Fence Regulations in Asheville, NC (2026)
3 verified fence regulations for Asheville, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Asheville caps fences and walls in a required front setback at 6 feet and those in a side or rear setback at 8 feet, unless the wall serves as a retaining structure. Fences outside any required setback may match the zoning district's building height limit, but sight triangle walls near streets are capped at 3.5 feet.
Asheville Fence Height Limits by Yard
Some RestrictionsCode of the City of Asheville, NC § 7-10-3(a)(2), (b)
Unless otherwise required to comply with other provisions of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Asheville fences and walls located within the minimum front setback shall not exceed six feet in height unless serving as a retaining structure. Fences and walls located within the minimum side or rear setback shall not exceed eight feet in height unless serving as a retaining structure. No fence ...
Retaining Walls
Asheville requires retaining walls over 8 feet to be faced in stone, brick, form-liner art, or vegetation, and adds landscape or vine screening for walls over 6 feet within 35 feet of a street. Terracing is allowed, but no single terraced wall may exceed 20 feet.
Asheville Retaining Wall Height and Screening
Some RestrictionsCode of the City of Asheville, NC § 7-10-5
Retaining walls in excess of eight feet in height shall be faced with natural or artificial stone, brick, form-liner art or patterns, or vegetation in order to avoid a stark appearance. Foreground landscaping or attached vegetative screening of retaining walls or retaining wall sections over six feet in height and closer than 35 feet to a public or private street shall also be required... Retai...
Material Restrictions
Asheville bans barbed wire fencing anywhere along a city street or alley outright, and confines electrified security fences to Industrial, Light Industrial and Commercial Industrial-zoned outdoor storage areas. Residential and most commercial fences may not use either material.
Asheville Barbed Wire & Electric Fence Ban
Significant RestrictionsAsheville City Code §§ 16-6, 7-10-3(c)
Sec. 16-6. Barbed wire. No person shall erect, maintain or allow on any premises along any street or alley of the city any barbed wire or barbed wire fence. (Code 1965, § 25-9) ... (c) Electrified security fences. Private use of electrified security fences shall be allowed only in the Industrial, Commercial Industrial, and Light Industrial districts and only for the purpose of securing outdoor ...
Looking for Buncombe County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Asheville city rules.
Fence Regulations in Buncombe County →