Privacy fences · Des Moines
Privacy Fence in Des Moines: the 6-Foot Rule, Materials, and Price per Foot
In Des Moines a privacy fence can be up to 6 feet tall in the side or rear yard and is not allowed in the front yard (City Residential Fence FAQ, read October 26, 2026); national 2026 cost guides put one at $25–$60 per linear foot installed. Here's how the rules shape the design, and how wood, vinyl and composite compare.
Published October 26, 2026 · Figures and rules checked against the sources listed at the end of this page.
How the City's rules shape a privacy fence
- Height: up to 6 ft in a side or rear yard; 4 ft where the fence is within 5 ft of the house.
- Not in the front yard: front yards allow only picket or metal, 3 ft or less. On a corner lot, check where the City considers your front yard before you draw the line.
- Vision clearance: no fence in the vision-clearance area at street intersections, and keep the 15-ft alley clearance.
- Permit: any fence over 3 ft (other than chain link up to 4 ft) needs one — so every privacy fence does.
- Decorative side out, and nothing in the public right-of-way.
Materials compared
| Material | Installed, per foot | Upkeep | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | $20–$50 | Seal or stain every year or two | Lowest up-front cost; boards and posts eventually rot |
| Vinyl | $30–$60 | Wash it | No rot or paint; ask about wind rating on open lots |
| Composite | $20–$85 | Low | Wood look without rot; widest price range |
What a privacy fence costs by length
HomeGuide's installed totals for a wood or vinyl fence, read October 26, 2026, scale with the run. Measure your own back yard before you compare: the table runs from 100 to 200 feet, and a corner or double lot can need more.
| Fence length | Installed total |
|---|---|
| 50 ft | $1,000–$3,000 |
| 100 ft | $2,000–$6,000 |
| 150 ft | $3,000–$9,000 |
| 200 ft | $4,000–$12,000 |
| 300 ft | $6,000–$18,000 |
Two lines that often sit outside those totals: tearing out an old fence, $10–$20 per foot on the same guide, and a survey to find the pins, $200–$1,200. Both are worth asking about before you compare bids, because one contractor may include them and another may not.
Three privacy styles, and what to ask about each
- Solid panel (dog-ear or flat-top). Boards butted edge to edge on one side of the rails. Cheapest to build; the "good side" faces out, which both Des Moines and West Des Moines require. Ask how the boards are spaced for seasonal shrinkage, since tight-butted green lumber opens gaps as it dries.
- Board-on-board. Boards overlap on one side so there is no gap even after shrinkage. More lumber, more labor, full privacy for the life of the fence.
- Shadowbox. Boards alternate on each side of the rails, so both neighbors see a finished face and air passes through — the usual choice on a shared line, and the one that handles wind best.
Winter, wind and the ground under the posts
A privacy fence is a sail. Six feet of solid panel on an exposed lot takes the full force of a central Iowa wind, and everything comes down to the posts: their size, how deep they sit, and what they sit in. Central Iowa's freeze-thaw cycle lifts shallow posts, which is why the repair page is mostly about heaved and leaning posts. We don't publish a required post depth for Des Moines, because we have not read the City's building-code frost-depth rule and won't quote a number we haven't verified — but every bidder should state one, in writing, and you should compare them.
If you're in a suburb: the rules shift
The 6-ft side- and rear-yard limit holds in West Des Moines and Ankeny too (both cities' own fence handouts, read October 26, 2026), but the details change:
- West Des Moines allows a 6-ft fence along a street-side or rear lot line next to a street only if it is set back at least 15 ft from the right-of-way; otherwise the limit at the property line is 4 ft. Natural wood must be treated lumber, cedar, redwood or a similar decay-resistant species, and sides visible from off the lot must be an earth-tone or neutral color — white, black, gray, tan or brown. A permit is required for any fence.
- Ankeny allows 6 ft solid in side and rear yards, or 8 ft if the top portion is 70% open, and caps front yards — including a side yard along a street — at 48 in. A permit is required for any fence, with a $25 fee and about five working days of processing.
- Other suburbs have their own codes that we have not read; the service-area page says which, and sends you to the right building department.
Questions to put to every bidder
- Board-on-board, shadowbox or solid panel — and what spacing between posts?
- Post material, depth and setting method?
- How will the fence step or rack down a slope?
- Who pulls the permit and books the inspection?
- Gates: width, hardware, and how the hinge post is braced.
Neighbors and shared lines
A privacy fence on a shared line is easier with a written agreement on cost, maintenance and which side faces which way. Iowa's partition-fence law has its own procedure — see Iowa fence law between neighbors for what it says and what it leaves open for city lots.
Sources and dates
Every figure and rule above names where it came from and the date it was read. If a source disagrees with a quote you receive, the quote wins — it reflects your yard, your fence line, and this season's demand. Prices are rechecked at least every six months.
- City of Des Moines, Residential Fence FAQ (Permit & Development Center) — read October 26, 2026
- City of West Des Moines, "Fence & Retaining Wall Design & Code Information Handout" (City Code §§ 9-14-11, 9-14-12, 9-14-5(C); revised Aug 4, 2026) — read October 26, 2026. Privacy-fence height, street-side setback, wood species and color rules (§ 9-14-11).
- City of Ankeny, "Residential Guidelines — Fence" handout (October 2026) — read October 26, 2026. Front-yard and side/rear height rules, permit fee.
- HomeGuide, "How Much Does Fence Installation Cost? (2026)" — read October 26, 2026