Fence contractor and township rules in Portage County, Ohio

Portage County sits just west of Trumbull and splits its rules by township

Ravenna is the county seat of Portage County, and Kent is the largest city. Portage County borders Trumbull County on the east, which puts it on the doorstep of Bristolville, where Solid Rock Fencing is based. We build farm, horse, privacy, picket, wire and chain link fence in Ohio and Pennsylvania. We do not publish a list of counties we cover, so the FREE estimate call confirms whether we reach your property.

Township zoning is the main source of fence rules in the county's rural areas. The county's building department and flood plain administration page includes a zoning section that lists townships and phone numbers. Cities such as Kent and Ravenna handle their own zoning inside city limits. This is general information, not legal advice.

The county list of townships is the shortcut

The Portage County zoning page lists these townships with inspector contacts: Atwater, Brimfield, Charlestown, Edinburg, Franklin, Freedom, Hiram, Mantua, Palmyra, Paris, Randolph, Ravenna, Rootstown, Shalersville, Suffield and Windham. Each township with a zoning resolution sets its own fence rules. Sixteen entries does not mean sixteen identical answers.

Deerfield Township voted out zoning in 2009

Zoning is a local choice, and townships can drop it. Deerfield Township voted out its zoning in 2009, which the county notes on its zoning page. A township without zoning has no fence height limit or permit process under a township zoning resolution. That does not remove the other layers: road right-of-way, utility easements, deed restrictions, an association if there is one, and Ohio's partition fence and call-before-you-dig laws.

The Deerfield example is a good reminder to check what a township did most recently. A resolution can be adopted, amended or repealed by vote, so an answer from a friend or an old web page may be out of date. Ask the township office for the current status, and ask whether any change is pending.

What to ask a Portage County township inspector

A clear call takes five minutes if you have the right questions. Write down the answers and the name of the person. If the answer is in the resolution, ask for the section.

• Does a fence need a zoning permit, and is there a fee?
• What does the site plan need to show?
• Are the height and setback limits different in the front, side and back yards?
• Is a farm or pasture fence treated differently? ORC 519.21 does not mention fences, so this is the township's call.
• Is the road in front of the property a township, county or state road?
• Is any part of the property in a mapped floodplain?
• Who should I ask about a driveway entrance and gate?

Township roads, county roads and state roads

The road in front of the property decides who you talk to about setbacks and gates. ODOT says driveway access and roadside obstructions within its right-of-way require a permit, though fences are not named in the text we read. Many rural roads are owned by the township or the county instead. Ask the local office which agency controls the road, and keep posts and gates well back from the edge unless they tell you otherwise.

Fence work in a county of farms and town yards

Portage County has farms and rural parcels in the townships and denser housing in and around Kent and Ravenna. A pasture needs woven wire or horse-safe board with strong corners. A town yard wants privacy or picket fence and a gate that closes without dragging. A fence that is leaning, gray or missing rails may need repair or painting and staining before replacement is the answer.

We are comfortable on long farm lines and on small yard jobs. The real work is the same in both: set the corners and gate posts firmly, run the line straight, and hang the gates so they swing.

Line fences with a Portage County neighbor

For rural parcels, Ohio's partition fence law (ORC Chapter 971) says that unless a written agreement says otherwise, each owner pays half of a shared fence. If a neighbor will not build or maintain a share, trustees can assign responsibility after at least 10 days' written notice, or the owner can sue in common pleas court. OSU also reports that trustees can order fence row clearing when a neighbor fails to clear brush within four feet of the fence. The chapter does not cover lots inside municipal corporations or subdivided lots outside them.

1. Walk the lineFind pins, existing fence and anything that has moved.
2. Talk to the neighborPropose who builds, who maintains and how to split the cost.
3. Write it downA written agreement is filed with the county recorder and runs with the land.
4. Get an estimateTrustees use a contractor estimate when they assign a dollar share.
5. Use trustees or court if neededBoth are options, with notice required before trustees act.

A short call script that gets a clear answer

Inspectors are busy and many keep set hours, so a short, organized call gets more done. Have your parcel number, your address and a sketch in front of you. Say what you plan to build: the length, the height, the material and where the gates go. Then ask the questions in the list above and write down the answers.

1. Introduce the projectGive the address, the fence type, the height and the length.
2. Ask about permit and feeFind out whether you apply by form, online or in person.
3. Ask about height and setbacksAsk separately for front, side and back yards.
4. Ask what is pendingA township may be changing its resolution.
5. Confirm by emailSend a short note repeating what you were told, so you have a record.

Mistakes to avoid in Portage County

• Assuming one township's rule applies to the next. The list has sixteen entries and Deerfield is not zoned.
• Relying on a mailing address. Ravenna the city and Ravenna Township are different offices.
• Skipping the road authority question and putting a gate too close to the pavement.
• Digging without 811. The notice is FREE and must be made at least two working days before digging.
• Building a shared fence without a written agreement.

Questions we hear