Before a new fence goes up in Paris or anywhere in Bourbon County, four things are worth checking: local permit and height rules, any HOA or deed rules, where the property lines are, and where buried utilities run. This guide covers what the local offices say, checked in October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the office before you build.
Do you need a fence permit in Paris, KY?
- The City of Paris sends fence and building questions to the Paris-Bourbon County Joint Planning Commission (Planning & Zoning), which can tell you which application fits your project: (859) 987-2150 (City of Paris Permits & Maps).
- The same office handles building, zoning, code enforcement and floodplain questions for the county (Bourbon County Joint Planning Commission).
- If the property is in one of the city’s historic districts, the Board of Architectural Review makes recommendations on what can be built there (Paris code ยง 80.100).
Who to ask: Paris-Bourbon County Joint Planning Commission, (859) 987-2150. If the property is in an HOA, check its rules too; they’re often stricter than the town’s about height, style and color.
Call Kentucky 811 before any post hole
Kentucky law requires anyone digging, including for fence posts, to contact Kentucky 811 at least two full business days before breaking ground (a locate request is valid for 21 calendar days). It’s free: call 811 or submit a request online (Kentucky 811). Utilities mark their lines with paint or flags. Private lines, like a line to a shop or a well, aren’t marked, so point those out to the installer.
Know your property lines
Fences are usually set a little inside the property line, not on it. If you aren’t sure where the line is, look for the corner pins from your survey, or check the county’s GIS map as a rough guide. A new survey is the only way to be certain on a close call with a neighbor.
Horse farm board fence and pasture
Bourbon County is horse country, and a lot of fence here is board fence along paddocks and pasture. Board fence lines are long, so post spacing, board count and whether boards go on the horse side all affect the materials list.
Limestone sits close to the surface in places, and frost works on shallow posts. Set posts deep and plan around rock so a long board line stays straight.
For cattle or mixed stock, woven wire or high-tensile is often used instead of, or alongside, board fence.
What to have ready for an estimate
- Roughly how many feet of fence, and where it starts and stops
- How many gates, and how wide (a mower or truck gate is wider than a walk gate)
- What the fence is for: privacy, pets, a pool, livestock or looks
- The material you lean toward: wood, vinyl, chain link, or farm and field fence
- Any slope, rock, trees or brush along the line
- Your permit or HOA answer, if you already have one
Get a fence estimate in Paris
We cover Paris, Millersburg, North Middletown, Centerville and Clintonville and the rest of Bourbon County. See fence installation, privacy fences, farm and field fence and fence repair, or request a free estimate.
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