GeorgiaFence Rules

Greene County

Fence Rules in Greensboro, Georgia

Last verified: October 23, 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 Greensboro, fence height limits are: front yards, No fence height limit in the city code. Within 50 ft of a street corner, curb cut or driveway, nothing between 2.5 ft and 10 ft above the ground (see corner lots); side and rear yards, No fence height limit in the city code, except near a street corner, curb cut or driveway (see corner lots).

Unconfirmed for fences: the city's building permit rule covers buildings costing over $2,500, and a permit application must show fences, but no section says whether a fence by itself needs a permit. Ask Building & Zoning before you build; In the historic district, the Corridor Overlay or the Office-Residential district, a design approval may come first.

On corner lots in Greensboro: In every district, nothing between 2.5 ft and 10 ft above the ground within 50 ft of where two street or railroad right-of-way lines meet, or of a curb cut or driveway.

Pool fences in Greensboro: City rule: pool fence and gates at least 6 ft tall in the R1, R2 and RM residential districts and planned unit developments, 4 ft 6 in elsewhere; 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.

Fence setbacks in Greensboro: Unknown. The published code counts a fence as an accessory structure and keeps accessory structures 10 ft from every lot line and 20 ft from the house, but the city took up an amendment to those setback rules in May 2025 and has not posted its text. Ask Building & Zoning; Greensboro Code Secs. 121-2, 121-63.

Prohibited fence materials in Greensboro: None. The city code bans no fence material.

Fence Regulations

Greensboro

Permit Requirements
Unconfirmed for fences: the city's building permit rule covers buildings costing over $2,500, and a permit application must show fences, but no section says whether a fence by itself needs a permit. Ask Building & Zoning before you build. In the historic district, the Corridor Overlay or the Office-Residential district, a design approval may come first; see historic districts and design requirements. A pool needs a construction permit. Building & Zoning · 706-453-7967 City Hall, 102 East South Street, Greensboro, GA 30642
Height - Front Yard
No fence height limit in the city code. Within 50 ft of a street corner, curb cut or driveway, nothing between 2.5 ft and 10 ft above the ground (see corner lots).
Height - Side/Rear
No fence height limit in the city code, except near a street corner, curb cut or driveway (see corner lots). See setbacks for a possible 10 ft distance from lot lines.
Height Notes
Residential zoning revisions were before the Planning and Zoning Board in October 2026 and may change these rules; ask Building & Zoning for the current text.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
In every district, nothing between 2.5 ft and 10 ft above the ground within 50 ft of where two street or railroad right-of-way lines meet, or of a curb cut or driveway.
Materials Prohibited
None. The city code bans no fence material.
Historic Districts
Greensboro Historic Commercial District (the downtown blocks bounded by East, North, West and South Streets): building, changing or removing a fence needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission, after a public hearing, before any building permit. The commission decides within 45 days, and no decision within 45 days counts as approval. Only ordinary repair that keeps the same design, material and look is exempt; the code has no separate exemption for painting. Greensboro Code Secs. 107-1, 107-5, 107-6, 107-7
Setbacks
Unknown. The published code counts a fence as an accessory structure and keeps accessory structures 10 ft from every lot line and 20 ft from the house, but the city took up an amendment to those setback rules in May 2025 and has not posted its text. Ask Building & Zoning. Greensboro Code Secs. 121-2, 121-63
Design Requirements
Corridor Overlay: new development, or a change to how an existing lot or building looks, needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Architectural Approval Board before the work or any building permit. The board decides within 60 days of a complete application, and no decision counts as approval. Ask Building & Zoning whether a fence counts. Corridor Overlay area: within 1,200 ft of the center of South Main Street/Highway 44 south of Broad Street, and, outside the downtown historic district, within 500 ft of the center of Highway 15 or of Highway 278 between Apalachee Avenue and Webb Lake Drive. It does not apply on land zoned low-density residential (R1), farm (A1, A2) or Office-Residential. Office-Residential district: nothing may be built, a fence included, until the city approves plans showing its height, materials, finishes, colors and location. No answer within 45 days counts as approval. Planned unit developments: a fence or other accessory structure must be made less visible from adjacent roads by planting, terrain, extra setback, color or other means the city accepts. Where the code requires a business use to be screened: a solid wall, solid fence or tight evergreen hedge at least 6 ft tall. Greensboro Code Secs. 121-97, 121-131, 121-136, 121-137
Gates
None for a home fence, apart from pool gates (see pool fences).
Floodplain Rules
In a flood hazard area, any development, meaning any man-made change to land, needs a city development permit first. Flood hazard areas are those on the FEMA flood maps and can include land known to have flooded. Floodway (the stream channel and nearby land that must stay open to carry floodwater): no new construction or other development unless a registered professional engineer certifies it will not raise flood levels or widen the floodway. In a mapped flood hazard area along a stream with a set flood height but no floodway: no fill, new building or other encroachment unless a registered professional engineer certifies that, together with all other existing and expected development, it will not raise the flood more than 0.25 ft anywhere on the property. In a mapped flood hazard area along a stream where no floodway is mapped and no other flood data are available: no encroachment, such as a structure or fill, within the stream's width or 50 ft of the top of the bank, whichever is greater, unless a registered professional engineer certifies it will not raise flood levels more than 0.5 ft or change a neighboring owner's flood elevation or floodway. The flood rules never name fences; ask Building & Zoning whether a fence counts. Greensboro Code Secs. 105-3 to 105-5, 105-76 to 105-78
Color Restrictions
Industrial screening fences must be painted a natural color. Office-Residential district: the city must approve a new fence's colors and finishes first (see design requirements). Planned unit developments: a fence must be made less visible from adjacent roads, and color is one accepted way to do it (see design requirements). Corridor Overlay: the Architectural Approval Board weighs the color of unpainted surfaces (see design requirements). Historic district: changing how a fence looks needs a certificate of appropriateness (see historic districts).
Source
Greensboro Code Sec. 121-94(2)
Notes
Governed by the city's own code, not Greene County's. The published code runs only through 2019 and later amendments are not posted, so ask Building & Zoning before you build. Building & Zoning · 706-453-7967 · 102 East South Street, Greensboro, GA 30642

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 Greene County

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

All Greene County fence rules →

Ready to build your fence in Greensboro?

FenceWorks of Georgia is Atlanta's premier fence company: residential and commercial installation, repair, and removal. Free quotes, no obligation.

Get My Free QuoteCall 770-452-9900

4.9★ on Google · Google Guaranteed · Financing available