Horse and farm fence in Geauga County, Ohio

Geauga County is horse, farm and Amish country with no Pennsylvania border

Chardon is the county seat of Geauga County, which is close to Bristolville. Geauga is known for Middlefield, a large Amish community. Ohio Magazine describes Geauga as having the fourth-largest Amish population in the nation. Unlike Trumbull, Mahoning and Ashtabula counties, Geauga does not border Pennsylvania, so every fence here follows Ohio rules only.

Solid Rock Fencing is based in Bristolville, Trumbull County, and builds in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The owner was raised Amish, and the work is built on Amish craftsmanship, with attention to the posts, corners and gates that decide whether a fence holds up. We do not publish a list of counties we cover. The FREE estimate call confirms whether we reach your property.

The county list of zoning inspectors is the best place to start

The Geauga County Planning Commission publishes a document called Zoning Inspectors by Community, dated May 2024. It lists 20 communities with zoning inspectors and notes that Middlefield Township has no zoning in effect. The planning commission phone number is (440) 279-1740. Names and numbers change, so check the current version before you call. The county does not set fence rules for you. The inspector for your township, city or village does.

Fence rules vary by township, and Russell Township shows it

In 2021, Russell Township trustees voted down a proposed fence amendment to the zoning resolution. According to a local news report, the proposal would have set different limits for front yards and for side and back yards and exempted agricultural fences. It did not pass, so it is not law. We mention it only because it shows how a single township debated its own fence rules. The same article quotes a trustee as saying most Geauga townships already regulate fences, a statement we have not verified.

The point for a property owner is simple. Do not assume that a rule you heard about in one township applies in the next one. Two neighbors on opposite sides of a township line can have different answers on permits, height and setbacks, and a township can amend its resolution at any time.

What the extension sources say about horse fence

Horse owners in Geauga County often ask the same question: what makes a fence safe for a horse? The extension sources agree on most points. Fence height, openings, posts and visibility all matter, and the cheapest fence for cattle may be the wrong fence for a horse. The details below come from Penn State Extension and University of Georgia Extension, not from local rules, and your horses, breeds and pasture may need something different. The horse fence page has more.

Farm fence in a county with long fence lines

Farm jobs in Geauga County run from a small horse paddock to cattle, sheep and goat pasture. The Ohio NRCS woven wire specification sets a minimum total fence height of 48 inches for cattle, goats and horses, 42 inches for sheep and 36 inches for swine. Posts, braces and wire tension decide whether a fence holds for a season or for years, so the corner assembly gets the most attention. See farm and ranch fence and woven wire fence.

• Plan the layout first: where animals water, where they gather, and where you drive equipment.
• Put gates where animals naturally move and where you can reach them with a tractor.
• Avoid diagonal braces at corners of wire horse fence, where Penn State warns they create entrapment spaces; rounded corners are recommended.
• Keep a maintained fence. OSU Extension notes that maintained fences, locked gates and regular checks are reasonable precautions if livestock escape.
• Look at old fence before replacing it. Repair and new gates can save money.

Farm land and township zoning

ORC 519.21 keeps township zoning from prohibiting agricultural use and says no zoning certificate is required for buildings or structures used for agriculture. Townships cannot regulate buildings, structures or animal husbandry on lots greater than five acres. For one to five acres, limited regulation is allowed only in platted subdivisions or groups of 15 or more contiguous lots. The section does not mention fences, and a horse property that is not a working farm may be treated differently from a farm. Ask the zoning inspector. This is general information, not legal advice.

Mistakes to avoid in Geauga County

• Using a rule from another township or from a news article as if it were your own.
• Assuming that no zoning in Middlefield Township means no limits. Road right-of-way and easements still apply.
• Putting cattle wire around a horse paddock.
• Using T-posts on a horse fence.
• Skipping 811. OHIO811 asks for notice at least two working days before digging.

1. Find your communityUse the county list or call (440) 279-1740.
2. Ask the inspectorPermit, height, setbacks, agricultural treatment.
3. Plan animals, gates and cornersMatch the fence to the animals, not to the cheapest option.
4. Call 811FREE, and required before digging.
5. Call us for a FREE estimate(440) 241-4312.

Questions we hear