FENCE RULES – HIGH POINT (CITY), NORTH CAROLINA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within HIGH POINT, subject to local regulations.
The City of High Point requires a Zoning Fence Permit for residential fences and publishes residential fence standards addressing height, placement, materials, and maintenance. The City Code also includes standards related to visibility at intersections and encroachments into public rights-of-way.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s adopted materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one.
Compiled From City of High Point fence permitting materials and residential fence standards, relevant City Code provisions, and the North Carolina Building Code permit-exemption provisions as of February 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The City of High Point is the governing authority for fence regulation within the city limits.
Residential fence permitting is administered through the Planning and Development Department and the Development Services Center, which issues the City’s Zoning Fence Permit for fences.
The City’s published residential fence rules are distributed through City fence permitting guidance and the City’s residential fence standards. Additional fence-related constraints appear in the City Code, including provisions addressing visibility at intersections and public right-of-way encroachments.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Zoning Fence Permit: A Zoning Fence Permit is required to install a fence on residential property. The permit is issued by the Development Services Center, and the permit lists required inspections.
• Permit Timing: The City’s published residential fence standards state that a permit must be issued before installing a fence.
• Historic District Review: A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is required for fence work when the property is located within a local historic district (Local Historic Overlay District) or is a Guilford County Historic Landmark.
• Flood Hazard Areas: The City’s fence permitting guidance states that a fence may not be located in a flood hazard area without flood damage prevention approval.
• Easements and Protected Drainage Areas: If a fence is proposed within an easement or a protected drainage area, the City’s fence permitting guidance requires approval by the easement holder, and the City’s fence permit application includes an “Acknowledgement and Hold Harmless” form for specified easement and drainage-area conditions.
• Construction Permit for Masonry Walls: The City’s fence permitting guidance states that when masonry construction creates a wall higher than four (4) feet, a construction permit is required.
• Building Permit Exemption: A Building Permit is not required for standard residential fences seven (7) feet in height or lower, per the locally adopted residential building code, as stated in the sources compiled for this page.
• Who May Obtain Permits: The City’s permit guidance states that, for zoning permits, either the landowner or the person responsible for the work can obtain the permit.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
The ordinance does not state a setback requirement for standard residential fences from property lines; however, fences must be located entirely on the owner’s property and must not encroach into rights-of-way or easements.
• Right-of-Way: Fences must be located on private property outside of the public right-of-way. The City’s fence permitting guidance also states that fences may not be located in a street right-of-way.
• Easements: Fences located within utility easements require written authorization from the easement holder. The City’s residential fence standards state that the City is not responsible for damage to, or the repair or replacement of, fences that must be removed to access such easements.
• Protected Drainage Areas: The City’s fence permitting guidance identifies protected drainage areas as a location constraint. The City’s fence permit application includes acknowledgements addressing stormwater runoff in protected drainage areas.
• Drainage Flow: A fence may not be installed so that it blocks or diverts a natural drainage flow onto or off any other land.
• Intersection Visibility: On corner lots, fences must not be erected or maintained in a manner that obstructs visibility for motorists at street intersections under the City’s visibility-at-intersections standards.
• Utility Safety: North Carolina’s Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act requires the person responsible for excavation or demolition to provide notice to the Notification Center (NC 811) before digging. Notice must be provided not less than three (3) full working days before the proposed commencement date of the excavation or demolition. Notice expires 28 calendar days after the date notice was given.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Maximum Height: Residential fences shall not exceed eight (8) feet in height.
• Height Measurement: Fence height is measured from the ground to the top of the fence, not including columns or fence posts. Columns or posts shall not exceed 18 inches above the built height of the fence. Any retaining wall or berm below a fence is included within the fence height.
• Street Frontage Height Limit: No fence shall exceed four (4) feet in height when located within fifteen (15) feet of a local street public right-of-way, with limited exceptions described in the City’s published residential fence illustration.
• Vision Triangle on Corner Lots: On corner lots, no fence, wall, sign, or similar object that constitutes a hazard to visibility for motorists may be located within a vision triangle bounded by the street curb lines or edge of pavement and a vision clearance setback line. The City Code describes the setback line as connecting points on each right-of-way line located a minimum distance of 25 feet from the intersection of the two rights-of-way lines.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Permitted Materials: The City’s residential fence standards list the following permitted fencing materials: masonry or stone, ornamental iron/steel/aluminum, wood, composite materials designed to appear as wood/metal/masonry, and chain-link (except where prohibited).
• Chain-Link Restrictions: The City’s published residential fence standards state that chain-link is permitted “except where prohibited.” The published standards sheet does not specify the districts or locations where chain-link is prohibited.
• Barbed Wire: The City’s fence permit application asks whether a proposed fence is topped with barbed wire. The City’s published residential fence standards do not specify whether barbed wire is permitted for standard single-family residential fences.
• Maintenance Standard: Fences must be maintained in a safe manner and plumb (vertical) to the ground. Fences not maintained in a safe manner must be repaired, replaced, or demolished.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions such as HOA covenants, architectural guidelines, and recorded easements operate independently of City requirements and may be more restrictive than City standards.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Installation of a fence without a required Zoning Fence Permit.
• Fence construction that exceeds the City’s published height limits, including fences over eight (8) feet or fences over four (4) feet within fifteen (15) feet of a local street public right-of-way.
• Fences located within a street right-of-way or other public right-of-way.
• Fences placed in a utility easement without written authorization from the easement holder.
• Fences installed in a manner that blocks or diverts natural drainage flow onto or off another property.
• Fence placement on corner lots that creates a motorist visibility hazard within the City’s intersection-visibility area.
• Fence conditions that are not maintained in a safe, vertical condition.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within HIGH POINT, based on publicly available materials reviewed as of February 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain North Carolina laws apply statewide. See Statewide fence laws in North Carolina.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, surveys, or professional guidance. Rules and interpretations may change, and application may vary based on zoning district, site conditions, easements, rights-of-way, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with Planning and Development Department and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of High Point staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.