GeorgiaFence Rules

Fulton County

Fence Rules in Fairburn, Georgia

Last verified: August 29, 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 Fairburn, fence height limits are: Most front yards: 4 ft max; Townhouses zoned R-CT: no fence or wall in the front yard at all, under Sec. 80-79; Most side and back yards: 6 ft max; If that side or the back of your lot runs along a street: 4 ft max inside the required setback there; Townhouses zoned R-CT: fences in the rear yard only.

Required for building or altering any fence: there is no size or height exemption; The building official reviews plans, issues the permit and inspects the installation; Apply through the CivicGov portal; Building and Inspections: 770-964-2244 Ext. 401; Building Official: 678-333-6900.

On corner lots in Fairburn: A fence is capped at 4 ft inside the required setback along both streets, not just the front; Your front yard faces the street your lot is narrowest along; Same for a lot with a road front and back; No fence may block vision at a street intersection or create a traffic hazard, as judged by the city engineer.

Pool fences in Fairburn: 5 ft minimum barrier around the pool: fence, wall or building; It must be up before the pool is finished; Gates: self-closing, positive-latching, on the outer side of the deck, and locked when the pool is closed; Nothing climbable within 5 ft of the barrier; Sec. 80-190, plus the 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code.

Fence setbacks in Fairburn: Never in a public street right-of-way or on city property; Nothing over 4 ft in a required setback area along a street, within 40 ft of a major thoroughfare's right-of-way, or within 35 ft of it where a greenbelt or buffer is required.

Prohibited fence materials in Fairburn: No wire or chain link fence between the house and any street the lot touches, except for limited wire fencing on AG agricultural lots; No unscreened chain link or woven metal fence within 1,000 ft of Georgia Highway 74. Sec. 80-90; No barbed wire along or next to any sidewalk. Sec. 50-1.

Fence Regulations

Fairburn

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Required for building or altering any fence: there is no size or height exemption. The building official reviews plans, issues the permit and inspects the installation. Apply through the CivicGov portal. Building and Inspections: 770-964-2244 Ext. 401; Building Official: 678-333-6900
Height - Front Yard
Most front yards: 4 ft max. Townhouses zoned R-CT: no fence or wall in the front yard at all, under Sec. 80-79.
Height - Side/Rear
Most side and back yards: 6 ft max. If that side or the back of your lot runs along a street: 4 ft max inside the required setback there. Townhouses zoned R-CT: fences in the rear yard only.
Height Notes
Height is measured from natural ground level to the top of the fence, at any point along it. Natural ground level: the ground before any recent man-made grading. If your lot is in a subdivision or covered by a site plan the city approved, the grade shown on that approved plan counts as natural ground level instead. Where the 4 ft limit applies, occasional decorative features like newels or finials may rise above it here and there, but never above 4 ft 6 in. In a required side or rear setback, up to 7 ft is allowed where the ground slopes or the fence carries decorative features like newels or finials. 8 ft is allowed only for a tennis court or similar special-purpose facility, with a site plan approved through the city's review process. Two road rules also cap height at 4 ft regardless of yard: within 40 ft of a major thoroughfare's right-of-way, and within 35 ft of it where a greenbelt or buffer is required along the road. The residential standards apply in AG, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-CT, RM-12, RM-36 and PD.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
A fence is capped at 4 ft inside the required setback along both streets, not just the front. Your front yard faces the street your lot is narrowest along. Same for a lot with a road front and back. No fence may block vision at a street intersection or create a traffic hazard, as judged by the city engineer.
Materials Allowed
No approved-materials list in the fence section itself. What the code does restrict: Wire may be attached to the inside of, or built into, a wooden, stone, brick, wrought iron or other non-wire fence where that fence alone wouldn't contain certain pets or animals; the wire must be vinyl coated or painted a standard dark brown, dark green or black. Any exposed metal parts on a residential fence must be vinyl coated or painted dark brown, dark green or black. On AG agricultural lots, wire may go in the front yard outside the required front setback, but not on lots of 3 acres or less used or meant for a single home. Within 1,000 ft of Georgia Highway 74, unscreened chain link and woven metal fences are prohibited, and Sec. 80-90 states that the overlay's standards control over the underlying district's.
Materials Prohibited
No wire or chain link fence between the house and any street the lot touches, except for limited wire fencing on AG agricultural lots. No unscreened chain link or woven metal fence within 1,000 ft of Georgia Highway 74. Sec. 80-90. No barbed wire along or next to any sidewalk. Sec. 50-1.
Historic Districts
A historic preservation commission exists on paper, but the city's own zoning audit says it never got up and running: no active review could be confirmed. Don't assume a fence needs historic review; ask the city first: 770-964-2244.
Setbacks
Never in a public street right-of-way or on city property. Nothing over 4 ft in a required setback area along a street, within 40 ft of a major thoroughfare's right-of-way, or within 35 ft of it where a greenbelt or buffer is required.
Design Requirements
If the structural supports are mostly on one side, that side must face the inside of your property. A residential front-yard fence must let at least 50% of the view through from the street. Fences must be kept in good repair; damage from an accident or storm must be fixed within 90 days. On an R-CT townhouse project, every fence must follow one design across the whole project, and the director of planning must approve that design. Sec. 80-79.
Gates
A gate must swing inward onto your own property. It may not swing out over a sidewalk, street or alley. Sec. 50-2. A pool gate must be self-closing and positive-latching, on the outer side of the deck. Sec. 80-190.
Color Restrictions
Exposed metal parts of a fence in a residential area must be vinyl coated or painted a standard dark brown, dark green or black, to blend into the surroundings. The same three colors apply to wire attached to or built into a non-wire fence.
Source
Fairburn Code Sec. 80-477
Notes
Governed by Code Sec. 80-477. Building and Inspections: 770-964-2244 Ext. 401; Building Official: 678-333-6900

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 Fairburn with nearby jurisdictions:

All Fulton County fence rules →

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