GeorgiaFence Rules

Chatham County

Fence Rules in Savannah, Georgia

Last verified: September 5, 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 Savannah, fence height limits are: Front yards: 4 ft max, or 6 ft if the part above 3 ft is at least 70 percent open, measured to the top of the posts; Historic districts: 4 ft Downtown, 3 ft Victorian, Cuyler-Brownville and Streetcar; Side and back yards: 8 ft max, including a street-side yard behind the house; Cuyler-Brownville Historic District: 6 ft.

Required only for a wood or chain link fence over 7 ft, or for any masonry, concrete or footing-supported fence. The 7 ft mark is a permit trigger, not a height limit; Submit: signed application, site plan showing the fence, two sets of construction plans, plan review fee. In a flood zone add an engineer's no-impact letter.

On corner lots in Savannah: Keep the sight triangle clear between 3 ft and 10 ft above the road. It runs 40 ft back from the corner along each right-of-way line, and the same rule applies where a driveway meets the street. The City Manager can modify it; On a corner lot, the side yard along the street is limited to 4 ft in front of the house.

Pool fences in Savannah: Pool fence or wall: at least 4 ft tall, or a screen enclosure, with no opening that passes a 4 in ball. Gates self-closing, self-latching and opening away from the pool; A pool fence over 6 ft in a back yard sits 1 ft farther from the property line for each foot over 6 ft.

Fence setbacks in Savannah: No general setback. A fence may sit inside any required setback or yard, up to the property line, but must be entirely on private property and never in the tree lawn between curb and sidewalk; A solid fence over 3.5 ft running 50 ft or more along a street sits at least 5 ft back from the right-of-way.

Prohibited fence materials in Savannah: Anything not on the allowed list; Historic districts: no vinyl, PVC or corrugated metal, and no chain link in the Downtown or Victorian districts. Cuyler-Brownville allows chain link in the back yard only, not along a street. Downtown also bars barbed and razor wire.

Fence Regulations

Savannah

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Required only for a wood or chain link fence over 7 ft, or for any masonry, concrete or footing-supported fence. The 7 ft mark is a permit trigger, not a height limit. Submit: signed application, site plan showing the fence, two sets of construction plans, plan review fee. In a flood zone add an engineer's no-impact letter; in a historic district, an approved certificate of appropriateness. Apply online at eTRAC.savannahga.gov or in person. Development Services · 912-651-6530 (zoning and permits) · 912-651-6510 20 Interchange Dr., Savannah, GA 31415
Height - Front Yard
Front yards: 4 ft max, or 6 ft if the part above 3 ft is at least 70 percent open, measured to the top of the posts. Historic districts: 4 ft Downtown, 3 ft Victorian, Cuyler-Brownville and Streetcar.
Height - Side/Rear
Side and back yards: 8 ft max, including a street-side yard behind the house. Cuyler-Brownville Historic District: 6 ft. Downtown Historic District: up to 11 ft.
Height Notes
Measured from the finished grade at the base to the top, not counting posts; the height follows the slope. On top of a retaining wall it is measured from the higher side. Posts and columns may rise 1 ft above the limit (under 6x6 in) or 2 ft (6x6 in or larger). This does not apply to a front-yard fence over 4 ft, where the 6 ft is measured to the top of the post. A street-side yard in front of the house follows the front-yard limit; behind the house it follows the side-yard limit. Downtown Historic District: no fence forward of the front of the building except on certain garden lots. Businesses: 8 ft. See-through fences around a sports court: 10 ft.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
Keep the sight triangle clear between 3 ft and 10 ft above the road. It runs 40 ft back from the corner along each right-of-way line, and the same rule applies where a driveway meets the street. The City Manager can modify it. On a corner lot, the side yard along the street is limited to 4 ft in front of the house.
Materials Allowed
Only these: wrought iron, extruded aluminum, split-face concrete block, brick, stone, stucco or EIFS, composite, vinyl, decay-resistant wood at least 5/8 in thick, and chain link or wire fences (single-family and two-family homes and farms only). Anything else needs Planning Director approval. Victorian, Cuyler-Brownville and Streetcar districts: wood, iron, brick, true stucco over concrete block or extruded aluminum only, plus smooth fiber cement in Streetcar. Downtown district: a fence facing the street must be built of the same material as the house, though iron or extruded aluminum may be used with a masonry building.
Materials Prohibited
Anything not on the allowed list. Historic districts: no vinyl, PVC or corrugated metal, and no chain link in the Downtown or Victorian districts. Cuyler-Brownville allows chain link in the back yard only, not along a street. Downtown also bars barbed and razor wire. The Streetcar district's text both allows and bans chain link in a back yard, so ask the Metropolitan Planning Commission. Barbed or concertina wire only in industrial districts, at least 6 ft up and 10 ft back from a street, or on farms. An invisible fence may not be the only restraint for a pet on a lot along a public road or right-of-way, unless a homeowner association or covenant requires one.
Historic Districts
Required in the Downtown, Victorian, Cuyler-Brownville and Streetcar historic districts and on designated historic properties: a certificate of appropriateness before any new fence, or material change to one, that can be seen from a public street. Downtown fence approvals come from the Planning Director; the others from the Historic Preservation Commission. Conservation districts such as Ardsley Park review demolition only, not fences. Metropolitan Planning Commission · 912-651-1440
Setbacks
No general setback. A fence may sit inside any required setback or yard, up to the property line, but must be entirely on private property and never in the tree lawn between curb and sidewalk. A solid fence over 3.5 ft running 50 ft or more along a street sits at least 5 ft back from the right-of-way. A fence on an easement may have to be removed at the owner's cost. Historic districts: keep 5 ft between a fence and a building where they run parallel.
Design Requirements
Finished side faces the neighbor or the street. A front-yard fence taller than 4 ft must be at least 70 percent open above 3 ft. A solid fence over 3.5 ft running 50 ft or more along a street needs one shrub per 5 ft of frontage (not in historic districts). Businesses and developments: solid or part-open street-facing fences need masonry pilasters every 30 ft.
Gates
Pool gates: self-closing, self-latching, opening away from the pool. No other gate rule for a home fence.
Floodplain Rules
A fence in a flood zone needs an engineer's no-impact letter with the permit. In the regulatory floodway nothing may be built without an engineer's certification of no rise in flood levels. The city asks that a fence let storm water flow through or have break-away panels. Savannah Code Sec. 8-7012, 8-7046
Color Restrictions
None for most homes; wood should be painted or stained. Downtown Historic District: a fence facing the street must match the building's color, and changing the color needs a certificate of appropriateness. Industrial chain link: black, dark green or dark brown.
Source
Savannah Zoning Ordinance Sec. 9.6 (Fences and Walls)
Notes
Governed by Savannah's 2019 zoning ordinance, Sec. 9.6 Fences and Walls, with stricter rules inside the historic districts. No county fence rule applies inside the city. Development Services · 912-651-6530 · 20 Interchange Dr., Savannah, GA 31415 Historic review: Metropolitan Planning Commission · 912-651-1440

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 Chatham County

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

All Chatham County fence rules →

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