Fence laws in Collierville, Tennessee
What the Collierville municipal code says about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line. Where Collierville sets no rule of its own, the Tennessee rule is shown in its place and marked as such.
Fence laws in Collierville, Tennessee, question by question
The short version
- Who pays on the line
- On a residential corner lot in Collierville fences, walls and hedges are permitted in all yards, but nothing over forty-eight inches may go beyond the front face of the house or the front yard setback line, whichever is further from the property line, on the street the house faces, and the answer turns on the size of the lot and which street the house faces. The figure is 20 feet, for clearance from the curb on a larger corner lot.
- How tall
- A Collierville residential fence is held to four feet in a front yard and six feet in a side or rear yard, and the front yard figure comes with a seventy-five percent maximum opacity and a trip to the Design Review Commission before a permit is issued, and the answer turns on the district, the yard and whether the lot is in the Historic District. The figure is 4 feet, for residential fence in a front yard.
- Permits
- It is unlawful for a contractor, an individual or a property owner in Collierville to start installing a fence or wall until the Development Department has issued a fence permit, and a permit issued in conflict with the chapter is null and void, and the answer turns on how much of the fence is being built or rebuilt. The figure is 50 percent, for share of a fence that may be rebuilt without a permit.
- Pool barriers
- Collierville sets no statewide pool barrier rule. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide this one.
- Spite fences
- Collierville has no spite fence statute. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide this one.
- Measured from what
- Collierville writes the most detailed measuring rules in this set, and the answer turns on how much the ground falls along the fence. The figure is 6 inches, for gap allowed above finished grade.
- Corner lots
- On a corner lot in any Collierville district except the central business one, nothing may be erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow so as to impede vision between two and a half feet and ten feet, in the area formed by the centerlines of two streets, or a street and a railroad, a hundred feet from where they meet, and the answer turns on whether the thing actually impedes vision in the band. The figure is 100 feet, for distance from the intersection along the centerlines.
- Retaining walls
- Collierville leaves retaining walls to the 2018 International Residential Code, published by the International Code Council, and its Sections R105.2 and R404. It reaches one and two family homes only.
- Materials
- Fences and walls in Collierville have to be brick, ornamental iron or aluminum, vinyl, or rot resistant wood, with pressure treated lumber, redwood, cypress and cedar named, and the answer turns on the material, the district and what the fence encloses.
- Livestock
- Tennessee counts more than wood and wire as a farm fence.
Who owns the fence between two properties in Collierville?
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Collierville answers this, but the answer changes depending on the size of the lot and which street the house faces.
On a residential corner lot in Collierville fences, walls and hedges are permitted in all yards, but nothing over forty-eight inches may go beyond the front face of the house or the front yard setback line, whichever is further from the property line, on the street the house faces. On the other street the rules split by lot size. A lot of nine thousand square feet or more may run an opaque fence up to six feet no more than ten feet into the required front yard setback, and in no case may a fence over forty-eight inches stand closer than twenty feet to the back edge of the curb. A lot under nine thousand square feet gets ten feet from the curb instead. Fences may not encroach into a public right-of-way or a pedestrian easement. All fences have to show the finished side toward public rights-of-way, common open areas, parkland, greenbelt and other public areas, and a fifteen foot clear access has to be kept to any above ground or pad-mounted transformer or equipment vault.
In no case shall a fence or wall greater than 48 inches in height be located closer than 20 feet from the back edge of the curb (or edge of pavement for a rural road cross section).
151.006(C)(9), with (10) and (12)
The answer turns on the size of the lot and which street the house faces.
- a corner lot of nine thousand feet or more
- Twenty feet from the curb. 20 ft
- a smaller corner lot
- Ten feet. 10 ft
- the finished side
- Faces the street and the public areas.
- a transformer or vault
- Fifteen feet of clear access.
Also on fences on the property line in Collierville
- set in state lawIn Tennessee a neighbor can get out of paying for a shared fence when one side is a farm and the other is not. The owner of the side that is not farmland can say in writing that the fence is not theirs to build or keep up. The notice goes by registered mail with a return receipt, or any other way that gives written proof it arrived, and it counts from the day the farm owner gets it. Once it is delivered, the farm owner cannot be sued over the fence being missing or in bad shape. Public Chapter 266 of 1999, Section 2, adding a section to T.C.A. Title 44, Chapter 8, Part 2Tennessee · Statute
- set in state lawThat way out lasts only while the land stays out of farming. The law counts land as non-farm when it is not farmland, has a house on it, and keeps no livestock. The day the land stops fitting that description, the notice stops working. If the farm owner built a fence while it was working, the other owner then pays a fair share of what the fence cost. A fight over the amount goes to the process in section 44-8-204. Public Chapter 266 of 1999, Section 2, subsection (d)Tennessee · Statute
How tall can a fence be in Collierville?
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Collierville answers this, but the answer changes depending on the district, the yard and whether the lot is in the Historic District.
A Collierville residential fence is held to four feet in a front yard and six feet in a side or rear yard, and the front yard figure comes with a seventy-five percent maximum opacity and a trip to the Design Review Commission before a permit is issued. Inside the Historic District the guidelines say a front yard fence should not exceed three and a half feet, the Historic District Commission may approve taller on a case by case basis, and in no case may a front yard fence exceed four feet. Nonresidential and mixed use lots take eight feet in both the front and the side and rear. A perimeter common open space or reversed frontage fence takes six feet, and the rural and large lot residential districts and any agricultural use take six feet at the front as well. A dumpster or loading screen wall in a nonresidential development is the greater of eight feet or two feet taller than the container, and exterior storage screening in the industrial districts the greater of fifteen feet or two feet above the materials.
The Historic District Guidelines state that front yard fences should not exceed 3.5 feet. The Historic District Commission may approve taller fences on a case-by-case basis, but in no case shall front yard fences exceed a height of 4 feet.
The answer turns on the district, the yard and whether the lot is in the Historic District.
- a residential front yard
- Four feet, three quarters opaque at most. 4 ft
- the Historic District
- Three and a half feet by guideline, four as a hard cap. 42 in
- a residential side or rear yard
- Six feet. 6 ft
- a nonresidential lot
- Eight feet front and back. 8 ft
Also on fence height in Collierville
- no rule, documents checkedTennessee sets no limit on how tall a fence at a house can be. The state residential code has no fence rule in it, and the state fence law in Title 44 is about livestock and fences on a property line rather than height. Cities and counties set the limit, and some places have opted out of the state code entirely. Code Adoption HistoryTennessee · Statute
Do I need a permit for a fence in Collierville?
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Collierville answers this, but the answer changes depending on how much of the fence is being built or rebuilt.
It is unlawful for a contractor, an individual or a property owner in Collierville to start installing a fence or wall until the Development Department has issued a fence permit, and a permit issued in conflict with the chapter is null and void. Correcting a violation is put on the contractor, the individual or the owner, within a reasonable period set by the department. The one exemption is written around repair: a permit is not required for maintenance of an existing fence unless more than fifty percent of it is being rebuilt. Two commissions sit above the permit. A front yard fence outside the Historic District has to be reviewed by the Design Review Commission before the permit issues, except in the rural and large lot residential districts, and inside the Historic District every fence visible from a public right-of-way needs the approval of the Historic District Commission. Either commission may approve alternative materials case by case.
Fence permits shall not be required for maintenance of an existing fence unless more than 50% of the fence is being reconstructed.
The answer turns on how much of the fence is being built or rebuilt.
- a new fence
- A fence permit before work starts.
- a repair under half the fence
- No permit. 50%
- a front yard fence
- Design Review Commission first.
- the Historic District
- Historic District Commission for anything visible.
Also on permits in Collierville
- set in state lawTennessee has no fence permit rule of its own. It uses the 2018 International Residential Code, with state changes, as the code for one and two family homes across the state, and the Fire Marshal lists that code as taking effect on July 16, 2020. The state changes leave alone the list of work that needs no permit, so that list is model code text and not Tennessee text. Counties and cities can opt out of the state code altogether. Code Adoption History, residential codesTennessee · Agency guidance
Pool fence requirements in Collierville
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Collierville law has no rule about this. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide it instead.
Tennessee sets no statewide fence rule for a pool at a house. The state took up the 2018 International Residential Code along with Appendix Q and nothing else. In that edition the pool fence rules sit in Appendix G, which Tennessee left out, so no state height reaches a pool at a home. Cities and counties can still set one.
This one is Tennessee law, not Collierville law. All Tennessee findings
Documents read before writing that:
- Code Adoption HistoryTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, State Fire Marshal's Office
- Codes EnforcementTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, State Fire Marshal's Office
Spite fence laws in Collierville
Compare spite fences across all 50 states
Collierville law has no rule about this. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide it instead.
Tennessee has no spite fence law. The state fence law in Title 44, Chapter 8 covers fencing that holds livestock and fences on a property line. It names no height and says nothing about a fence built to bother a neighbor. A fence like that is a nuisance case in court, not a matter of state law.
This one is Tennessee law, not Collierville law. All Tennessee findings
Documents read before writing that:
- T.C.A. Title 44, Chapter 8Tennessee General Assembly
- Code Adoption HistoryTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, State Fire Marshal's Office
How fence height is measured in Collierville
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Collierville answers this, but the answer changes depending on how much the ground falls along the fence.
Collierville writes the most detailed measuring rules in this set. Fence height is the body of the fence plus a maximum of six inches averaged between posts above the finished grade, allowed for drainage, and masonry columns and fence posts may extend up to twelve inches above the body. Where the ground falls less than a foot over twelve feet the height of a fence may vary up to six inches, and where it falls more than that between the ends of a section the height of that section may vary up to eighteen inches provided the steps are proportional. Average finished grade is defined as the average measured three feet out on each side of the fence, and for a fence on a retaining wall the adjacent grade is the top of the wall. Where height has been gained by creating a berm or any other method whose primary purpose is raising the fence, the height is measured from the ground as it was before the grading.
Fence height is measured to include the body of the fence, plus allowing a maximum of six inches (on average between posts) above the finished grade (i.e. for drainage purposes). Masonry columns and fence posts are permitted to extend a maximum of 12 inches above the body of the fence.
The answer turns on how much the ground falls along the fence.
- a drainage gap
- Six inches, averaged between posts. 6 in
- a post or column
- Twelve inches above the body. 12 in
- a steep section
- Eighteen inches of variation, stepped proportionally. 18 in
- a berm built to gain height
- Measured from the ground before grading.
Also on how height is measured in Collierville
- no rule, documents checkedTennessee never says where a fence height is measured from. The state adopts its building and fire codes in one rule of the Division of Fire Prevention, and that rule does name starting points, for buildings. It takes the height of a roof from the lowest fire truck road surface next to the building up to the eave or parapet, and it counts stories from the grade plane, which is the average ground level around the building. Both rules are about buildings. The word fence is nowhere in the chapter, so the state names no starting point for a fence. The city or county ordinance decides. Rule 0780-02-02-.01Tennessee · Building code
Fence rules for corner lots in Collierville
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Collierville answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the thing actually impedes vision in the band.
On a corner lot in any Collierville district except the central business one, nothing may be erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow so as to impede vision between two and a half feet and ten feet, in the area formed by the centerlines of two streets, or a street and a railroad, a hundred feet from where they meet. A hundred feet along the centerlines is the largest corner area in this set, matching Clarksville, and naming railroads keeps the rule working on the lines that run through the town. The fence rules then point back at it twice, prohibiting any fence that compromises safety by blocking vision at street intersections or obstructing the visibility of vehicles entering or leaving driveways or alleys. Notably the visibility rule does not carry the usual escape for an open fence, so a fence that can be seen through is judged on whether it actually impedes vision rather than exempted by a percentage.
On a corner lot in any district, except CB, nothing shall be erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow in such a manner as to impede vision between a height of two and one-half and ten feet. This restriction applies to that area formed by the centerline of streets or a street and a railroad at a distance of 100 feet from their intersections.
The answer turns on whether the thing actually impedes vision in the band.
- the area covered
- A hundred feet along each centerline. 100 ft
- the protected band
- Two and a half feet to ten. 30 in
- a driveway or alley
- Covered by the fence rules as well.
- the central business district
- Exempt.
Also on corner visibility in Collierville
- set in state lawTennessee has one rule about seeing down the road, and it covers a new driveway onto a state highway. The Department of Transportation rule at 1680-10-01 takes up the driveway manual, and section 5.2 of that manual says a driveway goes where a driver can see far enough in both directions. Where the view is short, the turns the driveway allows get cut back. The manual prints a triangle showing it. The same rule says plainly that it sits on top of county and city land rules, and that is where a corner triangle for a fence comes from. Tenn. Comp. R. and Regs. 1680-10-01-.03, Manual section 5.2Tennessee · Traffic code
Retaining wall rules in Collierville
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Collierville does not set this. It leaves it to the 2018 International Residential Code, published by the International Code Council, and its Sections R105.2 and R404.
Tennessee has no rule of its own for a wall that holds back earth. It uses the 2018 International Residential Code, with state changes, as the code for one and two family homes, and it names no height at which such a wall needs a permit. So the rule that applies is the model code text, which the International Code Council sells and which no Tennessee state site prints. Counties and cities can opt out of the state code, which is what makes the answer local in some places.
This one is Tennessee law, not Collierville law. All Tennessee findings
International Residential Code (IRC), 2018 edition, published by the ICC, with amendments;
Currently Adopted Codes, residential code
The code hands this to the 2018 International Residential Code, published by the International Code Council, and its Sections R105.2 and R404, which is not published in the code itself.
Fence materials allowed in Collierville
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Collierville answers this, but the answer changes depending on the material, the district and what the fence encloses.
Fences and walls in Collierville have to be brick, ornamental iron or aluminum, vinyl, or rot resistant wood, with pressure treated lumber, redwood, cypress and cedar named. Wooden boards in a nonresidential development have to be naturally rot resistant, meaning redwood, cypress or cedar rather than pressure treated, and the same applies to a perimeter fence in a planned development, common open space, a reversed frontage fence, or a fence on an arterial or collector in any subdivision developed after the first of January 2016. Retaining walls, formed concrete walls in the right places, and plastic and composite made from recycled material are also allowed. Chain link and vinyl coated chain link are prohibited outright except where the Development Director or the Design Review Commission authorizes them for an approved animal boarding or health care facility, an industrial side or rear yard abutting similar zoning, a municipal facility, or a sports facility. Cinder block, concrete block and barbed wire are prohibited, and wire mesh, single wire and electrified fencing are prohibited except for agriculture or where mesh is combined with a wooden fence.
Fences and walls must be constructed of brick, ornamental iron or aluminum, vinyl, or rot resistant wood (pressure treated lumber, redwood, cypress and cedar), with the following exceptions:
The answer turns on the material, the district and what the fence encloses.
- a house lot
- Brick, iron, aluminum, vinyl or rot resistant wood.
- chain link
- Prohibited, with five named exceptions.
- a nonresidential wooden fence
- Naturally rot resistant wood only.
- barbed, electric or single wire
- Agriculture only.
Also on materials in Collierville
- set in state lawTennessee keeps a list of fences that count as good enough to hold farm animals, and the legislature has only made that list longer. An act of 1999 added two things to it. One is a fence made of man made materials sold for fencing, put up the usual way. The other is any system or device built on technology that is accepted for holding farm animals, which is where an electric fence fits. The same act lets the commissioner of agriculture add detail by rule, and says the law still works where no such rule exists. Tenn. Code Ann. 44-8-102(b)Tennessee · Statute
Livestock and boundary fence law in Collierville
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Tennessee answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Tennessee counts more than wood and wire as a farm fence. A fence made of man made materials sold for fencing counts, as long as it is put up the usual way and holds farm animals. So does any system or device built on technology that is accepted for holding farm animals, which is where an electric or wireless fence fits. An act of 1999 added both. The commissioner of agriculture can write rules adding detail, and the law still works where no such rule exists.
This one is Tennessee law, not Collierville law. All Tennessee findings
In addition to subsection (a), sufficient fencing shall include: (1) fence constructed from synthetic materials commonly sold for fencing, if such materials are installed pursuant to generally acceptable standards, to confine or restrict the movement of farm animals
T.C.A. § 44-8-102(b), as added by Public Chapter 266 of 1999
Documents behind this page
6 documents, of which 1 was published by Collierville itself. Each was read on the date shown.
- Tennessee General AssemblyPublic Chapter No. 266, Senate Bill No. 658 (1999), an act to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 44, Chapter 8, relative to fencing and grazing
- Town of ColliervilleCollierville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 151, Zoning, Section 151.006, General Provisions for All Districts
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, State Fire Marshal's OfficeCodes Enforcement, Code Adoption History
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, State Fire Marshal's OfficeCodes Enforcement
- Tennessee Secretary of StateRules of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Division of Fire Prevention, Chapter 0780-02-02, Codes and Standards
- Tennessee Department of TransportationManual for Constructing Driveway Entrances on State Highways, 2015 Edition, adopted by Rule 1680-10-01-.03
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 Collierville publishes, plus the Tennessee rules that apply where the city sets none. Fence laws in Tennessee 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