Short answer: in a small city yard, the best privacy is usually layered: a fence or screen where you need instant coverage, plantings to soften it, and privacy placed where you actually sit, not around the whole perimeter. Pick the option that fits your space, your light and your timeline, and check your city's rules before building anything tall.
Privacy is one of the first things people ask for in Somerville, Cambridge and Boston yards. Triple-deckers, rowhouses and back porches mean someone can usually see in. The good news is that you rarely need to wall off the whole yard. You only need to block the right sightlines.
Start with where you sit
Before choosing a material, stand where you'll eat or relax and look around. Which windows, porches or paths can see you? Often a single screen of 8 to 12 feet, placed close to the seating area, does more than a full fence along the property line. A screen close to you blocks a much larger view than the same screen at the back of the lot.
Option 1: Fences
Good for: instant, year-round privacy, and for keeping dogs in.
- Pros: works on day one, takes almost no ground space, low maintenance with the right material.
- Cons: can make a small yard feel boxed in, height is regulated by your city, and shared fences need a conversation with the neighbor.
- Tip: horizontal boards or a solid lower section with a lattice top lets light through and feels lighter in a small space.
Option 2: Freestanding screens and trellises
Good for: blocking one sightline near a patio or seating area.
- Pros: can sit inside your yard rather than on the property line, can carry climbing plants, and can double as a backdrop for lighting.
- Cons: needs solid footings to stand up to wind, and it's one more structure to maintain.
- Tip: pair a screen with a planter at its base so it reads as part of the garden, not a barrier.
Option 3: Planted screens
Good for: softer, living privacy that improves over time.
- Pros: beautiful, good for birds and pollinators, softens fences and walls.
- Cons: takes a few seasons to fill in, needs the right light and space, and the deciduous kinds go bare in winter.
- Tip: in a narrow bed, choose plants that are naturally columnar rather than ones you'll have to shear constantly.
Plants that work in Boston-area yards (zones 6b–7a)
Plant choice depends on your exact light, soil and space, so we confirm it at the design visit.
| Plant | Type | Light | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arborvitae, narrow types (e.g. ‘Emerald Green’) | Evergreen | Full sun to part shade | Classic narrow screen; thins out in deep shade |
| Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) | Evergreen, native | Sun to part shade | Good mid-height hedge; tolerates wet soil |
| Yew (Taxus) | Evergreen | Sun to fairly deep shade | One of the best for shady city yards; berries and foliage are toxic to pets and people |
| Columnar hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ‘Frans Fontaine’) | Deciduous | Sun to part shade | Narrow and tidy; dried leaves often hang on into winter |
| Clumping bamboo (Fargesia) | Evergreen grass | Part shade | Clumping, not running; avoid running bamboo near property lines |
| Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) | Deciduous vine | Part to full shade | Slow to start, then covers a fence or wall well |
| Clematis on a trellis | Deciduous vine | Sun on top, shaded roots | Fast seasonal cover on screens |
Option 4: Overhead and in-between
Good for: blocking views from upper-floor windows, which a fence can't do.
- A pergola, shade sail or a single small tree over the seating area can block the view from above.
- Tall planters along a patio edge give privacy that can move with you.
- Lighting placed low and inside the yard helps too. Bright lights on a fence make you more visible at night, not less. See landscape lighting.
A few city-yard cautions
- Keep plant bases open and tidy. Dense, cluttered bases at ground level can give rats cover. See rat-proof landscaping.
- Mind tree roots. Digging fence posts near a protected tree in Cambridge can raise permit issues. See Cambridge's tree rules.
- Talk to your neighbor first. Shared boundaries go more smoothly when everyone knows the plan, especially if you'd like to replace a shared fence.
Permits: check with your city first
Fence and screen rules vary by city and sometimes by neighborhood. Height limits, how close you can build to the property line, and whether you need a permit all differ. Historic districts such as Back Bay may also require design review for visible exterior changes (see our Back Bay page). Before you build anything tall, check with your city's building or inspectional services department. We confirm the requirements for your address as part of any project.
Common questions
What's the fastest way to get privacy?
A fence or freestanding screen gives instant privacy. Add plantings to soften it over the next few seasons.
What privacy plants grow in shade?
Yews, inkberry holly, clumping bamboo (Fargesia) and climbing hydrangea all handle part shade, and yews handle fairly deep shade. Most arborvitae thin out without enough sun.
Do I need a permit for a privacy fence?
It depends on your city, the fence height and where it sits. Check with your local building or inspectional services department before building. We handle this for our projects.
How do I block a neighbor's upstairs window?
A fence won't do it. Use something overhead or close to where you sit: a pergola, a shade sail, or a small tree placed between your seating area and the window.
Will privacy screening make my small yard feel smaller?
It can if it surrounds everything. Screen only the sightlines that matter, keep materials light, and use plants to soften hard edges.
Want help planning it?
Privacy is part of almost every yard we design, from a single screen beside a patio to a whole-yard plan. Every project starts with a free design visit and a written estimate.
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