Fence or deck costs in Baton Rouge

East Baton Rouge's development code wants a front-yard fence you can see through. Under UDC 9.5.2, a fence or wall taller than 4 feet can't stand in a front or corner side yard unless it's at least 70 percent transparent. Eight feet is the general maximum anywhere on the lot. Fences and walls must also sit at least 15 feet from the edge of the street and 5 feet back from the sidewalk.

Materials have limits too. Chain link may be permitted everywhere in the parish except the Downtown character area. A wall with more than half its face in exposed standard concrete block isn't allowed, painted or not, and concertina wire is banned parish-wide. You apply for a Fence and Wall Permit online through the City-Parish Permit and Inspection Division, with a site plan showing the fence, its height and material, and your property lines.

The other thing to plan for is water. On August 11 to 13, 2016, 20 to 30 inches of rain fell on parts of southeast Louisiana and set record floods on the Amite and Comite rivers. The weather service's summary puts estimates at 50,000 to 75,000 flooded homes and businesses. If your yard held water that August, think about how the next flood moves through it. An open picket or a fence with a gap at the bottom lets water and debris pass. A solid wall of boards across a low spot catches both.