GeorgiaFence Rules

Forsyth County

Fence Rules in Cumming, 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 Cumming, the maximum fence height is typically 8 ft in side and rear yards and 8 ft in front yards.

Required at any height. There is no small-fence exemption; Temporary construction fencing needs no fence permit. It is approved with the building permit and removed when construction is done; A site plan showing setbacks, buffers and easements is required, and inspections are required; Planning & Zoning, 100 Main Street: 770-781-2024.

On corner lots in Cumming: No fence, wall, sign, hedge or planting may block sight lines 2 ft to 12 ft above the roadway inside the sight triangle, drawn 25 ft back along each street right-of-way line (Sec. 113-210); The zoning administrator can approve a fence there where visibility is not harmed and the rule is an unreasonable hardship.

Pool fences in Cumming: No pool barrier height in the city's zoning or fence code. The state public health pool rules the city adopts cover public pools, not a pool serving one home (Sec. 18-7); The state construction codes the city adopts (Sec. 103-21) may also apply. Confirm barrier, gate and latch rules with the building official.

Fence setbacks in Cumming: At least 5 ft from a public right-of-way (required retaining walls excepted), and never placed so it blocks vision along the right-of-way.

Prohibited fence materials in Cumming: Barbed wire is not allowed on a home fence. Top strands are permitted only in the HB and M-1 commercial and industrial districts.

Fence Regulations

Cumming

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Required at any height. There is no small-fence exemption. Temporary construction fencing needs no fence permit. It is approved with the building permit and removed when construction is done. A site plan showing setbacks, buffers and easements is required, and inspections are required. Planning & Zoning, 100 Main Street: 770-781-2024
Height - Front Yard
8 ft max. The city sets no separate front-yard limit: one 8 ft cap applies in every yard.
Height - Side/Rear
8 ft max. Required retaining walls are exempt from this limit.
Height Notes
Cumming has its own fence ordinance and does not follow the Forsyth County UDC. The city cap is a flat 8 ft in every yard, with a permit required at any height. Both differ from the unincorporated county, which limits front yards to 48 in and only requires a permit over 6 ft.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
No fence, wall, sign, hedge or planting may block sight lines 2 ft to 12 ft above the roadway inside the sight triangle, drawn 25 ft back along each street right-of-way line (Sec. 113-210). The zoning administrator can approve a fence there where visibility is not harmed and the rule is an unreasonable hardship.
Materials Allowed
Not restricted, apart from barbed wire. The code names wood, masonry, stone, wire, iron or a combination of materials (Sec. 113-2).
Materials Prohibited
Barbed wire is not allowed on a home fence. Top strands are permitted only in the HB and M-1 commercial and industrial districts.
Historic Districts
None. The city has no historic district ordinance, no design overlay and no certificate of appropriateness process. The city's design review rules apply citywide, and detached single-family and two-family homes are exempt (Sec. 113-607).
Setbacks
At least 5 ft from a public right-of-way (required retaining walls excepted), and never placed so it blocks vision along the right-of-way.
Design Requirements
None for home fences. Design review reaches only larger projects: six or more apartments, condominiums or fee-simple townhomes, and new institutional, office, commercial, light industrial or mixed-use buildings of 1,000 sq ft or more (Sec. 113-606). Even there the Cumming Design Guide is advisory: it discourages chain link and asks for vinyl coating where used, but the zoning administrator can recommend it and cannot require it (Sec. 113-609).
Gates
No separate gate rule: the code sets no gate height, swing or emergency-access requirement. It defines a solid fence to include entrance and exit gates (Sec. 113-2), so a gate carries the same 8 ft cap, 5 ft right-of-way setback and permit as the fence.
Floodplain Rules
Prohibited in the regulatory floodway. Encroachments there are allowed only for bridges, culverts, roadways and utilities. On a lot that contains a mapped flood hazard area, the city's flood damage prevention rules must be met before work starts (Secs. 105-148 and 105-73).
Color Restrictions
None. The code sets no fence color requirement.
Source
Cumming Code Sec. 113-243
Notes
Governed by the city's own Code Sec. 113-243, not the Forsyth County UDC. Planning & Zoning: 770-781-2024

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 Forsyth County

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

All Forsyth County fence rules →

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