GeorgiaFence Rules

Fulton County

Fence Rules in Atlanta - Cabbagetown, Georgia

Last verified: August 28, 2026

This page is maintained manually and may not reflect very recent ordinance changes. Always confirm current rules with your local permitting office.

For information only. Fence rules change frequently and this site may not reflect every requirement that applies to your property (HOA covenants, easements, variances, recent amendments). Always verify with your local permitting office before building. Full disclaimer

At a glance

In Atlanta - Cabbagetown, fence height limits are: Fences next to a street: 4 ft max; Within 20 ft of a street intersection, in a dwelling district: 2.5 ft max for a fence or wall, measured from grade at the intersecting right-of-way lines; Away from a street: 6 ft max; This 6 ft limit covers fences and walls. Some subareas restrict walls further.

Required: a Type II Certificate of Appropriateness for a fence or wall; The director of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission issues it when the work meets the district rules and denies it when it does not; A denial can be appealed by any aggrieved person, using the appeal procedure the code sets for Type I certificates.

On corner lots in Atlanta - Cabbagetown: The yard along the second street is a half-depth front yard, so the 4 ft street-facing limit applies there, not the 6 ft side limit; Within 20 ft of a street intersection, in a dwelling district: 2.5 ft max for a fence or wall, measured from grade at the intersecting right-of-way lines.

Pool fences in Atlanta - Cabbagetown: Atlanta enforces the state minimum standard codes, including the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with Georgia amendments; The district sets no pool barrier height of its own, so the fence height limits apply; A pool in a yard next to a street needs a special exception that can condition fencing and screening.

Fence setbacks in Atlanta - Cabbagetown: The district sets no fence setback. Fences and walls are allowed in any yard, subject to the height and sight-distance limits; Subareas 4 and 5: no fences between the principal building and the sidewalk, and no walls there except retaining walls and, in Subarea 4, 6 ft dumpster screening walls.

Prohibited fence materials in Atlanta - Cabbagetown: Barbed wire and razor wire are banned; Fence materials other than wood and chain link are not allowed; Subarea 2, Mill housing: walls are not allowed, and a solid fence counts as a wall; Subareas 4 and 5: chain link may not be visible from a public plaza, outdoor dining area or public right-of-way.

Fence Regulations

Atlanta - Cabbagetown

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Required: a Type II Certificate of Appropriateness for a fence or wall. The director of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission issues it when the work meets the district rules and denies it when it does not. A denial can be appealed by any aggrieved person, using the appeal procedure the code sets for Type I certificates.
Height - Front Yard
Fences next to a street: 4 ft max. Within 20 ft of a street intersection, in a dwelling district: 2.5 ft max for a fence or wall, measured from grade at the intersecting right-of-way lines.
Height - Side/Rear
Away from a street: 6 ft max. This 6 ft limit covers fences and walls. Some subareas restrict walls further.
Height Notes
Fence height is measured from the finished ground level, or from the top of a retaining wall, up to the highest point of the fence. Where a retaining wall rises above the grade of the ground it holds back, that extra wall height counts toward the fence height allowed on top of it. A fence on top of a retaining wall next to a sidewalk: 4 ft max for the two combined, measured from sidewalk grade. A fence on top of a retaining wall in a side or rear yard: 6 ft max for the two combined. The 4 ft street-facing limit covers the front yard and the half-depth front yard, meaning the yard along a second street the lot touches. Sight triangle: nothing may block the view between 2.5 ft and 8 ft above the grade of the adjoining sidewalk or right-of-way, inside the triangle formed by the first 20 ft along each intersecting right-of-way edge and the line joining their ends. The same sight triangle applies where a driveway meets a street, measured 20 ft along each edge. Subarea 3, Shotgun and Cottage Housing: walls are not allowed in a front yard or in a side yard next to a public street, and the commission can grant a variance on wall or fence height. Subareas 4 and 5, the commercial areas: where a lot abuts a residential use on the rear lot line with no street in between, landscaping, opaque fencing or screening of at least 6 ft is required and must be kept in sightly condition.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
The yard along the second street is a half-depth front yard, so the 4 ft street-facing limit applies there, not the 6 ft side limit. Within 20 ft of a street intersection, in a dwelling district: 2.5 ft max for a fence or wall, measured from grade at the intersecting right-of-way lines.
Materials Allowed
A barrier is a fence only if at least half of its vertical surface is open. A barrier that is 50 percent or more closed is a wall, so a solid privacy fence counts as a wall. Fences must be wood or chain link. Subarea 3, Shotgun and Cottage Housing: walls must be wood. Subarea 4, Neighborhood commercial and services: walls must be wood, smooth finish stucco or brick. Subarea 5, Transitional commercial: walls must be faced with stone, brick or smooth stucco.
Materials Prohibited
Barbed wire and razor wire are banned. Fence materials other than wood and chain link are not allowed. Subarea 2, Mill housing: walls are not allowed, and a solid fence counts as a wall. Subareas 4 and 5: chain link may not be visible from a public plaza, outdoor dining area or public right-of-way.
Historic Districts
You are in the Cabbagetown Landmark District. These rules apply on top of Atlanta's citywide code.
Setbacks
The district sets no fence setback. Fences and walls are allowed in any yard, subject to the height and sight-distance limits. Subareas 4 and 5: no fences between the principal building and the sidewalk, and no walls there except retaining walls and, in Subarea 4, 6 ft dumpster screening walls.
Design Requirements
Fences and walls are subject to design review by the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. The commission applies the citywide historic district standards only where Chapter 20A does not specifically address the application. Atlanta's other regulations keep applying inside the district. Where the requirements are at variance, the most restrictive requirement, or the one imposing the higher standard, governs. Front, side and rear yard setbacks for buildings are set by the compatibility rule. For a quantifiable dimension the compatibility rule allows no smaller than the smallest and no larger than the largest such dimension on the contributing buildings of the same architectural style and like use on that block face. Any contributing building that is more than ten percent higher or wider than another contributing building of like use on the block face is dropped before the rule is applied.
Gates
Neither the Cabbagetown chapter nor Atlanta's citywide fence rules set a rule for gates. The height and material limits above are written for fences and walls, so confirm gate details with the Urban Design Commission when you apply.
Floodplain Rules
The Cabbagetown chapter sets no floodplain rule for fences, and Atlanta's citywide fence rules set none either. Atlanta's flood area regulations are at Chapter 74, Article VI of the City Code. Check them with the permit office if the lot sits in a flood hazard area.
Color Restrictions
Subareas 4 and 5, the commercial areas: chain link fencing, where allowed, must be clad in black or dark green coating. The residential subareas set no fence color rule.
Source
Atlanta Code Ch. 16-20A (Secs. 16-20A.002, 16-20A.005, 16-20A.006(2), 16-20A.006(6), 16-20A.006(9), 16-20A.006(18), 16-20A.008(7), 16-20A.009(4), 16-20A.009(13), 16-20A.010(6), 16-20A.010(15), 16-20A.011(4), 16-20A.011(5), 16-20A.011(11)); Secs. 16-20.011(c), 16-28.006(7), 16-28.007(5)(b), 16-28.008(5), 16-28.008(6), 16-28.008(9), 16-29.001(25); City Code Ch. 74, Art. VI; O.C.G.A. 8-2-20 et seq.
Notes
Governed by the Cabbagetown Landmark District rules, Atlanta Code Chapter 20A. The district has five subareas and the general fence rules apply in all five. Fences and walls need a Type II Certificate of Appropriateness from the director of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission before work starts. Atlanta's citywide zoning rules still apply inside the district, and where the requirements are at variance the most restrictive one governs. Subarea 5, Transitional commercial: for alterations to a residential structure the general regulations and the Subarea 3 rules apply. The pool special exception comes from the commission in Subarea 3, and from the board of zoning adjustment citywide in a residential district.

Rules can vary within a jurisdiction. Historic districts and zoning overlays often have stricter requirements. Look up your exact address to confirm which rules apply to your property.

Other jurisdictions in Fulton County

Fence rules change from one city and unincorporated area to the next. Compare Atlanta - Cabbagetown with nearby jurisdictions:

All Fulton County fence rules →

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