GeorgiaFence Rules

Fulton County

Fence Rules in Milton, 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 Milton, fence height limits are: Front yards: 5 ft max; The Crabapple and Deerfield areas set their own limits, see Height Notes; Side and rear yards: 8 ft max; Can be lower where the yard runs along a street outside your subdivision, see Height Notes.

Permit required. Apply through Community Development: 678-242-2500; Fences built for agricultural purposes in agricultural districts are exempt.

On corner lots in Milton: Fences may not block sight lines at intersections; No fixed sight triangle is set. The clear line of sight depends on the road's speed and lanes. UDC Sec. 10.5.3.H; Where a side of your lot runs along a street outside your subdivision, those street rules apply there. See Height Notes and Materials Allowed.

Pool fences in Milton: Any pool, hot tub or spa holding water more than 24 in deep must be fully surrounded by a barrier at least 48 in high, measured on the side away from the pool; Gates must be self-closing and self-latching. If the latch is under 54 in, it goes on the pool side of the gate; Milton Code Sec. 10-268.

Fence setbacks in Milton: At least 3 ft from the public right-of-way; A fence must go on the house side of any required buffer or improvement setback, not inside the buffer; Between single-family properties the fence may run along the side or rear lot line instead.

Prohibited fence materials in Milton: No wire or chain link along a street right-of-way, except at recreational courts; Rural Milton Overlay: no chain link on a single-family lot. UDC Sec. 6.3.3; Solid fences: not allowed facing a street outside your subdivision, with one exception, see Height Notes; Barbed wire: farm use only, never on home lots.

Fence Regulations

Milton

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Permit required. Apply through Community Development: 678-242-2500. Fences built for agricultural purposes in agricultural districts are exempt.
Height - Front Yard
Front yards: 5 ft max. The Crabapple and Deerfield areas set their own limits, see Height Notes.
Height - Side/Rear
Side and rear yards: 8 ft max. Can be lower where the yard runs along a street outside your subdivision, see Height Notes.
Height Notes
Height is measured from finished grade. Farm-style fences and their columns are measured from average grade instead. Columns and ornaments may rise up to 3 ft above the fence limit. On a farm-style fence, brick, stone or masonry columns stop at 66 in. A street counts as outside your subdivision whether it is public or private, and however small it is. If your lot is not in a subdivision, every street counts. Side, street-side or rear yard along a street outside your subdivision: 5 ft farm-style inside the 60 ft rural viewshed. Beyond the viewshed the limit is 8 ft, and a solid fence is allowed only if it cannot be seen from the street at any time of year. In Crabapple and Deerfield the strip between the street and the front of the building has its own limit. Crabapple: 42 in in that strip, 5 ft everywhere else. UDC Sec. 7A.4.7. Deerfield: along State Route 9 and Windward Parkway a fence is required in that strip and must be 42 in to 55 in tall. In the rest of Deerfield that strip is 42 in or 55 in depending on the zone, and 6 ft applies everywhere else. UDC Sec. 7B.4.7.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
Fences may not block sight lines at intersections. No fixed sight triangle is set. The clear line of sight depends on the road's speed and lanes. UDC Sec. 10.5.3.H. Where a side of your lot runs along a street outside your subdivision, those street rules apply there. See Height Notes and Materials Allowed.
Materials Allowed
Front yards: farm-style fencing only. The Crabapple and Deerfield form-based code areas set their own material rules. The street side of a corner lot inside a subdivision: farm-style fencing only. Along any street outside your subdivision: farm-style fencing only. A side, street-side or rear yard beyond the 60 ft rural viewshed is the exception, see Height Notes. Side and rear yards otherwise: any material except the ones listed as prohibited. Farm-style means three or four horizontal boards in wood, split rail or composite, with posts at least 4x4. Welded wire mesh may be added to a farm-style fence if it matches the fence color.
Materials Prohibited
No wire or chain link along a street right-of-way, except at recreational courts. Rural Milton Overlay: no chain link on a single-family lot. UDC Sec. 6.3.3. Solid fences: not allowed facing a street outside your subdivision, with one exception, see Height Notes. Barbed wire: farm use only, never on home lots.
Historic Districts
A certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission is required before a fence goes up on a designated historic property or in a historic district, whether or not a building permit is needed. UDC Sec. 12.7.4.
Setbacks
At least 3 ft from the public right-of-way. A fence must go on the house side of any required buffer or improvement setback, not inside the buffer. Between single-family properties the fence may run along the side or rear lot line instead.
Design Requirements
Finished side faces the neighboring property. Both sides of a farm-style fence count as finished. Where a fence is required to be solid, it must not be see-through.
Gates
No part of a gate within 20 ft of the public right-of-way. Intercom system: at least 15 ft back. These are two separate rules. No gate or vehicle may block the right-of-way or the required sight distance, whether the gate is open, closed or partway. Rural Milton Overlay: metal gates are prohibited on a single-family lot. UDC Sec. 6.3.3.
Floodplain Rules
No fence in the regulatory floodway. The floodway must stay clear of fill, new construction and any other manmade change to the land. Bridges, culverts, roadways and utilities are the only exceptions, and each needs an engineer's certification that flood levels will not rise. UDC Sec. 11.2.4.
Color Restrictions
Farm-style fences: black, dark brown or white. This covers front yards, the street side of a corner lot, and any fence along a street outside your subdivision, where farm-style is required.
Source
Milton UDC Sec. 2.3.2-2.3.3
Notes
Governed by Milton UDC Sec. 2.3.2 and 2.3.3. Extra fence rules apply in the Rural Milton Overlay, the State Route 9 Overlay, the Birmingham Crossroads Overlay, and the Crabapple and Deerfield form-based codes. Ask Community Development which ones cover your parcel: 678-242-2500

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 Milton with nearby jurisdictions:

All Fulton County fence rules →

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