Split-Rail Fence Rules in Romeoville, IL

Where split rail is allowed

The residential type table permits split rail in the front yard, the reverse corner yard, the back-to-back corner yard, and the rear yard of an interior lot. That is the same pattern as picket and as the wrought-iron row. It is not the privacy pattern. A split-rail fence does not become a privacy fence because the rails are close together. If the fence reads as solid, ask the village which row it is on before you build it.

Heights stay with the yard: 3 feet in the front and in a reverse corner yard, 6 feet in a back-to-back corner yard and in the rear yard of an interior lot. A 6-foot split-rail run is not a front-yard fence. Setbacks are 1 foot in the front, reverse corner, and back-to-back corner, and none stated for the rear. The permit guide prints the tables.

How it differs from privacy and from chain link

People pick split rail when they want a marker more than a screen. The privacy page is the solid row, which is closed in the front yard and the reverse corner yard. Wood covers cedar privacy, picket, and split rail as materials. Split rail is the type. Cedar is only the species.

Chain link is the narrow permission: rear yards of interior lots, 11-gauge or heavier, no slats. Split rail is not limited to that one column. An open aluminum fence is usually the wrought-iron definition, which is also permitted in every residential yard column, still at that yard’s height.

The same permit, drainage, and replacement rules

A permit is required to install, replace, alter, or move a fence. Split rail is not exempt. The drawing still has to show property lines, easements, and the fence location. No fence may inhibit drainage. Structural members face in. Boards, where the fence has them, sit at least 2 inches above grade.

Replacing a nonconforming fence has to meet today’s code under §157.042(R). A split-rail fence that copies a neighbor’s privacy fence is still judged on the type table. The HOA page covers a development fence that has to match. The village charges a permit fee set by its fee schedule. Confirm the current amount with Romeoville Community Development before you apply. Confirm the amount on the village building-permits page.

Fixr, updated January 31, 2025, lists installed wood at $15 to $35 per linear foot. That row is wood in general, not a split-rail bid. Angi, updated August 3, 2026, lists wood material at $10 to $45 per linear foot. The cost guide keeps them apart. Prices vary. A free estimate gives the real number. Use the contact form.