GeorgiaFence Rules

Whitfield County

Fence Rules in Unincorporated Whitfield County, 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 Unincorporated Whitfield County, fence height limits are: front yards, No county height limit on an ordinary lot. The only height rule for a home fence is inside an Urban Planned Unit Development, a planned neighborhood near Dalton; side and rear yards, No county height limit for a side or back yard on an ordinary lot either.

Not required for a fence 6 ft or under; over 6 ft a building permit is needed. That is a permit threshold, not a height limit, and there is no separate fence permit; Starting work without a needed permit adds a $100 surcharge; A fence in a county right-of-way needs a special encroachment permit first.

On corner lots in Unincorporated Whitfield County: None. No county rule limits how tall a fence can be near a street corner; the 25 ft corner rule covers driveways only.

Pool fences in Unincorporated Whitfield County: Pool fence or wall: at least 4 ft tall, with no gap or opening over 4 in except at doors and gates. Applies to existing pools too; Gates and doors self-close, self-latch and stay shut when not in use. A house or outbuilding wall may form part of the enclosure, and a house door does not need the self-latch.

Fence setbacks in Unincorporated Whitfield County: None from a property line. Nothing may go in a county right-of-way without a special encroachment permit; A fence built as a required zoning buffer between different zoning districts sits at least 2 ft off the line.

Prohibited fence materials in Unincorporated Whitfield County: None on an ordinary lot. The county bans no fence material outside the Urban Planned Unit Development district, where barbed wire, plastic slats, plastic screening fabric and chain link are not allowed.

Fence Regulations

Unincorporated Whitfield County

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Not required for a fence 6 ft or under; over 6 ft a building permit is needed. That is a permit threshold, not a height limit, and there is no separate fence permit. Starting work without a needed permit adds a $100 surcharge. A fence in a county right-of-way needs a special encroachment permit first. Building Inspection · 706-275-7474 · buildingpermits@whitfieldcountyga.com 136 Gillespie Drive, Dalton, GA 30721 Zoning questions: Planning and Zoning · 706-876-2533
Height - Front Yard
No county height limit on an ordinary lot. The only height rule for a home fence is inside an Urban Planned Unit Development, a planned neighborhood near Dalton.
Height - Side/Rear
No county height limit for a side or back yard on an ordinary lot either.
Height Notes
Inside an Urban Planned Unit Development district (a rezoned development of 8 acres or less in the Dalton urban area): 72 in max at a side or back property line, and a front-yard or street-side fence should stay at 48 in or under. The code does not say how fence height is measured. Inside that district the Board of Zoning Appeals can allow up to 10% more than any number here.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
None. No county rule limits how tall a fence can be near a street corner; the 25 ft corner rule covers driveways only.
Materials Prohibited
None on an ordinary lot. The county bans no fence material outside the Urban Planned Unit Development district, where barbed wire, plastic slats, plastic screening fabric and chain link are not allowed.
Historic Districts
Required on a county-designated historic property or in a county historic district: a certificate of appropriateness from the Whitfield County Historic Preservation Commission before a fence goes up, and no permit issues without one.
Setbacks
None from a property line. Nothing may go in a county right-of-way without a special encroachment permit. A fence built as a required zoning buffer between different zoning districts sits at least 2 ft off the line.
Design Requirements
None for a home fence. A fence built as a required zoning buffer must screen to 6 ft and show a finished, decorative face to the neighbor; junkyards need an 8 ft sight-proof fence.
Gates
None for a home fence. Pool gates: self-closing and self-latching under the county code, and opening outward under the state pool code.
Floodplain Rules
In a mapped flood hazard area a flood area permit from the county engineer comes before any development. In the floodway nothing goes up without an engineer's certification that it will not raise flood levels. The flood rules never name fences, but they reach any man-made change to the land. Whitfield County Code Secs. 5-54, 5-56
Color Restrictions
None.
Source
Whitfield County Code Sec. 5-37 and Unified Zoning Ordinance (App. A)
Notes
Governed by the Whitfield County Code and the Unified Zoning Ordinance, a joint ordinance of the county, Dalton and Varnell that sets no fence height limit for an ordinary lot. This page covers the unincorporated county only, not the city limits of Dalton, Varnell, Tunnel Hill or Cohutta. Building Inspection · 706-275-7474 · 136 Gillespie Drive, Dalton, GA 30721 Planning and Zoning · 706-876-2533 · jgarland@whitfieldcountyga.com · 201 S. Hamilton Street, 5th Floor, Dalton, GA 30720

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 Whitfield County

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

All Whitfield County fence rules →

Ready to build your fence in Unincorporated Whitfield County?

FenceWorks of Georgia is Atlanta's premier fence company: residential and commercial installation, repair, and removal. Free quotes, no obligation.

Get My Free QuoteCall 770-452-9900

4.9★ on Google · Google Guaranteed · Financing available