Fence laws in Smyrna, Georgia
What the Smyrna municipal code says about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line. Where Smyrna sets no rule of its own, the Georgia rule is shown in its place and marked as such.
Fence laws in Smyrna, Georgia, question by question
The short version
- Who pays on the line
- In all cases the finished side of a fence in Smyrna has to face the adjoining properties and the public rights-of-way, and the ordinance then defines the term rather than leaving it to argument: the finished side is the side that contains no visible support structures, and the answer turns on whether the director approves a different arrangement.
- How tall
- Smyrna states one ceiling for the whole city: no fence may be more than eight feet in height, or be constructed in a public right-of-way, and the answer turns on whether the fence stands in a front yard. The figure is 8 feet, for tallest fence anywhere in the city.
- Permits
- Every commercial construction site in Smyrna larger than ten acres has to carry a temporary perimeter fence, and the ordinance says what for: to keep out vandalism, unauthorized entry and illegal dumping, to stop dust, debris and litter reaching neighboring property, and to improve how the site looks, and the answer turns on the size of the construction site. The figure is 6 feet, for shortest construction site fence.
- Pool barriers
- Georgia's public pool rules set barrier requirements and then leave home pools out.
- Spite fences
- Smyrna has no spite fence statute. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide this one.
- Measured from what
- Smyrna leaves the measuring rule to each Georgia county and municipality, through the zoning ordinance it adopts. It reaches land inside a Georgia county or city that has adopted zoning only.
- Corner lots
- Smyrna leaves corner clearance to each Georgia county and municipality, through the zoning ordinance it adopts. It reaches corner lots inside a Georgia county or city that has adopted zoning only.
- Retaining walls
- Smyrna leaves retaining walls to the International Residential Code, 2024 Edition, with Georgia Amendments, whose text is not printed by the state. It reaches one and two family dwellings and townhouses only.
- Materials
- In any front yard in any zoning district, chain link and similar woven wire fences are prohibited, and the answer turns on whether the fence is in a front yard.
- Livestock
- Georgia writes a hard fence spec for one kind of farm. The figure is 8 feet, for minimum fence height around a farmed deer facility. It reaches licensed deer farms only.
Who owns the fence between two properties in Smyrna?
Compare fences on the property line across all 50 states
Smyrna answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the director approves a different arrangement.
In all cases the finished side of a fence in Smyrna has to face the adjoining properties and the public rights-of-way, and the ordinance then defines the term rather than leaving it to argument: the finished side is the side that contains no visible support structures. The definition carries an escape written into the same sentence, because the community development director may approve otherwise, so a fence that has structure on both faces or none is a decision rather than a violation. The ordinance prints examples of both a finished and an unfinished side. Nothing sets a distance from an interior lot line and nothing asks for consent from the adjoining owner, so a fence may sit on the boundary, with the only positional limit being that no fence may be constructed in a public right-of-way. Nothing divides the cost of a shared fence.
In all cases, the finished side of a fence shall face adjoining properties and/or public rights-of-way. For purposes of this section, the finished side shall be defined as the side of the fence that contains no visible support structures, unless approved by the community development director.
The answer turns on whether the director approves a different arrangement.
- an ordinary fence
- The side without visible structure faces out.
- the director approving otherwise
- The definition can be set aside.
- the distance from the line
- None is stated.
Also on fences on the property line in Smyrna
- no rule, documents checkedNo cost sharing rule for a boundary fence was found in Georgia's statewide codes. The state residential code covers construction and says nothing about who pays for a fence on a line, and the state pool rules do not reach it. Georgia does not publish the Official Code of Georgia Annotated as free text on a state site, so a statute outside the state minimum standard codes could not be read and ruled out here. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 110-11-1-.25Georgia · Statute
How tall can a fence be in Smyrna?
Compare fence height across all 50 states
Smyrna answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the fence stands in a front yard.
Smyrna states one ceiling for the whole city: no fence may be more than eight feet in height, or be constructed in a public right-of-way. Eight feet is two above the common figure and the sentence does not distinguish between residential and commercial property. The front yard is handled through the materials rule rather than through a second height figure, and the effect is the same: the only fences permitted in a front yard in any zoning district are decorative or ornamental wooden ones and decorative wrought iron or black aluminum, and none of those may exceed four feet. A corner lot is defined into two front yards, because the section says both yards abutting a street are deemed a front yard, so a corner lot carries the four foot limit along both street frontages rather than along one.
No fence shall be more than eight feet in height or be constructed in a public right-of-way.
The answer turns on whether the fence stands in a front yard.
- anywhere on the lot
- Eight feet. 8 ft
- a front yard
- Four feet, and only certain materials. 4 ft
- a corner lot
- Both street yards count as front yards.
- a public right-of-way
- No fence at all.
Also on fence height in Smyrna
- no rule, documents checkedGeorgia sets no statewide limit on how tall a fence at a house can be. The state minimum standard residential code covers building homes and the structures beside them and names no fence height, and the state pool rules do not reach a yard fence. Height is set by city and county zoning. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 110-11-1-.25Georgia · Statute
Do I need a permit for a fence in Smyrna?
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Smyrna answers this, but the answer changes depending on the size of the construction site.
Every commercial construction site in Smyrna larger than ten acres has to carry a temporary perimeter fence, and the ordinance says what for: to keep out vandalism, unauthorized entry and illegal dumping, to stop dust, debris and litter reaching neighboring property, and to improve how the site looks. The fence has to be chain link, at least six feet, with support poles anchored into the ground rather than standing on feet, and screening attached to the outside or approved landscaping instead. It has to be installed before the land disturbance permit or the building permit is issued, and a fencing plan goes in with the civil drawings, but no permit is required for the fence itself. Screening material has to be black or green and cover the whole fence. Gates have to match the fence height, with up to four inches of clearance at the bottom, and may open outward only where the open gate blocks no right-of-way or sidewalk.
The temporary perimeter site fence shall be made of chain link, be no less than six feet in height, with support poles anchored into the ground (not just sitting on top the ground using "feet" supports) and have screening material attached to the outside of the fence or install landscaping that is approved by the community development director.
The answer turns on the size of the construction site.
- a commercial site over ten acres
- Six feet of screened chain link. 6 ft
- the fence itself
- No permit required.
- landscaping instead of screening
- Four trees per forty feet of fence. 40 ft
- a gate
- Same height, four inches of ground clearance. 4 in
Also on permits in Smyrna
- set in state lawGeorgia sets no statewide fence permit exemption, so each local government writes its own. Georgia adopted the 2024 International Residential Code as its state minimum standard code for one and two family homes, then deleted Chapter 1. Chapter 1 is the part of the model code holding the permit rules and the list of work that needs no permit. It stays in the book only as a guide local governments can copy when writing their own procedures. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 110-11-1-.25Georgia · Building code
Pool fence requirements in Smyrna
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Georgia answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Georgia's public pool rules set barrier requirements and then leave home pools out. The scope rule excludes a private pool, hot tub or spa that serves a single family home and is used only by the people living there and their guests. It also excludes pools at apartment complexes, country clubs and subdivisions open only to residents. A barrier at a Georgia home pool comes from the state minimum standard residential code and from local ordinance instead.
This one is Georgia law, not Smyrna law. All Georgia findings
These rules shall not apply to private swimming pool and hot tubs or spas serving a single-family dwelling and used only by the residents of that dwelling and their guests
Spite fence laws in Smyrna
Compare spite fences across all 50 states
Smyrna law has no rule about this. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide it instead.
No spite fence rule was found in Georgia's statewide codes. The state residential code is about construction and sets no test tied to why a fence went up. Georgia does not publish its annotated code as free text on a state site, so the search here covered the state minimum standard codes and the state pool rules only.
This one is Georgia law, not Smyrna law. All Georgia findings
Documents read before writing that:
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 110-11-1-.25Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-5Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations
How fence height is measured in Smyrna
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Smyrna does not set this. It leaves it to each Georgia county and municipality, through the zoning ordinance it adopts.
Georgia never says where a fence height is measured from. The Zoning Procedures Law defines a zoning ordinance as the local rule that sets the uses and development standards of property, and a fence height with its starting point is one of those standards. The state minimum standard codes chapter never uses the word fence, so the building side of state law does not pick the question up either. That leaves how a fence is measured, whether from natural grade or finished grade and what happens when a fence sits on a retaining wall, to the county or city ordinance that sets the number.
This one is Georgia law, not Smyrna law. All Georgia findings
"Zoning ordinance" means an ordinance or resolution of a local government establishing procedures and zones or districts within its respective territorial boundaries which regulate the uses and development standards of property within such zones or districts.
The code hands this to each Georgia county and municipality, through the zoning ordinance it adopts, which is not published in the code itself.
Fence rules for corner lots in Smyrna
Compare corner visibility across all 50 states
Smyrna does not set this. It leaves it to each Georgia county and municipality, through the zoning ordinance it adopts.
Georgia writes no sight triangle into state law. The Zoning Procedures Law confirms that the zoning power belongs to each county and city, and says the chapter itself only sets the least procedure a local government has to follow when it uses that power. So the corner clearance rule, both the shape of the wedge near an intersection and the height nothing may pass inside it, is written in the local zoning ordinance. The state minimum standard codes chapter never mentions a fence, so it adds nothing here.
This one is Georgia law, not Smyrna law. All Georgia findings
While recognizing and confirming the authority of local governments to exercise zoning power within their respective territorial boundaries, it is the intention of this chapter to establish as state policy minimum procedures governing the exercise of that power.
The code hands this to each Georgia county and municipality, through the zoning ordinance it adopts, which is not published in the code itself.
Also on corner visibility in Smyrna
- no rule, documents checkedThe Smyrna zoning ordinance contains no sight triangle, no clear vision area and no band of protected heights at an intersection. What it does instead is redefine the lot. A corner lot is treated as having two front yards, because both yards abutting a street are deemed a front yard, so the four foot height limit and the ban on chain link and woven wire run along both street frontages rather than along one. The effect is close to what a triangle would achieve at the corner itself, and broader than a triangle along the rest of the two frontages, but it is a different kind of rule: it stops a tall fence everywhere along the street rather than only near the junction, and it offers no measured area an owner or an officer can point at. The only sight distance figure anywhere nearby belongs to driveways in the corridor design districts. 503-A, FencingSmyrna · Zoning code
Retaining wall rules in Smyrna
Compare retaining walls across all 50 states
Smyrna does not set this. It leaves it to the International Residential Code, 2024 Edition, with Georgia Amendments, whose text is not printed by the state.
Georgia writes no rule of its own for a wall that holds back earth. The Board of Community Affairs adopts a list of state minimum standard codes, and the residential one on that list is the International Residential Code, 2024 Edition, with Georgia Amendments. So the rule is whatever that model code says, and the state does not print its text.
This one is Georgia law, not Smyrna law. All Georgia findings
The following are the current state minimum standard codes for construction as adopted by the Board of Community Affairs.
Current State Minimum Codes for Construction
The code hands this to the International Residential Code, 2024 Edition, with Georgia Amendments, whose text is not printed by the state, which is not published in the code itself.
Fence materials allowed in Smyrna
Compare materials across all 50 states
Smyrna answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the fence is in a front yard.
In any front yard in any zoning district, chain link and similar woven wire fences are prohibited. What is permitted there is a decorative or ornamental rail, split rail, picket, opaque or basket weave fence built of wooden materials, or decorative wrought iron or black aluminum, and none of them may pass four feet. Then the ordinance goes a level further than most and regulates what is behind the fence: any wire backing on a split rail fence in a front yard has to have a black vinyl coating. Uncoated wire and woven wire backing between fence sections are addressed in the same paragraph and still cannot take the fence past four feet. Nothing outside the front yard is limited by material at all, so behind the line of the front yard any fence up to eight feet is available.
Within any front yard (front yard shall also include a corner lot in which both yards abutting a street shall be deemed a front yard), in all zoning districts, no chain link or similar woven wire fence shall be permitted.
The answer turns on whether the fence is in a front yard.
- a front yard
- No chain link or woven wire.
- what is allowed there
- Decorative wood, wrought iron or black aluminum.
- wire backing on a split rail
- Black vinyl coated.
- behind the front yard
- No material is named either way.
Also on materials in Smyrna
- set in state lawGeorgia has one statewide description of an electric security fence, which it calls a fence detection system, and the first item on the list is where the fence may sit. It has to be on land that is not zoned for homes. O.C.G.A. 36-60-12.1Georgia · Statute
Livestock and boundary fence law in Smyrna
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Georgia answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Georgia writes a hard fence spec for one kind of farm. A licensed deer farm has to ring the part of the site holding farmed deer with a fence at least eight feet tall. The bottom six feet is woven mesh, in a design, strength, gauge and mesh the Department of Agriculture approves. Wire added on top to reach eight feet may be smooth, barbed or woven, with strands no more than six inches apart. Trees and structures that could fall and break the fence have to come out.
This one is Georgia law, not Smyrna law. All Georgia findings
Any portion of such facility within which farmed deer are maintained shall be surrounded by a fence with a minimum height of eight feet with the bottom six feet made of woven mesh and constructed of a design, strength, gauge, and mesh approved by the department
8 ftminimum fence height around a farmed deer facility
Documents behind this page
8 documents, of which 2 were published by Smyrna itself. Each was read on the date shown.
- Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and RegulationsGeorgia Administrative Code, Rule 110-11-1-.25, International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (IRC), 2024 Edition with 2026 Georgia State Amendments
- Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and RegulationsGeorgia Administrative Code, Subject 511-3-5, Public Swimming Pools, Spas, and Recreational Water Parks
- City of SmyrnaSmyrna Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance, Section 503-A, Fencing
- City of SmyrnaSmyrna Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18, Section 18-13, Temporary perimeter site fencing and screening
- Georgia Department of Community AffairsOfficial Code of Georgia Annotated, Title 36, Local Government, Chapter 66, Zoning Procedures, published by the Department of Community Affairs
- Georgia Department of Community AffairsCurrent State Minimum Codes for Construction
- Georgia General AssemblyGeorgia Senate Bill 182, 2021 Regular Session, as passed
- Georgia Department of AgricultureOfficial Code of Georgia Annotated, Title 4, Animals, Chapter 4, Article 5, Deer Farming
What this page does not cover
A city ordinance is not the only rule that reaches a fence. The zoning district a parcel sits in can change the height allowed on it, and so can an overlay district, a recorded easement, a fire hazard severity zone or a coastal zone. A homeowner association can be stricter than the city and nothing in the municipal code will say so. None of those appear here.
The rules above are the ones Smyrna publishes, plus the Georgia rules that apply where the city sets none. Fence laws in Georgia has the state layer in full.
This is general information drawn from published government documents. It is not legal advice, ordinances are amended, and the date beside each finding is the date the document was read. How findings are made · What the terms mean