How High Point Handles Fence Regulations: A Practical Guide
High Point maintains 110 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with fence regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where High Point falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Material Restrictions
High Point bans barbed, razor, and concertina wire on ordinary residential fences, limiting it to correctional, livestock, and qualifying nonresidential uses, and restricts electric fencing to livestock and buried pet containment.
Key details: Barbed/razor/concertina wire: banned on residential fences. Allowed uses: correctional, livestock, some nonresidential. Wire height rule: 6+ feet above grade required. Electric fences: livestock or buried pet fences only.
Installing barbed, razor, or concertina wire on a residential fence, or an electrified fence outside the allowed livestock/pet/industrial uses, violates § 5.11.6.B and can be ordered removed or brought into compliance under Chapter 9 enforcement.
Compared to other cities, High Point takes a harder line on material restrictions. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.
Fence Permit Requirements
Before installing or replacing a fence anywhere in High Point, North Carolina, the property owner must obtain a zoning compliance permit under Development Ordinance § 2.5.16, since fences are development that does not require a building permit. The Planning and Development Director reviews the application against every applicable Ordinance and City Code standard, and the approved permit lapses within one year if work has not substantially started.
Key details: Permit required: Zoning Compliance Permit before any fence work. Governing sections: Dev. Ordinance §§ 2.5.16, 5.11.2. Reviewing official: Planning and Development Director. Permit expiration: Void after 1 year if not substantially commenced. First-offense penalty: $50 civil penalty.
Building or replacing a fence without the required zoning compliance permit is a violation of the Development Ordinance, enforced through the civil penalty schedule in Section 9.9.5: $50 for a first violation, $100 for a second, $200 for a third, and $500 for the fourth and each violation after that. Section 9.9.2 treats every day the fence stays out of compliance as a separate, additional offense, so penalties keep accruing until the permit is obtained and the work is brought into compliance.
Retaining Walls
High Point's Development Ordinance counts a retaining wall or berm sitting below a fence toward that fence's maximum height, so residential fence caps of 4 to 8 feet apply to the combined structure.
Key details: Rule: wall/berm below fence counts as fence height. Residential cap: 4 to 8 feet by location. Measured: highest point nearest adjoining lot. Excludes: safety railings required by State Building Code. Governs: City of High Point zoning districts.
Building a retaining wall under a fence that pushes the combined height past the district's 4, 6, or 8-foot cap is a zoning violation subject to the Ordinance's enforcement provisions.
Height Limits
Residential fences in High Point top out at 4 to 6 feet within 15 feet of a street right-of-way but can reach 8 feet everywhere else, and none may block visibility at a street intersection.
Key details: Near thoroughfare/collector (15 ft): 6 ft max. Near local street (15 ft): 4 ft max. All other locations: 8 ft max. Corner/intersection sight lines: no obstruction allowed.
A fence exceeding the height cap for its location, or one erected so it blocks sightlines at a street intersection, violates § 5.11.4–5.11.5 and can be ordered lowered, relocated, or removed.
The Bottom Line
High Point'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 High Point is broadly strict or permissive.
All of the above reflects High Point's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.