Service area
Des Moines and the metro suburbs
Des Moines Fence Pros matches fence work across the Des Moines metro — Polk County and the parts of Dallas and Warren counties around it: Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston, Clive, Waukee, Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Grimes, Norwalk, and the unincorporated areas between them. The service is the same everywhere — an independent local contractor, quoted and done under its own name — so this is one page, not twelve. What changes from one address to the next is which fence code you build under and which office issues the permit.
What changes by area
- Which fence code applies Each city has its own. Des Moines, West Des Moines and Ankeny are summarized below from their own documents; the other suburbs are named but not summarized, because we have not read their codes.
- Which office issues the permit The city on your tax bill, or, outside every city limit, the county your property is in (Polk County Public Works for unincorporated Polk; Dallas or Warren County zoning elsewhere — not read). Processing runs from 5 working days in Ankeny to 7–10 days in Des Moines; the West Des Moines handout gives no time.
- Front-yard height The side- and rear-yard limit is 6 ft in all three cities we read, but the front yard runs from 3 ft (Des Moines, picket or metal only) to 4 ft (West Des Moines, Ankeny).
- What does not change The ground, the materials and the prices. Central Iowa freeze-thaw, the same wood/vinyl/chain-link choices and the same national cost ranges apply across the metro.
Area by area: which rules, which office
| Area | Permit office | Fence rules (read 2026-10-26) |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines (city) | City of Des Moines Permit & Development Center | Permit for any chain-link fence over 4 ft or any other fence over 3 ft; front yard 3 ft picket or metal only; side/rear up to 6 ft; privacy and chain link not in the front yard; chain link banned in local historic districts. Applications take 7–10 days. |
| West Des Moines | Development Services, Building Division ([email protected]) | Permit for any fence. Up to 4 ft at the property line in a front yard or street side yard; up to 6 ft in side and rear yards; 6 ft along a street only with a 15-ft setback from the right-of-way. Chain link allowed in single-family districts; wood must be treated lumber, cedar, redwood or similar; earth-tone colors; unfinished side faces your own lot. |
| Ankeny | Community Planning & Building Department | Permit for any fence ($25 fee, allow 5 working days). Front yard — and any side yard along a street — no taller than 48 in; a 6-ft fence in a front side yard along the street only if set back 15 ft and not past the front wall of the house. Side and rear yards up to 6 ft solid, or 8 ft if the top portion is 70% open. |
| Unincorporated Polk County | Polk County Public Works | County Fence & Retaining Wall Permit: site plan, fence line staked, height and valuation; allow 5–7 business days; no construction before the permit; start within 180 days, finish and inspect within a year. |
| Urbandale | City of Urbandale | Own fence code and permit office — not read here. |
| Johnston | City of Johnston | Own fence code and permit office — not read here. |
| Clive | City of Clive | Own fence code and permit office — not read here. |
| Waukee | City of Waukee | Own fence code and permit office — not read here. |
| Altoona | City of Altoona | Own fence code and permit office — not read here. |
| Pleasant Hill | City of Pleasant Hill | Own fence code and permit office — not read here. |
| Grimes | City of Grimes | Own fence code and permit office — not read here. |
| Norwalk | City of Norwalk | Own fence code and permit office — not read here. |
The Des Moines rules in full, with the permit steps and the historic-district rule, are on the permit and height rules page. The West Des Moines and Ankeny summaries above come from each city's own fence handout (linked in the sources below) and cover single-family residential lots; both cities have further rules for double-frontage lots, easements and other zoning districts that we have not summarized. Restrictive covenants and HOA rules are a separate layer: a fence the city allows can still break your covenants, so read them before you order.
Three things the suburban codes say that Des Moines' FAQ doesn't
- Materials and colors (West Des Moines). Permanent fences must be built of customary, durable materials; natural wood must be treated lumber, cedar, redwood or a similarly decay-resistant species; sides visible from off the lot must be an earth-tone or neutral color; slats woven through chain link to add privacy are prohibited.
- Which side faces out (both). West Des Moines requires the unfinished side — the one with the exposed posts — to face your own property, the same rule Des Moines states as "decorative side outward".
- Drainage and easements (both). A fence in a drainage easement must not block water; West Des Moines requires solid fencing in an overland flowage easement to be raised at least 6 inches above the ground through the swale, and Ankeny says a fence built in a utility easement is at the owner's risk, with any removal cost on the owner.
What we match, everywhere in the area
- Fence installation — new lines and full replacements in wood, vinyl, chain link, aluminum and composite.
- Fence repair — leaning posts, frost heave, storm damage, rot, gates.
- Privacy fences, vinyl fences and chain link — the material pages explain where each fits.
Prices are the same question everywhere: the cost guide shows the dated ranges, and how matching works explains what happens after you send a request.
Sources
- City of Des Moines, Residential Fence FAQ (Permit & Development Center) — read 2026-10-26.
- 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 2026-10-26. § 9-14-11 A–D and § 9-14-5(C) read in full: materials, height and setback rules, vision triangles.
- City of Ankeny, "Residential Guidelines — Fence" handout (October 2026) — read 2026-10-26. Permit, fee, processing time, height and visibility rules, Iowa One Call notice.
- Polk County Public Works, "Fence & Retaining Wall Permit Application and Checklist" (2022 form) — read 2026-10-26.
Service area questions
Which fence rules apply to my address?
The city on your property-tax bill. Des Moines, West Des Moines and Ankeny each publish their own fence rules — summarized above from the cities' own documents, read October 26, 2026 — and unincorporated Polk County issues its own permit. For Urbandale, Johnston, Clive, Waukee, Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Grimes and Norwalk we have not read the code, so we don't summarize it: call that city's building department before you order materials.
Do all three cities you've summarized require a permit?
Yes, but the triggers differ. West Des Moines and Ankeny require a permit for any fence. Des Moines requires one for any chain-link fence taller than 4 feet and any other fence taller than 3 feet — so a 3-foot picket fence in Des Moines needs no permit, but the same fence in Ankeny does.
Are the height limits the same across the metro?
The 6-foot side- and rear-yard limit is common to Des Moines, West Des Moines and Ankeny, but the front-yard rules differ: Des Moines allows 3 feet in picket or metal only; West Des Moines allows up to 4 feet; Ankeny allows up to 48 inches, with a 6-foot fence possible in a front side yard along the street if it is set back 15 feet. Ankeny also allows 8 feet in side and rear yards when the top portion is 70% open.
Who do I call before digging post holes?
Iowa One Call, at 811 or 1-800-292-8989. Both the West Des Moines and Ankeny handouts say state law requires the notice before you dig; Ankeny's says at least 48 hours in advance. Ask your contractor who is making the call.
Do contractors charge extra to come to my suburb?
It depends on the company — ask when you request a quote, especially for the far edges of the metro.