & Care You Can Trust.
Local, Experienced & Trusted
Our shop in Farmington is about 17 minutes from Lincoln, and we have built here before. See us on Google.
Professional & Licensed Fence Contractor
We're an experienced, licensed fence contractor that follows proper building standards, safety practices, and local codes. See our license.
Financing Options
Pay for your fence over time through Acorn Finance. Checking your offers does not affect your credit score. See how financing works.
Lifetime Workmanship Warranty
Lincoln requires a fence to be kept upright and in its original condition. Our lifetime workmanship warranty backs the way we built it. Read the full warranty.
Permits Made Easy
Every new fence in Lincoln needs a permit and a property drawing. We prepare the drawing and pull the permit. See fence permits by town.
SCHEDULE YOUR FREE QUOTE TODAY
Pick a time and an estimator comes over from Farmington, measures the lot, and sketches the fence line, the gate and any ditch or easement for the drawing Lincoln’s permit requires. No pressure and no charge.
CUSTOM WOOD & PRIVACY FENCES
Lincoln caps fences at six feet, from the front of the house back to the rear lot line. A six-foot privacy fence fits, and it needs a permit before we build, which we pull for you.
Finished side out: wherever the fence can be seen from the street, the finished face points outward and the posts sit inside. That is how we build.
Styles: cedar or pressure-treated pine in side-by-side, board-on-board, shadowbox or horizontal, with dog-ear tops.
No front-yard fence: Lincoln does not allow a fence along the sides or front edge of the required front yard. On a corner lot, the street-side run stays behind the front of the house and 5 feet off the right-of-way.
Ditches: in a drainage path the fence needs 2 inches of clearance under it, and it cannot sit within 5 feet of the top of an open ditch.
Posts: PostMaster steel posts are available if you want a frame that outlasts the wood.
See our cedar fences, pressure-treated pine fences, horizontal fences and steel post upgrade.
ORNAMENTAL STEEL & ALUMINUM
Lincoln lists wrought iron among its accepted fence materials, along with wood, masonry, PVC, vinyl, chain link and concrete block. Ornamental metal follows the same 6-foot limit as everything else.
Materials: the code’s list names wrought iron but not aluminum, so we confirm an aluminum fence with the Building Official when we file the permit.
Styles: flat top, extended picket and puppy picket, plus black welded steel.
Pools: an in-ground pool in Lincoln has to be enclosed by a fence at least 48 inches tall with a locking gate, and the pool has to sit behind the back building line.
START YOUR FENCE PROJECT TODAY
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL CHAIN LINK FENCES
Chain link is on Lincoln’s list of accepted fence materials, and we have built it here, including the dog run pictured at the top of this page.
Dog runs and gardens: a pet run, pet pen or garden fence behind the front of the house is exempt from Lincoln’s fence rules if it encloses no more than 49% of the open yard behind the house.
Residential: galvanized or black vinyl-coated mesh up to 6 feet.
Businesses: barbed wire is allowed only in industrial and agricultural zones, at least 5 feet from the right-of-way. Razor wire is banned everywhere.
Pools: pool mesh is 1-1/4 inch, since standard 2-inch chain link does not meet the state pool code.
VINYL & COMPOSITE
Lincoln’s code names both PVC and vinyl as accepted fence materials, so a vinyl privacy fence needs nothing special beyond the standard permit.
Vinyl: solid privacy panels in white or tan, up to 6 feet.
Composite: Trex, SimTek, TimberTech and FenceTrac. Composite is not on the code’s list by name, so we confirm it with the Building Official on the permit.
Upkeep: Lincoln requires a fence to keep its original finish and stay upright, which is easy with a fence that has no stain to wear off.
FARM & RANCH FENCES
Lincoln ties wire fence to zoning. Barbed wire is allowed only in industrial and agricultural zones, electric fence only in agricultural zones, and both stay at least 5 feet back from the street right-of-way.
What we build: field fence, no-climb horse fence, high-tensile wire, welded pipe and livestock panels.
Pet fences: low-power electric fences made to keep pets in the yard are exempt from the electric fence rule.
Drainage: no fence in Lincoln may restrict surface water, so a fence across a drainage path is built with clearance for water to pass under it.
GATE AUTOMATION
In Lincoln a gate is not optional. Every fence needs at least one gate, 3 feet wide or more, for emergency access.
Gate types: walk gates, estate swing gates, sliding gates and cantilever gates.
Openers: solar or hard-wired, with keypad, remote or phone control.
Easements: a fence that encloses a utility easement needs a gate so crews can reach it, and no fence can cross an access easement.
GET YOUR FREE QUOTE TODAY
Tell us what you are fencing in Lincoln. We will work out the height, the gate, the drainage and the permit drawing, and tell you what it takes to do it right.
OUR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FENCING PROJECTS
Lincoln Fence Rules Code & Permit Guide
Lincoln keeps its fence rules in its Unified Development Code. It requires a permit for every new fence, keeps fences out of the front yard and has a few rules most towns do not. This is what the code says, and where it came from.
Read the CodeFence permit required. We pull it, with the property drawing the city asks for.
Permits
Lincoln requires a permit for every new fence.
Do I need a permit for a fence?
Yes. Every new fence in Lincoln needs a permit from the Building Official before it is built. A fence built at the same time on one property counts as one fence and needs one permit (Sec. 5.1.1).
What goes with the permit?
A drawing of the property. It shows the property lines with real dimensions, especially along the street, where the fence goes, its height and type, and a north arrow and scale. We prepare it.
Does a dog run or garden fence need one?
Not always. Fences for pet runs, pet pens and gardens are exempt from Lincoln’s fence rules if they sit behind the front of the house and enclose no more than 49% of the open yard behind it.
What if a fence breaks the rules?
$25 to $100 a day. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.
How Tall And Where
Six feet from the front of the house back, and no fences in the required front yard.
How tall can my fence be?
6 feet from the front of the house back to the rear lot line (Sec. 5.1.1).
Can I fence my front yard?
No. Lincoln does not allow a fence along the sides or front edge of the required front yard.
What about corner lots?
Behind the house line. On the street side of a corner lot, the fence cannot go past the front of the house and has to stay at least 5 feet from the street right-of-way.
How close to the street can a fence go?
5 feet from the right-of-way. Fences and walls next to a public street have to stay at least 5 feet back.
What if my front yard faces a neighbor’s backyard?
The shorter limit wins. Where one lot’s front line shares space with another lot’s back or side line, the lower height applies. The Planning Commission can grant a variance case by case.
Gates, Materials And Upkeep
Lincoln has a rule most towns do not: every fence needs an emergency gate.
Does my fence need a gate?
Yes, at least one. Every fence in Lincoln needs a gate at least 3 feet wide for emergency access.
Which side faces out?
The finished side, wherever it can be seen from the street. Posts and support beams go on the inside or have to be built into the finished face.
What materials are allowed?
Wood, masonry, wrought iron, PVC, chain link, vinyl and concrete block. Razor wire, sheet metal and pallets are banned.
How does a fence have to be kept up?
As built. Fences have to stay upright and keep their original finish, and missing boards, pickets or posts have to be replaced promptly with the same type and quality.
Drainage And Easements
Lincoln is strict about letting water through.
What about ditches and drainage?
Leave room for water. A fence cannot restrict surface water. In a stormwater path it needs at least 2 inches of clearance above the ground, and no fence can go within 5 feet of the top of an open ditch’s backslope.
Can my fence go in a utility easement?
Yes, with a gate. Fences are allowed in utility easements at the owner’s risk, and a fence that encloses one needs a gate so crews can get in. Walls used as fences are not allowed there.
What about drainage and access easements?
Only with approval, or not at all. A fence in a drainage easement needs Planning Commission approval first, and no fence can cross a public or private access easement.
Barbed Wire And Electric Fences
Both are limited to certain zones.
Can I use barbed wire?
Only in industrial or agricultural zones, and never within 5 feet of the street right-of-way.
Can I put up an electric fence?
Only in agricultural zones, at least 5 feet from a public sidewalk or right-of-way. Low-power electric pet fences are exempt.
Pools
Lincoln writes its own pool fence rules, and the state code adds more.
How does an in-ground pool have to be fenced?
At least 48 inches, with a locking gate. Every way into an in-ground pool has to be enclosed by a fence at least 48 inches tall, with a gate that stays locked when the pool is not in use.
Where can a pool go?
Behind the house. Lincoln requires every swimming pool to be built behind the back building line.
What about above-ground pools?
Take the ladder down. An above-ground pool with walls 36 inches or taller needs a removable ladder, taken down when the pool is not in use and stored at least 10 feet away.
Does the state pool code apply too?
Yes. The state residential code sends pool barriers to the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, which adds self-closing, self-latching gates and limits on gaps and climbable openings. We build to both.
Sources: City of Lincoln Code, Title 16, Unified Development Code, Article V, Division 5.1, Sec. 5.1.1 (fences, walls or hedges), as amended by Ord. No. 2020-28, via eCode360; International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (2021) Sec. 305. Code checked October 2026 against the code as posted on eCode360. Rules change; confirm with the city before you build.
Nearby towns: Prairie Grove · Farmington · Fayetteville
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