Madison is Wisconsin’s state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin, anchoring a market in Dane County where the progressive university-town character influences permitting politics, HOA culture, and material preferences across one of the Midwest’s most educated metro areas. Fitchburg, immediately south of Madison, is a fast-growing suburb with a distinctive mix of older rural properties being converted to residential use and newer HOA-governed subdivisions that have sprung up along the Dane County growth corridors. Madison’s network of lakes — Mendota, Monona, Wingra, and Waubesa — creates a substantial lakefront property market where setback restrictions and shoreland zoning requirements add an additional regulatory layer beyond standard city fence permits.
Find a Fence Company Near You, Enter Zip Below.
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Action Fence |
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| Address: | 2861 Dellvue Dr, Fitchburg, WI 53711 | ||
| Phone #: | (608) 271-7308 | ||
| Website: | http://action-fence.net | ||
Madison Zoning & Permit Guide
City of Madison: The Madison Building Inspection Division requires a permit for most permanent fence installations. Standard residential zoning allows rear and side yard fences up to 6 feet and front yard fences up to 4 feet. Madison’s Mansion Hill and Third Lake Ridge historic districts have additional design review requirements.
Dane County Suburbs (Fitchburg, Sun Prairie, Middleton): Each suburb operates its own building department independent of Madison. Fitchburg, Sun Prairie, and Middleton all require permits for permanent residential fences and have active HOA communities in their newer developments. See our FAQ on fence permit requirements.
Shoreland Zoning: Properties within 300 feet of any of Madison’s lakes are subject to Wisconsin’s Shoreland Zoning regulations. Fences near the lake shore require additional review — confirm with the city or county whether your property falls within the shoreland setback zone.
Pool Safety: Wisconsin pool barrier requirements mandate a minimum 48-inch (4-foot) enclosure with self-closing, self-latching gates. Learn more about making your fence pool code compliant.
Utilities: Wisconsin law requires calling Digger’s Hotline (811) at least three working days before any digging begins.