How Virginia Beach Handles Fence Regulations: A Practical Guide
Virginia Beach maintains 161 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 Virginia Beach falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Material Restrictions
Virginia Beach caps fences at eight feet, bans barbed wire and electrified fencing in residential and apartment districts, and allows maintenance-free vinyl or aluminum fencing on the right-of-way line if landscaped and no more than 50% opaque.
Key details: Max fence height: 8 feet. Front yard fence height: 4 feet max. Barbed/electrified fencing: banned near residential districts. Chain link: allowed with required landscaping. Fence permit fee: $50.
Barbed wire or electrified fencing in a residential or apartment district, chain link installed without the required landscaping strip, or a fence built within 30 feet of a right-of-way without the $50 permit can be cited and ordered corrected by the Planning Department.
Neighbor Fence Rules
Virginia Beach caps fences at 8 feet, drops to 4 feet in front yards, and bans barbed wire near residential lot lines.
Key details: Max height, most yards: 8 feet. Max height, front yard: 4 feet. Barbed wire: Banned near residential districts. Right-of-way setback: 5 feet minimum. Permit fee (near ROW): $50.
Zoning Administrator enforcement; noncompliant fences must be brought into conformity, and nonconforming fences near a right-of-way cannot be enlarged, extended, or replaced beyond minor repairs.
Fence Permit Requirements
A fence or wall built within 30 feet of a public right-of-way in Virginia Beach requires a zoning permit costing $50, with an exemption for agricultural or horticultural fencing in the AG Agricultural District.
Key details: Trigger distance: Within 30 feet of right-of-way. Permit fee: $50 flat fee per lot. Exemption: AG District ag/horticultural fences. Multi-lot fences: Separate permit required per lot. Orientation rule: Finished side must face right-of-way.
Building or relocating a fence within 30 feet of a right-of-way without the required permit is a zoning violation enforceable by the Zoning Administrator, who can order the work stopped or removed.
Height Limits
Fences and walls citywide max out at 8 feet, drop to 4 feet in required front yards, and shrink further inside street-intersection visibility triangles.
Key details: General max height: 8 feet. Front yard max: 4 feet. Side yard near street (within 10 ft): 4 feet. Setback from right-of-way: 5 feet minimum. Permit trigger: within 30 ft of right-of-way.
Zoning enforcement can require removal or modification of a nonconforming fence; building without the required permit for fences within 30 feet of a right-of-way is a zoning violation subject to correction.
The Bottom Line
Virginia Beach'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 Virginia Beach is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Virginia Beach's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.