GeorgiaFence Rules

Fulton County

Fence Rules in East Point, 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 East Point, fence height limits are: front yards, 4 ft max in residential districts, measured from finished grade; Most side and back yards: 6 ft max in residential districts, measured from finished grade; If the back of your lot runs along a street, that yard counts as a front yard: 4 ft max (Zoning Sec. 10-2003).

Permit required for a new fence; Apply through the BS&A online portal; Site plan: the street, the orientation of the house, and the fence location, height and material; No permit: agricultural fences in AG-1, and repairs covering 25% or less of the fence's total length; Planning and Community Development: 943-200-2029, option 1.

On corner lots in East Point: The 4 ft front-yard limit applies along the street your lot touches for the shorter distance. The longer frontage stays a side yard at 6 ft (Zoning Sec. 10-2003); Fences, walls and plantings must not block the sight distances in the city's Subdivision Regulations, administered by the Director of Public Works.

Pool fences in East Point: 5 ft minimum: every pool, public or private, must be fully enclosed by fencing that controls the point of access (Code Sec. 6-5001); Gates: self-closing, positive-latching, on the outer side of the deck, locked when the pool is not in use; Objects near the fence must sit 5 ft clear so it cannot be climbed (Zoning Sec. 10-2109).

Fence setbacks in East Point: At least 3 ft from a public right-of-way, with a 3 ft landscape strip between the fence and the right-of-way.

Prohibited fence materials in East Point: Wire fencing, including vinyl-clad chain link with plastic or wooden inserts: banned in any yard adjoining a street right-of-way, in districts with homes; Barbed wire is never approved on a single-family lot, even in AG-1; Also banned citywide: tin roofing, plastic roofing, doors and barbed wire (Code Sec. 7-7004).

Fence Regulations

East Point

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Permit required for a new fence. Apply through the BS&A online portal. Site plan: the street, the orientation of the house, and the fence location, height and material. No permit: agricultural fences in AG-1, and repairs covering 25% or less of the fence's total length. Planning and Community Development: 943-200-2029, option 1
Height - Front Yard
4 ft max in residential districts, measured from finished grade.
Height - Side/Rear
Most side and back yards: 6 ft max in residential districts, measured from finished grade. If the back of your lot runs along a street, that yard counts as a front yard: 4 ft max (Zoning Sec. 10-2003).
Height Notes
Heights are measured from finished grade. Non-residential caps: 6 ft in all yards in C-1, C-2, C-L, CUP and MIX; 8 ft in all yards in E-I, M-I, I-1, I-2 and B-P; 4 ft in all yards in C-R. In C-L, a fence used in place of a landscaped buffer is capped at 5 ft and may not be chain link (Zoning Sec. 10-2074). Retail or service developments of 75,000 sq ft or more: 4 ft max for a fence next to a public street (Zoning Sec. 10-2020.3). Columns and ornaments may rise up to 3 ft above the applicable limit. Currency caveat: the city's online zoning code is codified only through December 2020, so newer amendments may not appear. Confirm with the city before relying on these figures for a permit.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
The 4 ft front-yard limit applies along the street your lot touches for the shorter distance. The longer frontage stays a side yard at 6 ft (Zoning Sec. 10-2003). Fences, walls and plantings must not block the sight distances in the city's Subdivision Regulations, administered by the Director of Public Works. A side yard that runs along a street follows the same wire and chain link ban as a front yard.
Materials Allowed
Ornamental iron, pre-treated wood, wrought iron and vinyl in all residential and commercial districts, subject to the height limits. The code names these but does not bar other materials, so chain link is allowed where it is not prohibited. Childcare play areas: 6 ft decorative wrought iron or aluminum, set inside any required landscape strip or buffer, with the play area in a side or rear yard. This applies in every district that permits a childcare learning center, not only C-1 (Zoning Art. C).
Materials Prohibited
Wire fencing, including vinyl-clad chain link with plastic or wooden inserts: banned in any yard adjoining a street right-of-way, in districts with homes. Barbed wire is never approved on a single-family lot, even in AG-1. Also banned citywide: tin roofing, plastic roofing, doors and barbed wire (Code Sec. 7-7004). Barbed wire is otherwise limited to genuine farm use in AG-1, and to I-1 and I-2 security strands in side and rear yards at least 8 ft above grade. It may never run with an electrified fence, and only atop a lawful fence 6 ft or taller. No chain link in front or side yards in the Cleveland Avenue overlay, and none in the downtown C-R overlay except along a detention or retention pond.
Historic Districts
None. The city code has no historic district, preservation commission or Certificate of Appropriateness process. The C-R Commercial Redevelopment overlay downtown does have design review: the Downtown Architectural Review Board reviews plans before a land disturbance or building permit issues, and a fence in any yard next to a public street must be ornamental metal (Zoning Sec. 10-14013).
Setbacks
At least 3 ft from a public right-of-way, with a 3 ft landscape strip between the fence and the right-of-way.
Design Requirements
Finished side faces the neighboring property, on every property line. In the Cleveland Avenue overlay, the top edge of a fence must run horizontal or substantially parallel to grade (Zoning Sec. 10-14027). Electric fences: single-tenant C-2 sites of 20 acres or more only, 10 ft max, at least 25 ft from residential property lines, with a Knox Box required (B-P, I-1 and I-2 are exempt from that standard).
Gates
No part of a gate within 20 ft of a public right-of-way. No gate or vehicle may obstruct a public right-of-way or the minimum sight distance in the Subdivision Regulations, whether the gate is open, closed or partway.
Color Restrictions
The code sets no fence color requirement in residential districts. In C-L, a fence used in place of a landscaped buffer must be black metal (Zoning Sec. 10-2074).
Source
East Point Zoning Sec. 10-2027.9
Notes
Governed by Zoning Sec. 10-2027.9. The city's online zoning code is current only through December 2020, so confirm with the city before permitting. Planning and Community Development: 943-200-2029, option 1 for permits, option 2 for zoning questions

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 East Point with nearby jurisdictions:

All Fulton County fence rules →

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