Landowners in Minnesota must know the boundaries of their property before installing a new fence. All fences must be built inside your property limits unless you have a written agreement with your neighbors. Fences must not block road sight, hinder pathways, conceal utility boxes, or restrict access to utility poles.

If constructing the new fence doesn’t require entering your neighbor’s property, then you are not legally obligated to notify them of the new fence construction. However, we still encourage you to give your next-door neighbors a heads-up before any construction begins. This is the polite thing to do, and would be especially appreciated if they have kids or pets.

New Brighton is less strict about fence permits than other municipalities in Minnesota. As long as fences do not exceed 6 feet in height, no permit is required. For fences taller than 6 feet, a building permit from the city of New Brighton is required. These permit applications often require detailed plans to be approved.

One of the contractors at Northland Fence will contact Gopher State One so all utility lines can be marked and detected. We know that striking a utility can be both expensive and dangerous. Our highest priority is your safety and the safety of our crew.

New Brighton is unique in allowing all fences, regardless of proximity to the house, to reach 6 feet before a permit is required.

Like most cities in Minnesota, New Brighton does have a “window of visibility” rule for corner lots. No fence, structure, or vegetation can obstruct a “clear view triangle.” The triangle is measured at an intersection corner and expands thirty feet in both directions. The “window of visibility” can be hard to understand. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

There are no formal laws about erecting fences near easements in New Brighton. However, we strongly recommend that new fences don’t obstruct access to easements like fire hydrants, utility poles, electrical boxes, and other pieces of localized infrastructure.

If an easement is damaged as a result of a fence, the property owner is likely to be held financially liable. For everyone’s peace of mind, we advise that new fences don’t hinder the access of any easements.