Norton Shores had 25,030 residents at the 2020 census. It stretches from Lake Michigan and Hoffmaster State Park on the west to the Muskegon, Roosevelt Park, and Muskegon Heights borders on the north, with Mona Lake in the north and Little Black Lake in the south. It became a city in 1968. Its fence rules are in Article XII of the city's zoning code.
Permit first
Section 48-1324 says no fence can go up before an installation permit is issued. The city's building department FAQ says a fence needs a zoning permit and a site plan, and that a pool or safety barrier also needs a building permit. A fence that projects into a front yard, or a side yard facing a street, is reviewed by the building and zoning administrator before the permit is issued.
Front and street-side yards
- Height: 4 feet maximum, unless the section allows otherwise.
- Openness: the fence can't obstruct vision over more than 50% of its total area. A solid privacy fence doesn't qualify. Picket, split rail, aluminum, or chain link usually do.
- Style: fences must be "residential in nature and intent." Farm-type fences are excluded from residential districts, except on farm land.
- Right-of-way: fences can't extend into the street right-of-way at the front property line.
- Hedges: living fences such as hedges in a required front setback that could block drivers' view are limited to 2 feet.
- Corners: nothing over 2 feet above street grade within the triangle formed 25 feet along each right-of-way line from a street intersection. The police department can recommend stricter corner clearance.
Side and rear yards
Fences can be up to 6 feet tall, measured from the ground, and can't extend beyond the required minimum front yard. That's the rule a typical backyard privacy fence works within. See our privacy fence page.
What's not allowed
Fences on residential lots can't contain barbed wire, electric current, broken glass caps, or chain link with sharp wire edges exposed. If you're replacing an old chain link fence, ask the installer about the top finish.
Deer fencing
Section 48-1325, added in 2023, allows deer fencing on private property under specific conditions. It can only go around gardens or landscaped areas, not along a property line. It can be at most 8 feet tall, including poles, and must be see-through nylon mesh and polypropylene in green, brown, or black. Wood, vinyl, and metal aren't allowed for it. It has to sit directly on the ground, support itself, stay out of the road right-of-way, and have no roof.
Lakeshore lots and dunes
Much of the Lake Michigan shore here is loose Rubicon sand, which USDA describes as forming on dunes and beach ridges. Posts hold less firmly in it. Hoffmaster State Park's dune complexes are in the city's western part, and parts of the shoreline are state-designated critical dune areas. Michigan EGLE's policy says a fence installed with hand tools, following existing grade, and open to wind and sand movement is generally not a regulated use. A solid fence, or one that changes contours, may be different. Check EGLE's critical dune maps if you're near the lake.
Pools
Because the city requires a building permit for a pool or safety barrier, a pool fence is a different job from a yard fence. Tell the installer up front. See aluminum fences, a common pool choice.
Cost and timing
HomeGuide's national figures put most fences at $20 to $60 per linear foot installed. A 6-foot privacy fence runs $25 to $60 per foot. See the cost guide. Michigan's MISS DIG law requires notice at least 72 hours before post holes are dug.
Sources, checked October 23, 2026: City of Norton Shores Code of Ordinances Secs. 48-1324 and 48-1325 (via Zoneomics code mirror); City of Norton Shores Building Department FAQ; Wikipedia, Norton Shores, Michigan (2020 census, geography, incorporation); USDA Rubicon series description; Michigan EGLE Part 353 critical dune policy; HomeGuide cost guides; MISS DIG law. Confirm current rules with the city before building.