GeorgiaFence Rules

Camden County

Fence Rules in St. Marys, 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 St. Marys, fence height limits are: front yards, No city fence height limit. Where a driveway or entrance meets a public street, nothing over 2 1/2 ft may block visibility; side and rear yards, No city fence height limit. The code's only fence heights are minimums for screening businesses, junkyards and buffers.

Not required for a fence 7 ft or under, but a fence over 7 ft needs a building permit, per the city Building Department, applied for through Cloudpermit. The code has no fence permit and no fence fee. In the historic district a certificate of appropriateness comes before any building permit.

On corner lots in St. Marys: Where a private drive or entrance meets a public street, nothing over 2 1/2 ft may block visibility; At a street corner, nothing may block the view between 30 in and 10 ft above the road inside the triangle formed by the two right-of-way lines and a line 20 ft back from the corner; a needed retaining wall is allowed.

Pool fences in St. Marys: 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; Openings: 4 in max, or 1 3/4 in for chain link, lattice and any fence whose rails sit under 45 in apart, which puts its rails on the pool side.

Fence setbacks in St. Marys: None. The code sets no fence setback from a property line or right-of-way; the setback rules for sheds and other accessory structures cover a list that does not include fences.

Prohibited fence materials in St. Marys: None. The city bans no fence material and has no barbed wire, chain link or electric fence rule.

Fence Regulations

St. Marys

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Not required for a fence 7 ft or under, but a fence over 7 ft needs a building permit, per the city Building Department, applied for through Cloudpermit. The code has no fence permit and no fence fee. In the historic district a certificate of appropriateness comes before any building permit. Building Department · 912-882-1197 · Community Development (zoning, historic district) · 912-510-4032 418 Osborne Street, St. Marys, GA 31558
Height - Front Yard
No city fence height limit. Where a driveway or entrance meets a public street, nothing over 2 1/2 ft may block visibility.
Height - Side/Rear
No city fence height limit. The code's only fence heights are minimums for screening businesses, junkyards and buffers.
Height Notes
The code sets no fence height and no rule for measuring one. The 7 ft figure the city uses is a permit trigger, not a limit. Its 4 ft, 6 ft and 8 ft fence figures are minimum screening heights for day care play areas in a commercial district, buffer strips, junkyards and industrial sites; the one 8 ft maximum in the code applies to a landscape buffer on a commercial lot. A 2018 draft zoning ordinance on the city's file server proposed 4 ft and 8 ft fence limits, but it was never adopted.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
Where a private drive or entrance meets a public street, nothing over 2 1/2 ft may block visibility. At a street corner, nothing may block the view between 30 in and 10 ft above the road inside the triangle formed by the two right-of-way lines and a line 20 ft back from the corner; a needed retaining wall is allowed.
Materials Prohibited
None. The city bans no fence material and has no barbed wire, chain link or electric fence rule.
Historic Districts
Yes. In the St. Marys Historic District (the National Register boundaries), building, changing or removing a fence is a material change that needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before a building permit issues; the commission's jurisdiction runs to changes visible from and next to a public street. Apply at least 15 days before the commission's monthly meeting; it has 45 days after the hearing to decide, and silence counts as approval. Ordinary repair that does not change design, material or appearance is exempt. St. Marys Code Ch. 62
Setbacks
None. The code sets no fence setback from a property line or right-of-way; the setback rules for sheds and other accessory structures cover a list that does not include fences.
Design Requirements
None for a home fence. The code's fence design language attaches to buffers and screening for business, industrial and multi-family sites. In the city's Commerce Park and Industrial Park, no fence goes up without the city's written approval.
Gates
None. The city writes no gate rule; pool gates follow the state pool code.
Floodplain Rules
In a mapped flood hazard area a city development permit comes before any development, which the code defines as any man-made change to the land including buildings or other structures; the flood chapter never names fences, so ask the Building Department. In the floodway nothing may go in unless an engineer certifies it will not raise flood levels or widen the floodway. Fence work that causes only minor soil erosion is exempt from the city's land-disturbance rules. St. Marys Code Secs. 54-3, 54-6
Color Restrictions
None. The city sets no fence color rule.
Source
St. Marys Code Ch. 110 (Zoning), no fence section
Notes
Governed by the city's own zoning ordinance (Chapter 110 of the city code, current through February 2026), which sets no fence height, setback, material or design rule for a home; the historic district is the one place a fence is reviewed. Camden County's rules do not apply inside the city. Pool barriers follow Georgia's state pool code. Building Department · 912-882-1197 · Community Development · 912-510-4032 · 418 Osborne Street, St. Marys, GA 31558

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 Camden County

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

All Camden County fence rules →

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