Fence Regulations in Columbia, SC (2026)
3 verified fence regulations for Columbia, South Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Columbia caps fence and wall height by yard type under UDO Table 17-5.8(d)(3): 8 feet in a side or rear yard, 6 feet in the second front yard of a corner lot, and 4 feet in any other front yard. Posts and wall columns may rise 36 inches above those limits, but no fence or wall may exceed 8 feet anywhere, and none may block a street intersection sight area.
Columbia Fence and Wall Height Limits
Some RestrictionsColumbia, SC Unified Development Ordinance § 17-5.8(d), Height; Table 17-5.8(d)(3)
Notwithstanding any provision in this subsection, a fence or wall shall not extend into a street intersection sight area (see Sec. 17-9.4, Definitions). A fence or wall located in a required yard shall comply with the height standards in Table 17-5.8(d)(3): Maximum Fence or Wall Height in Required Yards. Side or rear yard: 8 feet. Second front yard on corner lot: 6 feet. Front yard, other than ...
Fence Permit Requirements
Every new or replacement fence or wall in Columbia must meet the standards in UDO Sec. 17-5.8 unless it falls under a narrow exemption list. There's no standalone fence permit; compliance is checked automatically when the Zoning Administrator reviews the property's site plan or Zoning Permit application, and a Zoning Permit must be approved before any Building Permit issues.
Columbia Fence Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsColumbia, SC Unified Development Ordinance § 17-5.8(b), Applicability
(b) Applicability General Unless exempted in accordance with (2) below, the standards in this Section apply to any construction or replacement of fences or walls. Exemptions The following fences and walls are exempt from the standards of this Section: a. Fences and walls required for support of a principal or accessory structure; b. Temporary fences and barricades around construction sites; c. ...
Material Restrictions
Columbia bans barbed wire, concertina wire, electrically charged wire, spikes, blades, glass, or other hazardous materials on any fence below five feet from the ground, with a narrow carve-out for low-voltage electric grazing fences under a permit.
Columbia Ban on Barbed and Electric Fences
Significant RestrictionsColumbia, SC Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-1
It shall be unlawful for any person to install, erect, maintain or permit on property owned, occupied or controlled by such person any fence, wall, screen, barricade, post or structure which has affixed to or incorporated into it barbed wire, concertina wire, electrically charged wire, spikes, blades, glass or any other sharp objects or hazardous materials at a level lower than five feet above ...
Looking for Richland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Columbia city rules.
Fence Regulations in Richland County →