Fence Rules in Unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia

In Unincorporated DeKalb County, fence height limits are: front yards, 4 ft max, measured from finished or street grade; Same cap on the street side of a corner lot; Most side and back yards: 8 ft max, and the same along a subdivision perimeter; Where that perimeter fence runs along a public street: 6 ft max, with a 15 ft wide planted buffer.

Not required for a fence 8 ft or shorter, which covers every fence a house lot is allowed by right; Over 8 ft: a permit is required. On a house lot, that height also takes a Zoning Board of Appeals variance; Exemption: DeKalb County Code Sec. 7-30; Planning and Sustainability, 178 Sams St, Decatur, 404-371-2155 (option 3).

On corner lots in Unincorporated DeKalb County: No fixed corner triangle. The county uses highway sight-distance standards: nothing between 30 in and 8 ft above a local street or driveway, or between 30 in and 12 ft above a larger (collector or higher) street; Separately, the street side of a corner lot is capped at 4 ft.

Pool fences in Unincorporated DeKalb County: Required at a backyard pool at a single-family home, set by the county Board of Health; Barrier at least 5 ft high from the outside grade, nothing climbable within 3 ft; No opening a 4 in ball passes through, chain-link mesh no wider than 1 1/4 in; Self-closing gate with a latch at least 45 in above the ground.

Fence setbacks in Unincorporated DeKalb County: Never in the public right-of-way; A fence may sit right on the property line; a wall, including its footing, may not cross it; Security entrance gates at apartments and businesses: at least 50 ft from the property line.

Prohibited fence materials in Unincorporated DeKalb County: No chain link or other wire fencing in front yards, except in the industrial M and M-2 districts; No exposed common concrete block, tires, junk, pallets, railroad ties, loose stone, vinyl or other discarded materials anywhere.