FENCE RULES – WINSTON-SALEM (CITY), NORTH CAROLINA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Winston-Salem, subject to local regulations.
In City of Winston-Salem, fence requirements are published across the permitting and land-use framework rather than in a single consolidated “fence code.” The City’s most direct fence-specific guidance is published through the City-County inspections authority’s fence permit requirements materials, with additional constraints appearing in the City Code (public rights-of-way) and the Unified Development Ordinance (historic-area approvals and sight-easement concepts).
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 Winston-Salem Planning and Development Services (Inspections Division) fence permit guidance and policies, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), the City of Winston-Salem Code of Ordinances, and the NC Building Code administrative permit-exemption list (OSFM) as of February 2026.
GOVERNANCE
City of Winston-Salem is the governing jurisdiction for fence regulation within the city limits.
The City’s permitting administration for residential projects is handled through the Inspections Division of the Planning and Development Services Department, a City-County inspections agency identified in the City’s published materials.
Zoning and subdivision administration is handled through the Land Use Administration (LUA) section of the Planning and Development Services Department, which maintains the City-County land-use framework and subdivision processes under the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
Separate from the UDO, the City of Winston-Salem Code of Ordinances includes public-way obstruction rules that prohibit placing fences in streets, sidewalks, and public alleys.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Building Permit (Local Fence Permit Policy): Permits are required for fences over six (6) feet in height. If a fence is six (6) feet in height or under, the City’s published materials state that a building permit is not required.
• Zoning Compliance: Building permit requirements are separate from zoning, setback, or plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, plat requirements, and required documentation with Land Use Administration (LUA) section of the Planning and Development Services Department before construction.
• Historic Districts and Local Historic Landmarks: The UDO requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before erecting, altering, restoring, moving, or demolishing fences on a Local Historic Landmark (LHL) or within a Historic (H) or Historic Overlay (HO) district. The UDO states this approval is required whether or not a building permit is otherwise required, and that it must be issued prior to issuance of a building permit when a building permit is involved.
• Submittal Requirements (Fences Over Six (6) Feet): The City’s published fence permit guidance requires scaled building plans showing a fence elevation and the footing design, designed and stamped/sealed by an engineer, for fences over six (6) feet.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Setbacks and Property Lines: 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.
• Public Streets, Sidewalks, and Alleys: The City’s code prohibits placing a fence in or on any street, sidewalk, or public alley.
• 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
• Permit Threshold by Height: City of Winston-Salem’s published fence permit guidance states that permits are required for fences over six (6) feet in height, and that a building permit is not required for fences six (6) feet in height or under.
• Maximum Height: The municipal code does not specify a maximum height for standard residential fences in the sources compiled for this page.
• Sight Easement Triangle Concept (UDO): The UDO defines “sight easement triangles” as areas on private property at street intersections and at driveways, dimensioned ten (10) feet perpendicular to the accessing street pavement and tapering to seventy (70) feet at the edge of street pavement. The UDO definition describes these areas as intended to prevent structures or signs from blocking motorists’ view.
• Recorded Plat Sight-Triangle References (UDO): The UDO includes recorded-plat requirements to show sight triangles for corner lots and driveways, and includes a 10-foot by 70-foot line-of-sight triangle requirement for certain private access easements serving more than one property. In that private-access-easement context, the UDO section reviewed limits vegetation within the line-of-sight easement to 30 inches in height.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Engineered Design (Over Six (6) Feet): City of Winston-Salem’s published fence permit guidance requires engineered, sealed plans for fences over six (6) feet, including an elevation and footing design.
• Fence Materials: The municipal code does not specify permitted or prohibited fence materials for standard residential fences in the sources compiled for this page.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions, including HOA covenants and recorded deed restrictions, may impose fence requirements that are more restrictive than City of Winston-Salem regulations and operate independently of municipal permits and approvals.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Fences built over six (6) feet in height without the required permit and required engineered plan set.
• Fence work on a Local Historic Landmark (LHL) or within a Historic (H) or Historic Overlay (HO) district without the required Certificate of Appropriateness, including work that would otherwise not require a building permit.
• Fences placed in the public realm, including placement in or on a street, sidewalk, or public alley, or encroachments into published rights-of-way or easements.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Winston-Salem, 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 Inspections Division of the Planning and Development Services Department and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of Winston-Salem staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.