In Cottage Grove, property owners are responsible for knowing their boundaries. All fences and supporting footing must be within these boundaries unless an agreement is signed with neighboring property owners. The finished side of the fence must face the abutting property or public right of way.

Cottage Grove does not mandate that you notify neighbors of new fence construction. However, it is still the neighborly thing to do. We recommend that you notify your neighbors of a new fence construction to avoid any unwanted surprises. This is especially true if they have kids or pets.

As long as your fence follows the residential installation criteria established by the city of Cottage Grove, no permit is needed. If you want a fence that falls outside of the city code, special permission from the city is required. It can be difficult to obtain these permits. Northland Fence can help you pursue these permits on your behalf if needed.

Like every city in Minnesota, Cottage Groves requires that you contact Gopher State One before any construction. Gopher State One will identify all underground utility lines to ensure a safe construction process. Northland Fence will work with Gopher State One on your behalf, so no extra work is needed on your end.

Cottage Grove has changing height requirements based on the fence’s location to the property and its distance from the property line.

Rear and side yard fences are limited to six feet in height, so long as they are near the property line. Front yard fences are limited to four feet in height. If a front yard fence is within 15 feet of the property line, then it must be less than 30 inches in height and have at least 50% transparency.

Corner lots are subject to the “triangle visibility rule.” To ensure that traffic visibility isn’t impaired at intersections, no fence can exceed 30 inches if the fence is within ten feet of the intersection point.

CAN I BUILD MY VINYL FENCE ON AN EASEMENT?
A: Cottage Grove is unique in that fences are allowed on drainage and utility easements. However, the repair and replacement of these fences is the responsibility of the owner. For that reason, we recommend that any fence that goes near an easement offers easy access to government employees or contractors. We can work with you in designing your fence to minimize any problems that may come with building over or around easements.