GeorgiaFence Rules

Chatham County

Fence Rules in Tybee Island, 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 Tybee Island, the maximum fence height is typically 8 ft in side and rear yards and 8 ft in front yards.

Required for any fence; Apply on the city building permit form with two sets of plans and a survey showing your property lines. Allow 7 to 14 days. Post holes at least 2 ft deep, deeper for a taller fence, with an 18 in diameter of concrete around each post; Community Development · 912-472-5033 (Mon-Fri 8 to 4); 403 Butler Ave., Tybee Island, GA 31328.

On corner lots in Tybee Island: Nothing may block a driver's view between 3 ft and 10 ft above the road inside the corner sight triangle, so a fence there has to stay low. The triangle runs 25 ft back from the corner along each street line where the public street ends and your property begins; a traffic engineer can make it larger or smaller.

Pool fences in Tybee Island: Required for any pool with water deeper than 24 in: barrier at least 48 in tall and completely surrounding the pool, with no gap under it over 2 in on grass or 4 in on concrete; Gates open away from the pool, self-closing and self-latching; Openings must not pass a 4 in ball, and no horizontal parts that work as footholds.

Fence setbacks in Tybee Island: None. A fence may sit on the property line but not in the public right-of-way or on an easement; a fence on an easement may have to be removed at your cost; Near the beach: 10 ft back from the inland base of the last dune, and any disturbance of the beach, dunes or dune plants needs special review.

Prohibited fence materials in Tybee Island: None. The code bans no fence material anywhere on the island; South End business overlay: the design guidelines recommend against barbed wire, razor wire, chain link, vinyl or PVC where visible from the street.

Fence Regulations

Tybee Island

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Required for any fence. Apply on the city building permit form with two sets of plans and a survey showing your property lines. Allow 7 to 14 days. Post holes at least 2 ft deep, deeper for a taller fence, with an 18 in diameter of concrete around each post. Community Development · 912-472-5033 (Mon-Fri 8 to 4) 403 Butler Ave., Tybee Island, GA 31328
Height - Front Yard
8 ft max, measured from the average ground level next to the fence. The code sets no lower limit for front yards, but a corner lot has to keep the view at the intersection clear.
Height - Side/Rear
8 ft max, measured from the average ground level next to the fence. On a corner lot the view at the intersection has to stay clear.
Height Notes
The 8 ft cap sits inside the code's own definition of a fence, so there is no separate fence-height section to look up. Average adjacent grade, the term the code uses, means the natural ground level before any construction. South End business overlay: the design guidelines recommend, but do not require, 3 ft in front and 8 ft on the sides and back.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
Nothing may block a driver's view between 3 ft and 10 ft above the road inside the corner sight triangle, so a fence there has to stay low. The triangle runs 25 ft back from the corner along each street line where the public street ends and your property begins; a traffic engineer can make it larger or smaller.
Materials Allowed
The code names wood, metal or masonry; the city's fence bulletin adds vinyl or other approved material. Check with Community Development before using anything else.
Materials Prohibited
None. The code bans no fence material anywhere on the island. South End business overlay: the design guidelines recommend against barbed wire, razor wire, chain link, vinyl or PVC where visible from the street.
Historic Districts
None today. The island's historic districts (Back River, Strand Cottages, Fort Screven) are National Register listings, which carry no local fence review, and the city has not adopted a local historic district ordinance. Local designation of Fort Screven and North Campbell has been proposed, so check before building there.
Setbacks
None. A fence may sit on the property line but not in the public right-of-way or on an easement; a fence on an easement may have to be removed at your cost. Near the beach: 10 ft back from the inland base of the last dune, and any disturbance of the beach, dunes or dune plants needs special review. Marsh, stream or wetland: a 25 ft buffer applies. A fence is exempt only if it causes no soil erosion and disturbs no more than 100 sq ft on the lot; anything more needs a variance or a buffer encroachment permit.
Design Requirements
Build it so storm water can flow through, or with break-away panels; a fence that dams rainwater can flood you and your neighbors. No finished-side, opacity or spacing rule.
Gates
Pool gates: self-closing, self-latching, opening away from the pool. No other gate rule.
Floodplain Rules
The flood rules do not name fences, but they cover the whole island and count any man-made change to a property as development, so a fence needs a development permit as well. Below an elevated house in a V zone (the high-hazard strip nearest the water) only open lattice or mesh screening is allowed, never a solid wall. Tybee Island Land Development Code Sec. 8-070, 8-090, 8-230
Color Restrictions
None.
Source
Tybee Island Land Development Code Sec. 2-010 (Fence); Sec. 3-050
Notes
Governed by the city's Land Development Code, which sets the 8 ft limit inside its definition of a fence and keeps the corner sight triangle clear. Chatham County only supplies contract inspectors; its ordinance does not apply on the island. Community Development · 912-472-5033 · 403 Butler Ave., Tybee Island, GA 31328

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 Tybee Island with nearby jurisdictions:

All Chatham County fence rules →

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