Apex's Fence Regulations: The Rules That Matter
Every city handles fence regulations a little differently. In Apex, North Carolina, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.
Material Restrictions
Apex fences must use wood, stone, brick, block, or wrought iron; plywood, sheet metal, and concrete slabs are banned, and barbed wire is restricted to farms and livestock.
Key details: Allowed materials: wood, stone, brick, block, wrought iron. Banned materials: plywood, sheet metal, concrete slabs. Barbed wire: only for farms/livestock use. Barbed-wire exception: up to 2 ft atop industrial fence. Governing instrument: Apex UDO, codified July 2021.
Fences built from banned materials, or barbed wire installed outside farm/livestock or the limited industrial-security exception, are UDO violations subject to the ordinance's standard zoning enforcement and correction process.
Height Limits
Apex's Unified Development Ordinance caps freestanding fences and walls at 7 feet, holds front-yard fences to 48 inches, bars plywood, particleboard, and sheet-metal fencing, and restricts chain link and barbed wire townwide.
Key details: Max freestanding height: 7 feet incl. posts/finials. Front-yard fence limit: 48 inches. Chain link: Residential side/rear yards only. Barbed wire: Ag/livestock use only. Non-res. ROW setback: 4 feet, with screening.
A fence over the height cap, in a barred material, or missing required right-of-way setback and screening violates the UDO; the Town can deny or revoke a permit, order correction or removal, or pursue civil penalties under UDO Article 11 Enforcement.
Retaining Walls
Apex requires a building permit and a licensed engineer's certification for retaining walls with more than 5 feet of cumulative vertical relief within 50 feet, and caps single-family walls at 6 feet in two terraced sections.
Key details: Engineering trigger: >5 ft cumulative relief in 50 ft. Single-family height cap: 6 ft, max two terraced sections. Permit issuer: Building Inspections and Permitting Dept.. Prohibited material: Wood lag construction banned.
Building without the required engineering or a permit is enforced under the UDO's building-permit and site-development standards, with plan review denial or a stop-work order from Building Inspections and Permitting.
The Bottom Line
Apex's fence regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Apex is broadly strict or permissive.
Keep in mind that Apex can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.