GeorgiaFence Rules

Morgan County

Fence Rules in Madison (Morgan County), 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 Madison (Morgan County), fence height limits are: front yards, Homes zoned R to R8: 7 ft max, the most a fence permit allows. Lower near a street corner (see corner lots). Historic district: 3 to 4 ft; side and rear yards, Homes zoned R to R8: 7 ft max. Historic district: up to 6 ft, depending on fence type (see design requirements).

Required for a fence within 10 ft of public property, a street right-of-way or a public easement, but unconfirmed elsewhere on the lot. Ask Planning & Development; In the historic district or the corridor design overlay, a certificate of appropriateness comes first; see historic districts.

On corner lots in Madison (Morgan County): Within 10 ft of a street intersection corner: fences 3 ft max; Within 20 ft of where two streets, or a street and a railroad, meet: nothing may block the view between 2.5 ft and 10 ft above the ground, except in the downtown C-1 district; Madison Zoning Secs. 510.2, 550.6.

Pool fences in Madison (Morgan County): City rule: a 4 ft wall or fence around the pool before it is used; the pool goes in a side or back yard, at least 10 ft from lot lines; 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 Madison (Morgan County): None. A fence may sit on the property line; finding the line is the owner's job.

Prohibited fence materials in Madison (Morgan County): None outside the historic district and the corridor design overlay.

Fence Regulations

Madison (Morgan County)

Permit Requirements
Required for a fence within 10 ft of public property, a street right-of-way or a public easement, but unconfirmed elsewhere on the lot. Ask Planning & Development. In the historic district or the corridor design overlay, a certificate of appropriateness comes first; see historic districts. Near public property: the city issues the fence permit after the Building & Zoning Administrator reviews a survey or the site. Elsewhere: the zoning code requires a building permit for structure work over $500, but its fence section names a permit only near public property, and the city publishes no fence permit form or fee. Planning & Development · 706-752-7971 162 N. Main Street, Madison, GA 30650
Height - Front Yard
Homes zoned R to R8: 7 ft max, the most a fence permit allows. Lower near a street corner (see corner lots). Historic district: 3 to 4 ft.
Height - Side/Rear
Homes zoned R to R8: 7 ft max. Historic district: up to 6 ft, depending on fence type (see design requirements).
Height Notes
Measured from ground level. The code writes these caps as limits on what a fence permit can allow. Office zones P-1 and P-2: 7 ft max in every yard. Business zones C-1 to C-4 and industrial zones I, I-1 and I-2: 7 ft in front yards, 12 ft in side and back yards. The code's height list leaves out the AR farm-and-home zone and planned developments; ask Planning & Development for those lots. Home tennis courts: must be enclosed by an 8 ft wall or fence you cannot see through, on every side visible from a street or a neighbor.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
Within 10 ft of a street intersection corner: fences 3 ft max. Within 20 ft of where two streets, or a street and a railroad, meet: nothing may block the view between 2.5 ft and 10 ft above the ground, except in the downtown C-1 district. Madison Zoning Secs. 510.2, 550.6
Materials Allowed
Citywide: no material list. Historic district: wood, metal or brick. Wire or chain link in side and back yards; decorative wire in a front yard only where historically appropriate to the house.
Materials Prohibited
None outside the historic district and the corridor design overlay.
Historic Districts
Madison Historic District (downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods, shown on the zoning map): building, changing or removing a fence needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before work starts, and the city cannot issue a permit until it is approved. Only like-for-like repair is exempt. Side and back yard fences that clearly meet the commission's criteria can be approved by staff. The commission's fence criteria apply; see design requirements. A property the city has designated historic on its own, outside the district, needs the same certificate. Corridor design overlay (land along the main highway corridors such as US 441 and US 278, shown on the zoning map): building, changing or removing a fence needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Corridor Design Commission before work starts or a building permit issues. The historic district is also on the National Register, a federal listing. Madison Code Secs. 42-3, 42-81, 42-85, 42-111; Zoning Secs. 550.6, 641, 642
Setbacks
None. A fence may sit on the property line; finding the line is the owner's job.
Design Requirements
Historic district fence criteria (for homes): Front: open picket, sawn or metal fences 3 to 4 ft, metal mainly at 19th-century high-style houses. Decorative wire only where historically appropriate to the house. Brick walls 3 to 4 ft in front only at two-story masonry houses set more than 60 ft back. Side and back: open fences up to 5 ft; brick walls 3 to 4 ft; wood privacy fences 5 to 6 ft, no closer to the street than a point 70% of the way back from the front of the house, and plantings may be required where they face a street; dark chain link 4 ft, screened with plants where seen from the street; farm fencing 4 to 6 ft, nothing over 4 ft along a street. Low walls under a fence: 2 ft max above the ground; brick, local stone, or concrete or block with a smooth stucco finish. On a corner lot, both street sides count as front yards. Historic Preservation staff · 706-752-7952
Gates
Historic district: walkway gates no more than 1 ft taller than the fence and 6 ft wide; gate posts and corner posts no more than 1 ft taller than the fence; driveway gates in side and back yards only, as tall as the fence and as wide as the driveway, simple and plain. Arbors with a fence: side and back yards only, 6 ft wide and 10 ft tall max.
Floodplain Rules
In a flood hazard area (mapped, or known to have flooded), any development, meaning any man-made change to land, needs a city development permit first. 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 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 20 ft of the top of the bank, whichever is greater, unless a registered professional engineer certifies it will not raise flood levels at all. Ask the building inspector whether a fence counts. Madison Code Secs. 18-155 to 18-157, 18-202, 18-203
Color Restrictions
None outside the historic district and the corridor design overlay. Historic district: chain link must be dark-colored; paint color is not reviewed.
Source
Madison Zoning Ordinance Sec. 550.6
Notes
Governed by the city's own zoning ordinance, readopted September 8, 2025, not Morgan County's. A Madison mailing address may be outside city limits. Planning & Development · 706-752-7971 · 162 N. Main Street, Madison, GA 30650

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 Morgan County

Fence rules change from one city and unincorporated area to the next. Compare Madison (Morgan County) with nearby jurisdictions:

All Morgan County fence rules →

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