Fence Regulations in Knoxville, TN (2026)
4 verified fence regulations for Knoxville, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Knoxville caps privacy fences and walls at 42 inches from five feet behind the front building line forward to the front lot line and in the corner side yard. Open fences carry no height limit there, and in every other yard the general zoning rule sets no height limit for privacy fences, walls, or open fences.
Knoxville Fence and Wall Height Limits
Some RestrictionsKnoxville City Code, Appendix B (Zoning Code), Art. 10, Sec. 10.3.L.1 (Fences and Walls) (Ord. No. O-61-2020, § 1, 4-21-20; Ord. No. O-95-2022, § 1, 7-26-22; Ord. No. O-25-2024, § 1, 3-5-24)
From five feet behind the front building line forward to the front lot line and in the corner side yard, privacy fences and walls are limited to 42 inches. On through lot rear, fences are limited to 42 inches when closer than the front setback for the designated zoning district, or the average of blockface for existing principal buildings numerically addressed along the parallel street, whichev...
Fence Permit Requirements
Knoxville's zoning code sets no separate fence permit or fee. Fences fall under the accessory structure rules of § 10.3, which leave the building permit question to the Building Code. The zoning limit that matters is height: privacy fences and walls are capped at 42 inches in front yards and corner side yards, and other yards have no limit.
Knoxville Fence Permits and Height Rules
Some RestrictionsKnoxville City Code, Appendix B (Zoning Code), Art. 10 (Site Development Standards), § 10.3.L (Fences and Walls); § 10.3.A.2
A building permit may be required for the construction of an accessory structure, per the Building Code. ... Fences and Walls 1. General a. From five feet behind the front building line forward to the front lot line and in the corner side yard, privacy fences and walls are limited to 42 inches. On through lot rear, fences are limited to 42 inches when closer than the front setback for the desig...
Retaining Walls
Knoxville permits retaining walls within utility and drainage easements only at the owner's risk and with City Department of Engineering approval; commercial site plans must also submit stamped wall calculations.
Knoxville Retaining Wall Engineering Rule
Some RestrictionsKnoxville City Code, Appendix B (Zoning Code), Art. 10, § 10.1.E
E. Utility and Drainage Easements. Permanent structures and accessory structures are prohibited within utility and drainage easements. Stormwater facilities, retaining walls, and fences may be installed at the property owner's risk, subject to the approval of the City Department of Engineering.
Material Restrictions
Knoxville bans barbed-wire or spiked fences near sidewalks unless the barbs sit seven feet up, and prohibits electrified fences citywide except for permitted temporary goat-grazing fences and permitted outdoor-storage security fencing.
Knoxville Bars Low Barbed Wire, Electric Fences
Significant RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 19-100(a)-(b)
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to erect along or adjacent to any sidewalk in the city any barbed wire fence or any fence containing spikes, unless the height of the barbed wire or spikes is seven (7) feet or greater. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, construct or maintain in the city any fence or obstruction charged with electricity except for the following uses:
Looking for Knox County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Knoxville city rules.
Fence Regulations in Knox County →