Fence Rules in Athens, Georgia

In Athens, fence height limits are: front yards, 4 ft max (48 in) for a home, whatever the fence type; Side and back yards: 8 ft max, but only 48 in within 10 ft of a street right-of-way (alleys excepted); On a corner lot the yard along the side street is a side yard, so this 10 ft rule, not the front-yard rule, applies there.

Required: a zoning permit from the Planning Department before building any fence. Fee $25; email the application with a site plan and elevations to planningsubmittals@accgov.com; review targets 72 hours; Historic districts and landmark properties need a certificate of appropriateness first (see Historic Districts); Planning Department · 706-613-3515.

On corner lots in Athens: At the street corner nothing over 2.5 ft (measured from the top of the curb) inside the vision clearance triangle. At every driveway keep a sight triangle clear: 35 ft along the property line and 25 ft up the driveway; The yard along the side street counts as a side yard: 8 ft max, dropping to 48 in within 10 ft of the right-of-way.

Pool fences in Athens: Barrier: 48 in tall minimum, measured from the outside. Gap under it: 2 in max over grass, 4 in over concrete; Gate: opens outward, self-closing and self-latching; Openings: 4 in max, or 1 3/4 in for chain link, lattice and any fence whose rails sit under 45 in apart, which puts its rails on the pool side.

Fence setbacks in Athens: None. A fence may be built to the property line; the accessory-structure setbacks do not apply to fences; Within 10 ft of a street right-of-way, a home's side or back fence drops to 48 in.

Prohibited fence materials in Athens: None for a home fence, barbed and razor wire included; Apartment, business and industrial zones, houses excepted: no chain link in a front yard. Downtown (C-D zone): no chain link or solid wood next to a street; Historic districts: no vinyl; chain link only if dark-coated or screened and out of street view.